At your service: Ushering a new era in elite private and corporate concierge, chauffeur, travel and lifestyle management services.

Context

Today, our journeys through life are more complex and intricate than ever. Even for the world’s most accomplished citizens, smooth and successful progress in business, life, nation or family is a constantly evolving challenge.

Ambition

Munich based Cevalon clearly understands every aspect of this challenge, with its newly expanded service offering, which provides elite private and corporate concierge, chauffeur, travel and lifestyle management services to the world’s most influential people, their businesses and families.

In order to prepare Cevalon for their next chapter of successful growth, our task was to create a clear brand positioning strategy, develop a relevant service offering, create an international marketing strategy – and finally bring this thinking to life creatively.

Action

Cevalon’s corporate and personal clients value their emphasis on intuitively anticipating, understanding and delivering exactly what every moment demands. Often before their clients know it themselves. We centred our thinking on Cevalon’s extraordinary know-how and exemplary service which puts their clients at ease and at home wherever they are in the world. This sense of purpose became central to our work which encompassed brand definition, brand values, a new comprehensive brand architecture system and service offering.

Result

Our strategic work culminated in a refreshed visual and verbal identity system, a new digital ecosystem with an entirely new fully functional responsive user-friendly website built with WordPress CMS, mobile and tablet digital platforms, SEO consultancy, plus the design and production of a premium brochure to be utilised for international marketing. The feedback has been tremendously positive to-date and is contributing to increased demand for Cevalon’s services.

About Aeron

We are Aeron, a London brand design consultancy that specialises in business transformation, brand strategy and design. Our purpose is set on helping ambitious businesses thrive in today’s market place.

Based on fundamental insights, our London brand design consultancy is expert in helping organisations define their brand purpose; a clear, relevant, ownable and defendable territory – which delivers genuine value to customers.

With a reputation for linking brand strategy and innovative design with clear financial outcomes, our London branding agency combines intelligent data, imaginative insight with inspiring creativity and transformative digital technology to deliver enduring growth.

Enduring Brand Portfolio Management for the UAE’s Leading Food & Beverage Company

AGTHIA

Context

Agthia http://agthia.com/en-us/About-Agthia is the leading Abu Dhabi based food and beverage company. Established in the UAE in 2004 and listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), the Agthia Group consists of a world-class portfolio of integrated businesses and brands. Agthia provide high quality, trusted, and essential food and beverage products for customers and consumers across the UAE, GCC, Turkey and the wider Middle East.

The Company’s assets are located in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and Turkey. More than 4,500 employees are engaged in manufacturing, distribution and marketing various food and beverage products : Water and Beverages (Al Ain Water, Al Ain Zero Water, Al Bayan Water, Alpin Natural Spring Water, Ice Crystal Water, Delta Water, Bambini Kids Water, Al Ain Fresh Juice, Capri-Sun Fruit Juice); Food (Grand Mills Flour, Yoplait Yogurt, Al Ain Tomato Paste, Al Ain Frozen Vegetables, Monty’s Bakehouse Frozen Bakery products, The Grand Baker Ambient Bakery products, Pure Natural Convenience Food items, Date Crown Dates); Animal Feed (Agrivita, Al Wasmi, Anderson Hay).

Ambition

To develop a dynamic brand portfolio, which would achieve the following aims:

1. Accelerate investment of resources in the essential parts of the portfolio
2. Build stronger connections with the master brand
3. Identify growth opportunities
4. Realign brand and product names with customer needs
5. Create a strong visual system

Results

Our strategic work focused on developing a relevant brand architecture structure and guidelines which will align business and brand goals by defining clear roles, relationships and investment priorities among portfolio brands.

The coherent brand architecture guidelines are making marketing more efficient and effective by ensuring customers and other stakeholders understand what the business can do for them.

