Bournemouth University’s Festival of Design and Innovation takes place from 21 – 25 June. With over 170 designs and prototypes on display, last year over 1,500 visitors attended, including talent scouts from major UK businesses.

More information at www.festival.bournemouth.ac.uk/event.html

Design icons

The Cambridge Innovation Festival will be showcasing the 20 most important products designed in the county in the last 20 years alongside a series of networking events and a masterclass looking at skills and development within the design community. It runs throughout February at the Ruskin Gallery. More details at http://tinyurl.com/8×9xd2k  

Size doesn’t matter

Research by Southampton University in behalf of Yell has identified the factors individuals look for to make them trust one supplier ahead of another, and the size of the business is one of the least important with 5 out of 6 individuals in focus groups preferring smaller company websites. Most important was ease of use.

More information at http://tinyurl.com/7rxxysl

Designs of the Year

89 projects have been shortisted across categories of architecture, digital, fashion, furniture, graphics, product and transport for the Design Museum’s Designs of the Year Awards.

The category winners and overall winner will be announced on 24 April, and all the nominations will be on show at the Design Museum from 8 February-15 July.

See the shortlist in full at http://tinyurl.com/7rxxysl or find out what the press says at www.designsoftheyear.com/

 One to watch – and wait for

Sir Terence Conran will soon be taking the helm of the Design Museum’s twitter feed for a 30 minute slot only. To join in live forward a question in advance including #sirterence in your message or join in live – follow @DesignMuseum

Time and date still to be advised!

Design Forum expands

This month sees the South Coast Design Forum rebrand as the South East Design Forum and expand to take in Surrey and Kent.

The Forum will still support the work of the Design Council but will now also be able to become more involved in networking and collaborations as well as being in a better position to lobby for or against design issues on behalf of a wider group of members.

The new website goes live on 2 February at www.scdf.org.uk

 Bored with bar charts?

If you have ever despaired when trying to make some boring statistics come to life you will appreciate the skill, humour and creative genius of David McCandless. He suggests that good design is the best way to navigate the information glut. Check out the revelations to be found on his timeline of media panic at www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLqjQ55tz-U

Background

Flambeau Europlast is a long-established plastics processor, trade moulding for a varied customer base in markets ranging from defence to the leisure industry. With no own-brand manufacturing, the company historically supplied a diverse range of plastic products and services from tooling design for injection and blow moulded thermoplastic components to contract manufacturing of complete assemblies.

The Challenge

Managing Director John Wingfield was brought in to turn the business around in 2006. He quickly identified the need to stabilise the Kent-based business, invest in Flambeau’s core skills and prepare it for growth. Acknowledging that the company had to evolve to succeed, John’s choices seemed clear: sell the 10 acre site and relocate to smaller, bespoke premises, or fill the existing manufacturing capacity by increasing volume.

That decision had yet to be made when he was introduced to Designing Demand, a Solutions for Business product developed by the Design Council and delivered by South East Design. This intensive support programme was specifically created to help businesses tackle key strategic design issues and improve performance and it played a major part in moving Flambeau forward.

The Response

The Designing Demand process began with a full day visit from a group of Design Associates which looked at the way the business operated and involved all the key staff. Design Associate Gavin Pryke then led a series of workshops, bringing in other key specialists in branding, marketing, innovation and consumer-based design; all very strongly directed at stimulating ideas within the company.

Gradually everyone in the organisation became exposed to a new way of design-led thinking which put the customer first, and came to understand the importance of market research, customer feedback and real-life experience in designing successful consumer products.

“Flambeau was fantastic at making contract products,” said Gavin. “Yet they had no in-house design experience themselves. My role initially was to help the company understand the potential benefits of putting design at the heart of the business, and then go on to help them achieve it, design their own products, add value and grow.”

Before the role of design could be fully embraced however, Flambeau had to define exactly where future business growth would come from. The diversity of its business presented a wide range of opportunities but with limited resources these had to be carefully evaluated to pursue only those capable of offering maximum return.

