case study

BS Group PLC

project             

brand strategy & implementation

duration             

82 weeks

Client Quote

Simon literally took us by the scruff of the neck and shaped an incredible brand. He systematically organised us, something we badly needed, and worked on getting everyone round a table talking the same language.

That on it’s own was quite remarkable. The visual personality (which he called our Brand Voice) he created for the group saw takings at each stadium rise. Our restaurants were fully booked. Most importantly, I remember him asking me at the outset how much he could spend?  I answered by writing a figure on a piece of paper.

He was a man of his promise, and never once went over that budget!

A racing brand …
Client need

The client was seeking to re-brand all areas of its operations, including several (multi-functional) racing stadia and open-air markets.  The overall brief was to raise the profile of the company, utilising various communication tactics, including a PR campaign and new brand, which was to be deployed throughout the group and its staff.  BSG also wanted to raise customer awareness and improve internal staff morale.

Challenge

As with any project where there were numerous stakeholders and old legacies. The key was to create a vision for the future that everyone bought in to. Throughout the contract, monthly marketing meetings were held with all stakeholders and key decision makers from each stadia and division. As the new brand evolved, buy in was crucial for the roll-out programme to ensure there was no dilution in the final implementation.

Solution/Approach

As BSG did not have any existing literature or a strong identity, the initial months were taken up with background research and a thorough market evaluation, analysing the competition and consumer needs.  The main deliverable resulting from this phase was a comprehensive brief for branding all divisional operations within the Group.

The project was managed under a tight budget, including copywriting, design, and photography. The deliverables included:

• corporate logo and individual sub-brand logos
• printed literature for each stadia and associated markets
• bespoke branded staff uniforms and full instructions for use for over 140 staff
• new internal and external signing for stadia buildings

Press conferences and associated display materials were all coordinated for each launch. During the contract, over 30 press releases were issued, along with press briefings, culminating in the stadia launches. A Procedures Manual to help senior personnel handle internal PR issues was supplied. The 18-month long project culminated with the production of an Annual Report.  The style was created specifically for a three-year development period.

Features

The stadia division was given a strong icon and a dynamic image with bold literature using primary red and blue colours. The open-air markets were designed with brilliant yellow and blue canopies, which created a lively and fun atmosphere. The uniforms were carefully designed to make it easy to identify stadia staff over the restaurant staff and create individual identities for each area.