Agthia has grown from strength to strength over the past decade that we have worked with them. Key figures can be seen at: http://agthia.com/en-us/Investors/Key-Figures

About Aeron

We are Aeron, a London brand consulting and design firm that specialises in business transformation, brand strategy and design. Our purpose is set on helping ambitious businesses thrive in today’s market place.

Based on fundamental insights, our London brand consultants are experts in helping organisations define their brand purpose; a clear, relevant, own-able and defendable territory – which delivers genuine value to customers.

With a reputation for linking brand strategy and innovative design with clear financial outcomes, our London brand consultancy combines intelligent data, imaginative insight with inspiring creativity and transformative digital technology to deliver enduring growth.

MATTHEW MILLARD-BEER

Leading national estate agent, Jackson-Stops, have been making good progress rolling out the new identity designed by Aeron and launched officially last month.

As well as refreshing the previous identity, the rebrand process also appears to have unveiled even older brand identities, such as this example from the Jackson-Stops Hale office, featuring an advert from 1961.

How our marketing has changed! Read about a rare #estaeagent find in a #Hale #Cheshire #property #JacksonStops https://t.co/cN9dYQC71g pic.twitter.com/ayNG9fBEHc

— JS Hale (@JS_Haleoffice) October 31, 2017

The whole style and layout of the poster makes for a wonderful period piece, and is a far cry from the glossy image-led posters, or even interactive digital banners we are more familiar with today.

The old Jackson-Stops family crest is just visible at the top of the poster, and survived barely touched throughout the next 56 years. Now though, with the ‘& Staff’ being retired from the name, the iconic ‘dog and chopper’ symbol has been brought up to date in a style that nods to the brand’s heritage but with a bold, contemporary execution.

Earlier in the project, we saw a similar example of a historical evolution from a different brand – when one of the original Waitrose signs was uncovered at Jackson-Stops Pimlico. A stunning example of early 20th Century sign-writing and a far cry from the simple, clean lines of the brand’s current sans serif identity. JS Pimlico is now proudly sporting its new, Aeron-designed livery – while the Waitrose sign has since been acquired by the John Lewis Heritage Centre.

With over 100 years of property expertise, it’s fascinating to see 100 years of marketing changes as well.

Successful business owners are always thinking about their products and service offerings and how they can improve on them. The main goal is to deliver to your clients the best service possible, but also increasing sales and profits, which all go hand in hand. Business owners have to establish their presence, whether physical or online. They need brand  consultants with the right expertise to help them achieve this. Finding the right branding agency is crucial.

Get in touch with a reliable Branding Agency Dubai.  Building your brand awareness is essential and having the right partner to work with makes a big difference. While focusing on your products and services, let your Brand Consulting Firm London partners focus on your brand position and strategy.

What does an agency do for you? 

It is essential to understand how a branding agency works. This helps you to communicate more effectively on what you require. This will produce the best results when hiring a Branding Company Dubai. Communication is the key. When your brand partners understand your goals and objectives, this enhances the outcome and the execution of those objectives. The right information helps to devise a solid plan and execution strategy.

How can a branding agency meet your needs?

1 – The work of a branding agency starts with studying and understanding your company, but this is just one aspect. Your brand partner will also study your competition. They will gain insights into the market. This research gives them clarity to build a strong strategy for your business and brand. This result in a strong brand presence that attracts the right targeted audience.

2 – It’s imperative that a good branding company understands your business. This understanding may include brand mission, employees, and customers. Armed with this insight, the agency will know the challenges you face and find solutions to solve them.

3 – These agencies are well experienced in developing a strategy to create the most effective way of communicating your brand message.

To conclude 

The development of a brand or revamp can be a daunting task. Choosing a reliable Marketing Consultancy Dubai can make a significant difference on how your brand is communicated and received. Brand development requires a degree of knowledge and experience and choosing the right Branding Company Dubai can help your brand grow substantially.