South East Design was also able to help with that evaluation process. Through the European and SEEDA funded project, Design and Innovation for Business Sustainability (DIBS), South East Design funded a two-day consultancy package, bringing in Stuart Frodsham to ensure Flambeau put all its efforts behind opportunities which were worth winning and could drive the organisation as a whole.

John was soon able to implement this new-found focus and bring design into heart of the company’s growth strategy.

In June 2010 Flambeau acquired Quest Consumer Products and Stadium Building Products from the Stadium Group plc. Already producing its own range of building, gardening and baby products, the acquisition tripled turnover, provided Flambeau with its own route to market, and brought with it full intellectual property rights.

The infrastructure was now in place for Flambeau to fill its manufacturing capacity, focus on design, and develop a clear branding strategy to support business growth.

The appointment of a product design engineer underlines just how important Flambeau now considered design to be to its future success. Joe, a recent industrial design graduate from Brunel University, became largely responsible for all new product design within the company, and he found Gavin’s help and support invaluable in his new role.

“The Designing Demand process convinced Flambeau to have faith in design and invest in in-house design in particular, so I have Designing Demand to thank for my job,” said Joe.

Flambeau launched its first new products under the ‘The Neat Nursery Co’ brand in autumn 2011. The babycare range features bright, eye-catching colours and was well received at its first trade show outing.

“Quest had supplied own brand products to major retailers for many years and was recognised as the leading UK manufacturer of infant care products,” said John. “When we took over its IP we knew we wanted to produce our own modern range, and that was embodied in the new ‘Neat Nursery’ branding. But we felt it was important to maintain a link with Quest’s established market. The new branding achieved that by the addition of a strapline: ‘Thoughtful products since 1961’”.

Alongside the Neat Nursery branding, Flambeau is also developing the other part of its acquisition. Stadium Building Products specialised in ventilation products and the multi-award winning Rhino flexitubs brand.

The Outcome

Designing Demand has helped Flambeau develop and brand its own products from a standing start, building onits existing technical skills to bring a range of unique products to market. “And this is just the start of our journey,” said John. “Flambeau is now in a position to develop its market share through innovation and product development that in turn will maximise the efficiency of our manufacturing plant.”

Download the Flambeau Europlast case study

Background

An award-winning luxury yacht builder, Discovery Yachts was founded in 1998 to ‘create the world’s most perfect blue-water cruising yachts’.

Over a decade later, the Southampton-based company was a highly successful business with a growing workforce, producing around six yachts every year, each specifically designed to match the detailed requirements of its new owner.

The Challenge

Whilst Discovery Yachts’ design and build quality was top-of-the-range, the company’s marketing collateral failed to reflect the quality of its yachts or the values of the business. The company was in a strong position to build sales and about to launch two new models, but needed strategic, design-led support to consolidate its position and help the business grow.

The Response

MD Nigel Stuart had been in post for just over a year when Marine South East recommended he found out more about Designing Demand, a Solutions for Business product developed by the Design Council. This intensive support programme was specifically created to help businesses tackle key strategic design issues and improve performance.  “I went along to an introductory workshop and could instantly see the potential benefits of being able to work with leading designers,” said Nigel. “But I was also aware of the likely cost and time commitment, and have to say I signed up with a certain degree of trepidation. Two years on it is undoubtedly one of the best business decisions I have ever made.”

Design Associate Gavin Pryke has been working with Discovery Yachts throughout the process. “The company had already achieved phenomenal success without any formal understanding of its market position or how the business looked to the outside world,” said Gavin. “This was a passionate and highly experienced team, and there was clear potential for further growth both in terms of new products and increased sales. The challenge was to help them implement a strategy that not only reflected their business model but also highlighted the unique individuality of their products.”

To brand the business it was clear that Discovery Yachts needed expert help and Gavin drew up a shortlist of suitable branding agencies. Independent brand consultant Rebecca Battman was appointed following pitches by four design agencies. A unique combination of strategic thinker and qualified designer, Rebecca began by going right back to basics, talking to existing customers and all those involved in design and production before reporting her findings, both good and bad.

