Turn Research Into Medicines

Aton

For Hybrigenics Pharma, a Euronext-quoted biotech business, promising drug trials had ended in disappointment, leaving morale and shareholder sentiment at a low ebb.

A new CEO reviewed its unique resources, technologies and learnings. Where some might see failure, she saw an exciting new opportunity. The group would pivot to become a support platform, helping life sciences companies change how effective treatments are developed.
To begin the transformation, it was essential to reset, rally the troops, and clearly communicate the new vision. To make it happen, she turned to TOTEM.

Simplify

To begin, TOTEM explored the group’s origins and ambitions, including stakeholder interviews and a workshop. It was critical to understand the companies and technologies it owned, as well as the marketplace and benchmark companies.

These insights brought clarity and a led us to a powerful brand purpose, ‘To advance therapies for the good of patients, medicine and society.’ The future direction for the brand became clear.

This was a major change to the mission and purpose of the business. To signal the bold change of direction and break with the legacy business, we needed a new name and clear narrative.

Create

Following TOTEM’s name creation process, Hybrigenics Pharma became Aton (the sun, ancient Egypt). A metaphor for the group’s central role as guiding light and sustaining influence at the heart of an ecosystem. The group’s collaborating life science companies, each with diverse skills and technologies.

With the Aton name trademarked, TOTEM created a visual identity to bring the strategy to life. A confident word mark, with its emblematic ‘o’, symbolises the constituent parts — diverse individuals and businesses, unified as one team. To this, TOTEM added a new tagline, ‘Turn research into medicines.’ A direct promise, and a clear articulation of the group’s purpose.

The new visual identity works in harmony with the narrative and ‘tone of voice’ for the new brand. This gives Aton the toolkit needed to be distinctive and clearly express themselves to their different audiences.

Empower

TOTEM created video explainers highlighting the positive change and new direction to stakeholders. We also delivered a new website (in English and French) to engage and excite shareholders, potential partners, employees and invested companies alike.

According to Aton’s Marketing manager Laura Hoyez, “TOTEM understood us quickly. They ‘got’ where we wanted to be in the future ... Now, it's really exciting. With the new name, story, messaging and our new website bringing it all together, we are beginning to write the next chapter.”

Another CEO asked me about rebranding. I said, first, think about why you're doing it. If you’re just going to change the name to ‘make some noise’, but nothing’s really changed. It's not useful.
Choose well who you're going to work with — I gave them TOTEM’s name. If you want to succeed, you need a real partnership, someone who truly understands who you are, to bring you the best support… Honestly, we could not achieve this without them.

Léone Atayi, CEO, Aton

Related Projects

View All Work

Superior Mobile Security

Corrata is a best-in-class mobile security provider for business. They needed to win market share, in a highly competitive space, in Ireland, the UK and the US. TOTEM positioned them for success.

Explore

white female Lab worker smiling at camera while wearing protective glasswear and a white coat

Propelling success with a new structure

Eurofins PSS needed a new standalone website to showcase its in-sourcing model and expert scientific teams. The new structure, design and messaging helped drive growth across the European market.

Explore