Firstblox: How Factory 39 built a brand that stands out in the cloud tech market

How we helped Firstblox built a brand that cuts through the cloud noise

The cloud computing landscape is crowded and competitive, with countless providers offering similar solutions wrapped in tech jargon with a blue bow (for some reason, there are many blue logos in the mix).

In a world where technology should inspire and empower, many companies have a wealth of knowledge yet struggle to effectively communicate the benefits of their offerings.

Enter Firstblox, a bold player that recognised that to capture the attention of decision-makers and effectively communicate their innovative cloud solutions, they needed a compelling brand story that offered more than traditional tech talk. Rather than following typical industry conventions, Firstblox focused on crafting a brand narrative that resonates deeply with customers.

Brand Audit
Brand Strategy Sprint
Brand Identity
Brand Architecture Design
Motion Design

THE CHALLENGE:

How do you stand out in a noisy tech landscape? How do you balance technical expertise with emotional connection? How do you convince businesses that Firstblox is the innovative partner they’ve been searching for, rather than just another provider?

THE OPPORTUNITY:

During the audit, we discovered that the answer lies in clarity and cohesion. It’s not just about the tech - it’s about simplifying the complex, delivering solutions that resonate, and making every interaction reinforce the core values that set Firstblox apart: A 360-degree AWS journey: Start Right > Deliver Right > Operate Right.

Cloud is already complex enough, there is no space for complex brand propositions as well.

THE BRAND SPRINT:

We kicked off our Brand Sprint, (a productised version of our Fortune 500 strategic process) session bringing together the Firstblox team to discuss and debate all things business and brand to define Firstblox’s key strategic elements. With an existing presence in the market and established products, the workshop aimed to define how they could effectively brand and communicate their offerings to strengthen their impact.

THE SOLUTION:

A brand with purpose to enable tech builders to focus on building.

A brand with a vision for a world where there are no barriers to cloud adoption and scale.

The new Firstblox brand platform establishes a foundation that extends beyond cloud computing services, resonating deeply with customers’ needs. It delivers straightforward productised solutions that simplify cloud adoption, allowing businesses to start smoothly and scale effectively.

By translating complex technical knowledge into clear benefits, Firstblox empowers businesses to grasp how their solutions can drive success.

THE BRAND ARCHITECTURE:

We were tasked to create an architecture system for Firstblox’s existing products that needed to be sub-branded under the main Firstblox identity. We created a system that positioned each product as the focal point, giving them distinct sub-brand colour, while ensuring a cohesive visual connection to the parent brand.

This allowed each product to stand out while still reinforcing the recognition of the Firstblox brand. Now the team is empowered with a flexible identity system sited to support the business growth with ease.

THE BRAND IDENTITY:

Firstblox needed a unique identity that not only distinguished them from the heavily saturated competition but also aligned with their core mission: simplifying AWS adoption and scaling for businesses. Our goal was to create a visual identity that reflected the user journey of starting and scaling with cloud adoption. We were inspired by wayfinding and paths to represent how Firstblox supports users through direction and guidance.

We developed the concept that Firstblox offers “a way” — or even “the way” — for companies to successfully navigate and thrive within the AWS cloud. This idea was then incorporated into a shield, representing security and stability, which became the defining element of their new logo and a strong reflection of their mission.

This same concept was used across all their visual and motion touch points, ensuring a cohesive brand experience that reinforces Firstblox's commitment to empowering businesses in their cloud journey.

TESTIMONIAL: STRAIGHT FROM THEIR VOICE

"I highly recommend Martin and the Factory39 team. Their passion for branding and design excellence guided us through workshops that reconnected us with the fundamentals of real-world branding for our customers. In the competitive cloud engineering space, they helped firstblox shape a brand that truly reflects our purpose and vision. The team welcomed our creative input, challenged our assumptions, and fostered open collaboration. We’re excited to continue partnering with the Factory and the team as we move toward activation and beyond!"

Lorcan O’Flynn, Founder & Principal Engineer at FIRSTBLOX

Standing out in cloud computing: Firstblox’s journey to brand clarity