Amplify: Creating a new brand and business from scratch

SITUATION 

A group of industry experts were brought together by News Corp education division, tasked with a compelling mission: Address inequality and underperformance in public education by creating digital innovation to help teachers educate better and students learn better.

But this team of top-in-class education reformers and innovators were faced with a disaster before they could even embark on their assignment. The Sun scandal had just been exposed, and people around the world were questioning the morals and standards of any company associated with the Murdoch regime, especially those that had anything to do with their children. This was compounded by the fact that News Corp, which had little to no equity in education, was proposing technology as the main vehicle for change—a method that was seen as unproven and campaigned against by the teachers union.

STRATEGY

Our recommended strategy was to separate the education business as far as possible from News Corp. This meant we needed to create a new brand, a new identity, and new actions that would give the new business a fighting chance.

In order for the launch and separation to be successful, the new entity would have to deliver on the promise of digital innovation in education. We decided to launch with a generous gift to the U.S. education system with the hopes that it would bring together the diverse and often contentious community to address a shared need for connection and individuality. Finally, we would have to deliver a product that showcased our ambition to break down walls in education and put an end to the factory system of public education.

01. Separate from the mothership

Create a firewall by renaming the new division Amplify and developing a flexible and distinctively visual identity separate from the News Corp for three critical audiences: wireless generation employees, current and potential customers, and the media.

02. Launch the Advocacy Platform

Conceive and execute the first product offered by the division: a content-driven website designed to provide utility, clarity, and inspiration for anyone interested in understanding the evolving space of digital education.

03. Launch the tablet

Create and launch the second product offered by the division: a tablet developed in collaboration with Amplify, co:, IDEO, Asus, and AT&T.

Results

On day one of the launch, an L.A.-based game developer decided it wanted to partner, after all.

More industry stars were hired (Chris Cerf, ex-Chancellor of New Jersey schools, joined in 2014).

School districts have signed up for over 21,000 seats.

Amplify was rated one of the Top 10 Most Innovative companies in education by Fast Company.