case study

Defining Manitoba’s Innovation Engine

CLIENT

Manitoba Innovates

Project

Brand Platform, Identity & Strategy

services

INSIGHTS

strategy

go to market

01. THE CLIENT

Innovation has always existed in Manitoba. The challenge has never been a lack of ideas. It has been helping those ideas grow.

In 2025, Manitoba Tech Accelerator became Manitoba Innovates: a renamed, repositioned organization built to support innovators from first spark to measurable impact. More than a new name, it marked a shift in purpose, creating a single organization dedicated to strengthening Manitoba's innovation ecosystem and helping position the province as a destination for research, technology and economic growth.

02. THE CHALLENGE

As a newly formed organization, Manitoba Innovates faced a familiar challenge. Awareness was low, and many still saw it narrowly as a source of funding. In reality, its role was much broader: connecting innovators with expertise, partnerships, and the support needed to move ideas forward.

The brand needed to make that role unmistakably clear while also earning trust at a time when confidence in institutions is increasingly difficult to build.

03. THE INSIGHT

Innovators don’t just need capital. They need confidence, strategy and the right partners.

And they need somewhere to turn when the path is unclear. Manitoba Innovates didn't need to position itself as a bank. It needed to become the guide innovators turn to when they don't know what comes next.

04. THE SOLUTION

That insight shaped every part of the new brand.

Built around the Sage archetype, Manitoba Innovates was positioned as the guiding force behind innovation in the province, bringing clarity to complexity and helping innovators move from possibility to progress. Five strategic pillars: Expertise, Connection, Support, Leadership and Evolution, formed the foundation of the brand. While a new mission to empower innovators was brought to life through a simple promise:

Driving Innovation, Together.

Just as importantly, the organization committed to a "Say:Do Ratio," ensuring every promise made by the brand would be matched with meaningful action, transparent communication, and measurable outcomes.

Expertise

PILLAR 01

Connection

PILLAR 02

Support

PILLAR 03

Leadership

PILLAR 04

Evolution

PILLAR 05

05. THE MAKING

The strategy came to life through every expression of the brand.

A vibrant visual identity, bold typography and a logo built from repeating hexagons reflected collaboration, momentum and growth. The voice was crafted to be knowledgeable without being inaccessible—confident, approachable and grounded in real expertise.

Accessibility remained central throughout, ensuring entrepreneurs in rural communities, underrepresented founders and early-stage ventures could see themselves reflected in the organization and the support it offers.

06. WHY THIS ALL MATTERS

Innovation ecosystems aren't built by funding alone. They're built by the people, partnerships and confidence that allow great ideas to become reality.

By repositioning Manitoba Innovates from a funding organization to a trusted guide, the brand gives innovators something every thriving ecosystem depends on: a place to turn when the next step isn't obvious. That's the kind of infrastructure that doesn't just support innovation, it helps create a future where more ideas can succeed, especially in Manitoba.