Once the company’s proposition had been defined it was then a reasonably short step to creating a look and feel that could be developed across the business, in print, on the web and on company vehicles.

Whilst the logo was important, the branding strategy had to extend far beyond a simple image to succeed. Rebecca’s research had looked closely at the customer experience and this was now used to identify opportunities to increase sales. In particular a new harbour yard tour was identified as being crucial to the sales process. Potential customers were not just ‘buying a yacht’, they were buying into the philosophy behind the company and its products. A well-designed harbour yard tour allowed both to be presented to best advantage. Prospective customers were now encouraged to meet the team behind each production process, appreciate the build quality and form a real understanding of what makes Discovery Yachts so distinct from any competition.

“We are now encouraging customers to become part of our ‘family’”, said Nigel. “We post their travels on our website and actively encourage feedback and photographs. Their adventures are a wonderful endorsement of each yacht’s capability, and from a company perspective we get to see exactly how each yacht is being used. This is key information that allows us to design features to further improve the yachting experience and day-to-day life onboard.

“It is a new way of looking at design and one that we are now also applying to new products. The approach is much more systematic and we hope it will also reduce the time it takes to bring our new models to market.”

The newly launched Discover 57 is a direct result of the company’s new approach to product design. Billed as the ‘ultimate short-handed cruising yacht’ the 57 is the first yacht Discovery has produced which has not begun with designing the hull. In fact the design is much more customer-centric, stemming from feedback nearly 50 Discovery owners.

The Outcome

Since commencing the Designing Demand programme Discovery Yachts has grown from 60 to 100 staff and launched two new models. The company is now producing around 10 yachts a year and predicting a £2m increase in turnover. Rebecca Battman describes Discovery’s path as an “absolute success story for the value of design”.

Nigel is equally passionate about the role design has played in moving the company on. “We spent thousands – more than I expected, but it is not a problem. If it makes sales it is more than worth it. I feel we got so much more than we originally bargained for when we first signed up to the programme. It has fundamentally changed our attitude and that has been beneficial for the business, both now, and in the future.”

Download the Discovery Yachts case study

Her Majesty The Queen has approved an Order on 13 July 2011 amending the Royal Charter of the Chartered Society of Designers and granting it the power to award the designation of Chartered Designer and to maintain a register of those duly designated designers. Widely recognized as a key element in achieving a recognized professional of design, the Society began seeking the designation 10 years ago. It is anticipated that an initial consultation process will take around six months with an announcement of how the scheme will work towards the end of 2012.

More information at http://tinyurl.com/czpuogj  

Product Design + Innovation Conference

The Product Design + Innovation conference takes place at ExCel London on 29-30 May 2012 and aims to showcase design practice as a vehicle for delivering economic success. Alongside talks from leading designers expect brand case studies, debates, pecha kucha sessions and panel discussions to maximise learning and sharing.

The organisers are actively seeking ideas for cutting-edge themes – send yours to deldridge@crain.com. More information on the conference is at http://conference.pdesigni.com/

Winning ways

Innovation

QinetiQ was a double winner at the 2011 Innovation Awards.  The company won both the emerging technologies and product design categories with its Zephyr high altitude long endurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV) that can support payloads for surveillance or communications. For full details of all category winners go to http://conferences.theiet.org/innovation/news/index.cfm

Student design

Airdrop Irrigation has won the James Dyson Award 2011. The company created a low-tech solar powered atmospheric water harvesting technology that generates significant condensation, effectively converting moisture from the atmosphere into stored water that is re-used to irrigate crops. More information on the international student design award at www.jamesdysonaward.org/Prize.aspx

New global engineering award

With a £1m prize, the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is a new global award which celebrates truly outstanding advances in engineering that have created significant benefit to humanity.

