Modernizing a 35-year old brand

No longer “four old guys in gray suits”

Problem

Pega faced a brand and positioning problem. As a multi-product company, there was no internal consensus on what Pega was, the category it played in, or how to tell its story. Teams debated:

• What the product actually was and how to describe it.

• Who the primary audience was and what mattered to them.

• What category Pega belonged in—was it CRM, automation, AI, or something else?

• How to unify the brand across its diverse product portfolio.

Meanwhile, externally, Pega’s brand was seen as corporate and outdated—one customer even described it as “four old guys in gray suits.” The lack of a clear, compelling identity meant the company’s industry-leading technology wasn’t breaking through.

Solution

To address these challenges, the team took a holistic approach—building not just a new identity, but a cohesive strategic foundation that would unify positioning, messaging, and visuals.

1. New Product Positioning: Defined a clear, agreed-upon product framework that clarified what Pega’s technology does and how it delivers value.

2. New Messaging Platform: Developed a structured messaging architecture that spanned the entire product portfolio, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints.

3. Corporate Narrative: Created a unified story that connected Pega’s products, mission, and customer impact into a single, compelling narrative.

4. Brand Identity Overhaul: With the positioning and story in place, the team rebuilt the brand’s look and feel to match its modern, innovative nature:

   • Expanded the color palette to break free from the old corporate aesthetic.

   • Introduced organic, fluid shapes to reflect adaptability and transformation.

   • Updated photography standards to create a more human, engaging brand.

   • Developed a modular illustration system to enhance visual storytelling.

   • Refined brand voice to emphasize warmth, partnership, and approachability.

Results

• Clear and consistent positioning that unified the company’s multi-product strategy, category definition, and audience messaging.

• A bold, modern, and flexible brand identity that supported the new story while combatting outdated perceptions.

• A cohesive messaging framework that enabled sales, marketing, and product teams to speak the same language.

• A revitalized brand presence that reflected both the power of Pega’s technology and the humanity of its people.

The result? A brand as dynamic as its technology—one that finally told a unified, compelling story to the market.