EMI Group – Visual Identity and Website for a Company Aiming for Revenues of Over 100 Million Euros in 2025
About EMI Group
Headquartered in Bucharest and founded by a French family, EMI Group has over 20 years of experience in the market, offering comprehensive access solutions and services. Today, the company comprises several entities in Romania and Belgium and is led by an exceptional CEO —Jerome France, a Frenchman well-known in the door and automation solutions industry, as well as in the world of motorsports, having been one of the rally drivers with exceptional results in recent years.
In addition, EMI Group has received support from investment funds Morphosis Capital and Innova Capital, which became shareholders following several rounds of capital injections.
About Toud
We at Toud are a branding and design agency with solid experience in the niche in which EMI Group operates— operational access systems. We believe that our projects speak volumes about us. We also believe that we are the only branding and design agency in Romania with its registered office and place of business in a village— In the Romanian Village, a place that has not only welcomed us but also nourishes us, inspires us, and, above all, “grounds” us, keeping our souls a little more open.
Where We Started
EMI Group already existed in 2024—before we began the project—as a legal entity and as a brand—at least for employees and the companies within the group. At the same time, EMI Romania was also part of this story. An in-house team had already laid the groundwork for the brand identity.
We had to create the visual identity and the website for this group and to distinguish it from EMI Romania. Although a brand identity already existed—that is, a consensus on what the EMI Group represents, what it does, what it believes in, and its reason for being (beyond the commercial one) —it seemed extremely difficult to create a visual identity that would represent all the entities involved: people from companies in Romania and Belgium, investment funds, and, above all, entrepreneurs and leaders who were already attached to the companies within the group.
The Road
The journey lasted several months, during which:
- We analyzed the companies in the group, their employees, the competition, potential and existing customers, and, above all, we delved deeply into the elements of brand identity.
- We developed a creative brief for the logo and visual identity.
- We came up with a number of proposals and kept refining them until we arrived at a very good version.
- I handled the UX, UI, and website implementation processes.
- We conducted testing throughout the project.
Things went very well. Looking back, there are several factors that contributed to this success:
- I worked in a very close-knit, small team that included key people from the group.
- These people handled their relationships with the leaders of the companies in the group very well, putting in a tremendous amount of work and, above all, carefully managing the emotions of everyone involved.
- We applied the methods we use at Toud to create a logo, a visual identity, and a website.
- We were open to meetings and feedback, and we had a sincere desire to build something valuable.
- We were patient—both we and the EMI Group team.
Is it hard to build a group, a group identity?
We are not qualified to answer the first question. We can only say that it is probably very difficult to build a successful group, because it takes a catalyst to bring together a multitude of ideas and emotions.
But a group identity? It’s difficult because people at the companies joining the group are forced to step outside the paradigm they’ve lived in until now. They have to accept that they are someone else or that I am more than they were (obviously, from a professional standpoint). In a process like this, it’s difficult to identify a shared vision, a shared ambition, and values that complement those that already bind the existing teams together.
It’s hard to turn several teams into one larger teamthat people can wholeheartedly embrace, while preserving the identity and strength of the original teams.
At EMI Group, this process was easier because the group is founded on the premise that together, they can achieve much more, while preserving the integrity, independence, and vision of each team (of each integrated company). But from now on, all these teams are part of something bigger, stronger, and with more resources.
What did I learn from this project?
A few thoughts from the EMI Group team
Andreea Strugaru, Group Marketing Manager
For me, the most important thing about a creative agency is that the people there want, first and foremost, to understand our business—what creates this value, what market it operates in, how it targets its customers—and only then to craft their own strategy that will lead to delivering what’s needed. Otherwise, the result would be nothing but form without substance. I’ve known Alexandru for a long time, and I choose him precisely because he understands this very well. His role is to help me make myself understood by our people, our clients, and our other partners, and so far, he’s managed to do this very well.
Alexandra Ilinca, Communications Executive
Our collaboration with the Toud team flowed naturally and authentically; we listened to one another, exchanged ideas, and together built an identity that truly reflects the essence of the EMI Group. We tested several options, discussed every detail, and together arrived at the right solution to best represent what the Group stands for. The visual identity we’ve created perfectly captures the essence and ambitions of the EMI Group, and this result wouldn’t have been possible without a dedicated and committed team, ready to understand and translate the founders’ vision into design.
What is next?
For EMI Group, a year full of opportunities—but also challenges—due to the instability of global markets lies ahead. However, the start of this year marks a a new path, together, under a strong identity.
For Toud, new projects and the continued joy of helping other people who “have seen ideas,” who believe in them, and, above all, who actively work to bring them to life—for their own good, for the good of their teams, their clients, and the communities they touch.
Alexandru Grigorescu,
Co-founder of Toud