“Engineering underpins every aspect of our lives,” said Lord Browne, Chair of the Prize Foundation. “But too often the engineers behind the most brilliant innovations remain hidden. The Queen Elizabeth Prize aims to change that. It will celebrate, on an international scale, the very best engineering in the world. More details at http://tinyurl.com/bsqc9l5

Changing face of Innovation

The new World Intellectual Property Report 2011, The Changing Face of Innovation, describes how ownership of intellectual property (IP) rights has become central to the strategies of innovating firms worldwide. With global demand for patents rising from 800,000 applications in the early 1980s to 1.8 million in 2009, the report concludes that growing investments in innovation and the globalisation of economic activities are key drivers of this trend.

Download the report at www.wipo.int/econ_stat/en/economics/wipr/

Believe in D&T

The Design & Technology Association, the James Dyson Foundation and Seymourpowell Industrial Designers have started a ‘Believe in D&T’ campaign in a bid to persuade the government to retain design technology’s status as a compulsory National Curriculum subject.

If you believe, sign the petition at www.believeindandt.org.uk/general/sign-up.html

Designing Britain In

With John Lewis about to launch a new campaign championing British manufacturing with a Made in UK logo, it’s worth stopping to acknowledge that the design industry is still expanding despite the recession, with Britain now internationally renowned for its design skills.

The design sector has grown over the last five years, with numbers of designers increasing by 29% to 232,000.

And the combined fee incomes of freelancers and design consultancies, and budgets of in-house design teams, have increased by £3.4bn to £15bn.

Read all about it at www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15551818

The Brighton Factor

The South Coast Design Forum (SCDF) Brighton, is hosting a Showcase of design talent on 1 February in The Grand Parade, University of Brighton. The event will also see the unveiling of its new website with SCDF branding.

More information at www.scdf.org.uk/news.php?news=236

Snow joke

With bad weather promised we thought you might appreciate a few design tips to make sure you have the best snow sculpture on the street. For ice cool inspiration go to www.weburbanist.com/2009/12/08/snow-sculptures/

Background

A fast-moving company operating in a fast-moving environment, Proporta designs and manufactures a large range of high-quality protective cases for smartphones, laptops, MP3 players and iPods as well as providing an extensive range of accessories for the mobile technology market.

Founded in 1996, the Brighton-based company now carries a product range of over 3,000 items, and designs and manufactures for both its own and other established brands including Apple, Blackberry and HTC.

The challenge

Hugely successful, the Proporta business model is based on high-quality, fashion-led products, most of which will be relegated to a bottom drawer or disposed of with the purchase of the latest model. The company acknowledged that it was becoming an increasingly high user of finite resources and in January 2010 decided to take a serious look at its environmental credentials and create a greener range of mobile accessories. Just four months later a new, sustainable product range was launched.

The response

“When we decided to launch a ‘green’ range we knew we wanted to do it wholeheartedly and not just climb aboard the greenwash bandwagon,” said Graham Boyd, Senior Product Designer. “Our products are generally made from plastic and packaged in cardboard, and initially we felt it should be reasonably easy to identify some alternatives, but the more we found out the more we realised that we needed some real expertise to guide our sustainable R & D and ensure our environmental credentials were second to none.

“Local company Giraffe Innovations specialises in helping organisations to reduce environmental impact and improve commercial efficiency and we asked James Dorrell to help us create an environmental base line to verify our carbon footprint and look at ways of reducing it.”

Because of the nature of the work involved James was able to refer the company to the Interreg IV A 2 Seas and SEEDA funded programme, EcoMind, which supports companies that want to develop environmental innovation and sustainable design and is delivered locally by WSX Enterprise.

The outcome

Already Proporta has moved to using a recycled plastic blend across all its ranges where possible. It has also identified other ways to reduce its environmental impact including switching to carbon neutral shipping.

The success of the Proporta Smart range is tangible and its design quality was recognised nationally when it received the MacWorld Editor’s Choice Award for best iPad case, praised for its green appeal, dashing style and the way it cunningly turns into a stand: “it looks every bit as smart (actually smarter in most areas) as other cases and Proporta hasn’t compromised anywhere, either materials, design or build quality.”

