iTValuations

Services:

Brief

Reed Warren had gotten pretty far. After starting out with a mergers and acquisitions firm, Reed realized that the valuations that made these transactions possible were imprecise at best, sketchy at worst. One CVA training and a bold career move later, Reed started iTValuations to provide M&A consulting for IT service firms with a data-driven valuation model that stood up to scrutiny from anyone involved in the transaction.

Far, indeed. But like all our favorite clients, Reed and the iTV team had their sights set higher. They were a founder-driven company focused on one-time valuations for IT companies going to market. They wanted to become a tech company offering transformation for IT company owners at crossroads moments in their business.

Outcome

A brand that looks like a scale-up and sounds like a splash. We’ve done that plenty before, but much of our earliest conversations centered on the character and quality of the people on their team. It was clear that any solution needed to retain the heart and humanity that had gotten iTV this far.

The soft qualities all needed to come through. But transformation was the core promise. So while it needed to feel solid and approachable, it also needed to feel expert, innovative, and maybe even a little transcendent.

Our first theme was Transformation, borrowing heavily from the digital world and relying on blues and greens. But if you’ve been to any IT conference, you’ll see a sea of blue and techy elements that made this theme tricky to pull off while standing out. What if we didn’t go blue? What if we didn’t lean on abstract digital elements? In other words, what if we didn’t play it safe?

The second direction was Flight. This sounds out of nowhere, we know. But it’s not only Reed’s passion, but a surprisingly common hobby among IT company owners. And if you sit with it for a few seconds, the metaphor clicks into place beautifully. iTValuations was offering transformation, specifically one that would accelerate company valuations with surprising speed. And you’ll never take to the skies without a flight instructor to guide you. Show you the plane’s vitals. Point out the flashing red lights. Teach you how to get to 30,000 feet.

The logo mark is a “V” with an arrow pointing upward and onward to symbolize both flight and the exponential growth that iTV seeks to deliver. Their offerings are many, so we built icons for each service using the arrow as a core building block and let the abstract forms create the feel of a tech-startup on the rise. And since the launch in 2024, that’s exactly what iTValuations has been.

“There’s a shortage of agencies who listen carefully and thoughtfully collaborate. Malley sought to understand us and nailed the delivery, all in a tight timeline. Can’t imagine working with a better group.” — Aaron Mahl, Executive Vice President Business Development