Branding and visual identity case studies in the professional services sector including Mckinsey, RBS, Unilever and Reed

1. visual identity
case studies
March 2009
October 2009
©Other Creative Ltd

2. case study – Lombard
Challenge
Lombard, an existing B-2-B brand was expanding its business to incorporate new customer segments. This
dictated the need for a re-design of the web-site. Early in the process, we highlighted the need for digital
guidelines to support all creative development moving forward.
Approach
We considered the development of the brand and the different types of stakeholders it would need to
cover. The guidelines covered
• Introduction - purpose, history and values
• Structure - site map and naming conventions
• Design basics – colour, fonts, tone of voice
• Page templates – all page assets
• Graphic definitions – icons, images and boxes
• Tools
Results
The guidelines have been produced in a digital format to enable rapid
distribution to internal and external stakeholders. The guidelines
ensured consistency across the site and have enabled designers and
programmers in delivering compliant digital solutions for the brand.
The document is a living, breathing document which we manage as
brand guardians.

3. case study – McKinsey
Challenge
McKinsey has always relied primarily on its reputation rather than marketing to attract clients.
Its core audience is a hard-to-reach group of senior managers and influencers in businesses, whom it
addresses by marketing seminars and networking events or indirectly via recruitment advertising.
Our task was to develop a new image for international use and implement it in advertising.
Approach
Recognising the audience was high achieving, intelligent, and time-poor, we recommended a cerebral
approach positioning McKinsey as thinkers and influencers, using clever imagery and wit to make intelligent
points succinctly.
We defined styles and colours for communications and executed a range of ads
for international use.
Results
Never an easy client to impress, McKinsey loved the new image and piloted it
initially with our advertising in the UK.
It proved immediately successful and was rolled out to the US, where its success
led to deployment internationally.

4. case study – Hunt & Hunt
Challenge
Hunt & Hunt were best known as an insurance law firm and had, over time, expanded into many more
areas of the law. The brief was to:
• Reposition the Hunt & Hunt brand and to
• Redesign the visual identity of the firm to reflect that new brand positioning
Approach
Internal & external insight informed the brand positioning process that
Provided the platform for the development of a modernised look and feel.
The new visual identity was executed across:
• Brand summary and guidelines
• Website
• Full collateral suite (stationary, comms, ads, HTMLs etc)
• Launch campaign - internal & external
Results
The new visual identity was launched at the beginning of 2007 and has
facilitated the firms’ expansion, both geographical and practice,
through bringing to life the proposition “a fresh look at the law”.

5. case study – Unilever
Challenge
Unilever asked us to create a brand identity to launch its Centres of Excellence programme to staff world
wide. The challenge was to create an overarching style for the brand but also develop a distinctive
identity for the ten centres within the programme. It was important to communicate “people focused”
and “information sharing” values while maintaining a clear relationship with the overall Unilever brand.
Approach
We created a “honeycomb” visual incorporating photography and each centre is differentiated by
images and colour coding. We implemented the identity consistently across materials including launch
event posters, brochures, email, USB memory sticks, video and presentation aids
Results
The initiative has been a huge success at launch events across the world.
Staff not only recognise the programme but, more importantly, are
implementing its messages.
For example, we generated animated online portal content for one
programme element which saw hits increase by 52.5%.
The number of staff using the Programme rose by 45%. We are responsible
for the ongoing brand guardianship of the identity.
.

6. case study - Reed
Challenge
Having grown from a small High Street recruiter, Reed has become a leading international HR
consultancy and needed a brand strategy to support this. The brief was to:
• Reposition Reed as an HR partner
• Revitalise the brand and make it flexible for use at a group level and within individual markets
• Develop clear a proposition and creative approach for engaging clients and candidates
Solution
We followed a robust naming and branding convention to define their proposition and key messaging,
which resulted in them changing their “go to market” brand to Reed Specialist Recruitment.
Our brief was to ensure the identity was still recognisable and that the strength and heritage of Reed was
retained. The output was:
• Detailed brand and style guidelines
• Strategic brand document
• Advertising guidelines
Results
A new brand has been received well by the business,
candidates and clients. The flexibility of the style guide
has meant all areas of the business can be compliant
and communicate appropriately with their stakeholders

7. Other proposition
we bring you closer to
the people that matter

8. overview
• award wining communications agency based in central London
• in operation since 1996
• leveraged communications across b2b, b2c and b2e (business to employee)
• integrated communications portfolio: brand, identity, marketing communications,
reputation management, digital, business networking & engagement

9. sectors and clients
Financial services
Professional services
Not for profit
Retail
Government
FMCG
Telecomms
Education

10. October 31, 2009 10