Download the Proporta case study

With awards covering Best British Book, Environmental, Best Jacket/Cover Design and Best Use of Mutimedia amongst others, the British Book Design and Production Awards celebrate the best books of the year and recognise, promote and acknowledge the excellence of the British book design and production industry.

This year’s awards take place on Tuesday 8 November at the Lancaster London Hotel, presented by comedian Tony Hawkes. More information and tickets at www.britishbookawards.org

Innovative product design

Braunprize 2012 is an international competition that highlights the importance of industrial design and innovative products that help people in all aspects of their daily lives. Industrial design professionals, students and enthusiasts can enter the competition, which is endorsed by Icsid and supported by Procter & Gamble Corporate Design. This year total prize money is $100,000. Find out more at www.braun.com

Thinking ahead

New adventures in Web Design runs from 18 – 19 January in Nottingham’s Albert Hall. Speakers include award-winning interactive art director and designer, Dan Mall, designer, illustrator, and author Frank Chimero and next generation product designer, Travis Schmeisser, whilst workshops range from controlling web typography to teaching practical techniques for crafting front-end code. Look into the future at http://2012.newadventuresconf.com/

Design goes down

The number of applications to creative arts and design university courses starting next September has dropped by 27.1 per cent, one of the biggest drops amongst all subject groups. Figures from Universities and Colleges Admissions Service show a 7.9% drop across all courses.

This downward trend in applications comes on the heel of a recent report from the Higher Education Statistics Agency showing showing more than a third of art and design graduates are still without a full-time job more than three years after graduation.  More details at www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/view/2248/161/

Patent wars

According to one San Francisco-based patent aggregator and licensor there are now 25,000 active patents relevant to a single smartphone. Whilst the patent system is meant to boost innovation in this field it is increasingly linked to growing litigation as companies not only sue their rivals to protect their own inventions but also buy up third party patents to prevent them falling into the hands of their competitors.

Track the latest developments at http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/

Innovate 2011

Aiming to turn “eyesores into art’, Copenhagen-based, Bystrup – Architecture, Design & Engineering recently took the £5,000 prize for its design for the next generation of electricity pylons.

Their T-Pylon is described by Nick Winser, National Grid Executive Director as having the potential “to be a real improvement on the steel-lattice tower”.

Just two-thirds the height of the original pylons, the design is not such a winner in the eyes of the Britain’s Pylon Appreciation Society. “The winning design is OK,” said Flash Wilson Bristow, Founder of the society, “but it’s a pole and not a pylon. Pylons are latticed structures. They frame views of the landscape. They’re special.”

Watch the T-Pylon transform the landscape at www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15303074

Brighton showcase

The South Coast Design Forum (SCDF) will be showcasing design talent at the University of Brighton this January. The showcase is open to all SCDF members and will include an invitation only event for local businesses.

Date and times to be announced – check for updates at www.scdf.org.uk/news.php

Makes you think . . .

Over 100 print-based funny and creative advertisement designs have been gathered together on this inspirational site. Get your creative juices flowing at http://tinyurl.com/yf5csvd

Top design, eco, innovation and creative speakers from leading brands will be speaking at the second annual Packaging Innovations Show on 6-7 October. Held at the Business Design Centre in London, the show focuses on high value branded packaging and the retail design sector value chain and is aimed at key decision-makers, brand owners, brand managers and marketers, packaging designers and retail strategists. Over 150 specialist companies will be exhibiting.

For more information go to http://tinyurl.com/65j7oll

Design conference returns to London

TYPO, the annual three-day design conference, returns to London on 20 – 22 October and features A-list speakers from the world of typography, information, graphic and digital design, brand experience, film, animation, publishing and education. Over 1,000 people are expected to attend up to 40 workshops providing a contemporary commentary on graphic design, typography and communication from the word up.

For more information and tickets to the event, which takes place at London University, go to http://typolondon.com

Trade Mark check list

Freelance designers and brand consultants need to understand the basics of trade mark law to advise clients on the steps that should be taken to protect their intellectual property. Creative freelancers will find a four-step guide at www.freelanceuk.com/news/3875.shtml

The ‘real thing’?

