THE STORY

Established by Skyrocket in 2013, Brand Prize is an annual contest with a mission of elevating the progressive startup culture in North America.

Any startup can apply for a chance to win a brand system by telling their unique story and outlining their vision. Skyrocket then reviews the submissions and picks the winner based on the novelty of the idea, potential for social impact and market traction.

In 2014, for example, the prize was swooped up by Hello Tractor, a startup connecting farmers in rural Nigeria to crowdfunded machinery, thus drastically increasing their productivity. With the smart technology in place, Hello Tractor was missing a captivating brand identity, which made it challenging for them to approach investors and attract a critical mass of early adopters.

As part of Brand Prize, Skyrocket helped Hello Tractor to define their target audiences and articulate the value propositions as well as craft an approachable and eye-catching visual identity.

BRAND PRIZE AMPLIFIED

The response to Brand Prize has been overwhelmingly positive, both from the startups we worked with and the community in general.

The prize, as designed, was coveted and ultimately lived up its promise of making an impact on the winner. But as an agency committed to continuous improvement and new ways of bringing value, we have been thinking about evolving Brand Prize in some way.

We asked ourselves, “Where else do startups get ‘stuck’ or what do they put on the back burner as they focus on R&D and getting the company off the ground?”. The answer soon became clear — the website!

Fast-forward to 2017, Skyrocket is pleased to announce a partnership with RED Academy, a design and technology school, that has enthusiastically joined forces with us to complement the prize with a custom brand-infused digital experience.

Skyrocket and RED Academy are ready to set the winner’s trajectory on a dramatic upswing and invite all startups to apply.

Having been friends with RED Academy since their inception, we realized both of our companies are driven by the same values of empowering forward-thinking organizations to fulfill their dreams. So when we pitched them the Brand Prize idea, “yes!” was the immediate reply.

THE PRIZE NOW

With RED Academy as our partner, we can’t wait to see which startups will throw their hats in the ring of Brand Prize this year. What big ideas, what inspiring mission, what problems-to-solve will they bring forward?

As of Thursday, June 15, we are accepting applications to win a brand system and web experience from all startups based in North America. Submission deadline is July 14, but we are so thrilled that we are admittedly peeking at applications as they roll in, so don’t wait!

Take a look at our (ridiculously simple) application process and apply today on brandprize.com.