Coca-Cola has collaborated with Wayne Hemingway in the British launch of its new PlantBottle™ plastic, the company’s first ever recyclable bottle made partially from plants. The new bottles are indistinguishable from normal plastic, but will now be made from up to 22.5% plant-based material and 25% recycled plastic.

Hemingway has designed a limited edition umbrella to back the launch, made from just five plastic bottles, which have been crushed and then processed back into yarn.

Read more at http://tinyurl.com/69kwd8f

Are you protected?

This November the South Coast Design Forum is organising a seminar on the importance of protecting designs. George Schlich from Schlich & Co solicitors will be discussing the effects, pitfalls and limitations of protecting ideas, trademarks and designs in business. There will also be a presentation from Creative Barcode, an online application to track property and its usage. Supported by the Design for Business Association the event date will be announced shortly. Go to www.scdf.org.uk/news.php for further details.

Local knowledge

The South Coast Design Forum runs monthly networking events at four locations in Hampshire. These take place in Brighton on the first Wednesday of the month, Chichester on the last Friday of the month. Petersfield on the third Friday of the month, and Winchester on the second Wednesday of the month.

If you are interested in meeting like-minded design professionals and fellow enthusiasts go to www.scdf.org.uk/news.php?news=226 for dates and times.

World’s worse web?

Drawn from the world of business and education this list of poorly constructed and presented mainstream sites offers a working insight into what to avoid, and provides the odd smile along the way. The site also posts a daily updated dose of bad website design! Judge for yourself at www.webpagesthatsuck.com/the-worst-web-page-in-the-world/

To enable us to understand the economic benefit design provides to the UK economy, and how to provide an IP system in the UK which meets the requirements of individual designers and industry, I would like as many of you as possible to complete the ‘call for evidence’ available at www.ipo.gov.uk/hargreaves.htm.

I am keen to reach as many individuals and companies as possible, so would encourage you to pass the message on to your colleagues and associates.

With over 200 events, many of which are free, The London Design Festival offers a nine-day showcase for the UK’s creative community. Incorporating London Design Week expect international exhibitions, product launches, installations, talks and private views from 17 – 25 September.

Find out more at www.londondesignfestival.co.uk

FT Innovate 2011

The sixth international two-day conference showcasing outstanding innovation stories, FT Innovate 2011 promises to reveal how global businesses and newcomers alike are outsmarting the competition by employing social media and reverse innovation to unlock new markets in a corporate setting.

It takes place in London on 8 and 9 November. Visit www.ftconferences.com/innovate2011 for details.

SciTech 2011

Places are limited for the SciTech 2011 Innovation and Enterprise Conference. Held at the Barbican on 26 October, the conference will examine how the UK can place itself at the forefront of research and economic growth by developing new technologies, nurturing creativity and enabling world-beating products.

More details at www.publicserviceevents.co.uk/172/scitech-2011

Winning the business

Wondering how best to gain new clients or how to charge for the work that goes into a pitch? The Design Business Association is running a practical half-day workshop to help you increase your success – and even avoid the pitches completely! It’s led by Shan Preddy, partner at Preddy & Co and takes place on 7 October in central London. Details at www.dba.org.uk/events/pitchandroll.asp

Show and Tell

British Design & Art Direction (D&DA) has collaborated with Google to create Show and Tell, a new You Tube channel showing the latest creative marketing videos. Designed to be a focal point for digital inspiration D&DA is inviting producers and creatives across Europe to submit their work.

For inclusion mail a link, with a brief summary to alears@dandad.org. Alternatively take a look at www.youtube.com/showandtelleurope

Spreading its wings

The South Coast Design Forum (SCDF) is looking to expand into Kent and Surrey. The Forum is currently researching the design communities in both counties and would like to hear from anyone who would like to be involved. The SCDF is a non-profit organisation run for and by designers and creatives from all disciplines. Email pspence@scdf.org.uk for more information.

You thought we wouldn’t notice . . .

If you’ve ever thought your design had been ‘borrowed’, and felt powerless to do anything about it you will empathise with those listed on this site. Just when does a creative entity stop being a copy and become a work in its own right? You decide at http://youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com/blog3/

Background

A second generation family business, the Ovenden group of companies specialises in haulage, plant hire, demolition and aggregate supply. With over 100 employees Ovenden was founded in 1966 and operates as four separate companies, each spearheaded by a family member.

The challenge

“Like many businesses our brand has developed organically over forty years,‟ said Managing Director Mo Ovenden. “Our customer base has also changed. At any minute we are as likely to be supplying a home gardener with a bag of hardcore as hiring a 72 tonne excavator to a large contractor.

“In addition, each side of business had developed its own take on our strong red and yellow branding and these were becoming visually confusing and outdated in a strongly competitive marketplace. The business needed an overarching brand that could encompass the whole organisation and appeal to an increasingly wide customer base.”

The response

Through Business Link, Mo was introduced to Designing Demand, a programme developed by the Design Council and delivered by South East Design. Her allocated Design Associate, James Duguid, then brought the whole senior management team together to narrow down the direction the rebranding would take and ensure that the management, and therefore the extended family unit, were of one mind before creating a design brief.

“James asked three agencies to pitch for our rebranding and we chose Remedy Creative,” said Mo. “It proved to be an excellent decision. As well as their obvious skill in getting our new branding right, they have also proved adept at bringing the family together to work on this project”.

Remedy’s MD, Lisa Casson began the rebranding process by again bringing all the key players together to focus on how the brand strategy could help the company achieve its business strategy and identify the customers they were really trying to attract. They also had to address many of the issues commonly found within family businesses before being able to move the process forward. “With family businesses there are frequently huge emotional ties to existing branding,” said Lisa. “A successful business like Ovenden is no exception. In situations like this it is important to be able to bring the brand up-to-date without losing that historical perspective. Crucially this will only work if all parties are on board: our role initially can be as much about helping to create that consensus as developing the new brand.”

Mo rapidly took on the role of brand champion and has played a huge part in moving the process forward, yet she freely admits that it has been a steep learning curve.

“We have all had to engage in a culture which was initially quite alien to us,” said Mo. “But we have come to see that there are indeed different shades of red and yellow and that some work better together than others. I am also far more aware of the differences of effect simply changing a typeface can make. Lisa was able to show us why our competitors branding worked. She then showed us the additional impact the Ovenden name could have with suitable rebranding. I think we were all surprised at the huge impact some fairly subtle changes could achieve”.

There were other more substantial changes as well. The entire Ovenden group now trades using the Ovenden name. This in itself was a huge step for the family but one with immediate pay off, making the many facets of the business directly visible to a much wider customer base. Visually, the distinctive red and yellow brand colours have been retained but their tonal qualities have been changed, creating a more upmarket feel. Additionally a new logo invokes a strong positive image. Remedy has also created a strap line for Ovenden, which clearly explains exactly what the company can offer its huge customer base: dig it – load it – clear it – move it.

Crucially, the branding has been designed to work across a vast range of applications, from large earth moving machines, to business cards and the new website. It is distinctive and completely up-to-date, without losing sight of the company’s origins.

The outcome

“The new branding provides our customers with a much better understanding of how we operate and what we can offer,” said Mo. “And it is much more inclusive, appealing to all our markets.

“It has taken eighteen months to get it right for the family and the business, and there have been some tricky times along the way, but James and Lisa have always been there as support, and it is impossible not to feel proud when you see the new branding being emblazoned on the latest piece of heavy machinery. It will be a gradual process and there is a lot to still do but I think we can all see the benefits now. We are already working on a new website and it won‟t be long before the new Ovenden brand is on everything. It looks professional and conveys exactly the message the Ovenden family has always tried to promote, ‘We are the team you can trust to deliver what you need, when you need it – at the right price.’

“Now the company really looks like it can deliver on that promise.”

Download the Ovenden case study