EMMA GOODALL

Stop a person in the street and ask them to describe a sports car.  Chances are their answer is likely to include the following: it will be red, the engine sound will be the roar of a metallic wildcat, and its appearance will invoke a feeling of Christmas morning.  The construction of this particular sports car schema can be attributed to Ferrari’s contribution to the motoring industry since Enzo Ferrari’s first car was constructed in 1946.

LaFerrari (F150) 2013

So when it comes to branding the basics, Ferrari have pretty much nailed it.  There are a multitude of books written on branding, so this blog will focus upon three key ingredients to a successful branding recipe: identification of brand values, communication of these brand values, and customer requirements, all the while relating it to Scuderia Ferrari, the F1 Racing division of the company.

BRAND VALUES

The bedrock of everything that Ferrari stands for is also the reason why Enzo Ferrari called his company Scuderia Ferrari when he founded it in 1929.  The translation of Italian Scuderia means horses’ stables – he wanted to bring the ‘racing stable’ to the people and allow owner-drivers on to the racetrack. Therefore, from the stables to the racetrack, Enzo Ferrari’s and now Ferrari’s ‘passion for competition’ is the thread that binds the Ferrari tapestry in ‘One Brand, One Range’.  In the competitive spirit, a Ferrari’s performance both on the racetrack an on the road is not only fast, but faster than the competition. The inspiration for design of all Ferrari road cars is born from Scuderia Ferrari.  ‘Ferrari’ signifies the strong familial identity that promotes the brand’s values.

COMMUNICATING VALUES

It has been said that Ferraris are not advertised on TV because people who can afford them are not sitting at home watching TV all day.  However, Ferrari doesn’t advertise at all.  Well, that is to say, it doesn’t advertise itself in the traditional way. Instead it implements advertising through success in Formula 1 Grand Prix.

F1 Ferrari 2014, Next racing in Singapore on 21 Sep 14

Formula 1 Grand Prix team, Scuderia Ferrari, is the oldest surviving team in the Grand Prix.  For those who don’t know their F1 from their shift key, ‘formula’ denotes a set of rules by which all competitors must abide, ‘1’ is the highest class of single seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and ‘Grand Prix’ translates to ‘Great Prizes’.  The Grand Prix comprises a series of races with a points system that determines the World Championship winners both in Drivers’ and Constructors’ categories.

With F1 car speeds of up to 220mph (360kph) and capability of lateral acceleration in excess of 5g*, the technical capability of the cars depend on electronics, aerodynamics, suspension and design to deliver winning performances. Ferrari has had the most championship winners of all the teams competing in F1 today, with 15 years Drivers’ Champions and 16 years’ Constructors’ Champions.  The team has also had the most consecutive years at the top during Michael Schumacher’s reign: 5 years from 2000 to 2004.

As Formula 1 is the highest class of racing it is therefore the optimum medium to convey the high performance promise that the brand is based upon.  Ferrari takes all the F1 cars’ attributes – both technical and design – and delivers premium performance for all those who invest in a road car.  With Ferrari (and Mercedes) as the only teams in F1 to build both engine and chassis in house, the promise of matching good performance from F1 to road cars is well founded and it matches Enzo Ferrari’s desire to give owner-drivers ‘a racing car for the street’.

That is why advertising is not necessary.  Performance-based results in Formula 1, demonstrated by the best drivers in the fastest cars, sing louder than any advertising song and this is what drives their marketing strategy.

To quickly tip our hat to the finances behind F1 vs. advertising, Ferrari spent $167m on F1 in 2011 whilst Mercedes spent $210 million US in 2011 on advertising.

*fighter jet pilots are not permitted to operate above 9g.

CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS

So let’s talk about the logo.  There is a misconception of ‘branding’ that it is solely a matter of logos.  But branding is actually about the product to people interface.  Consistency is key; every ‘touchpoint’ is another chance to reinforce brand values.  The component parts of the Ferrari logo are the content, and colours.

Ferrari Prancing Horse Logo: Cavallino Rampante™

The Cavallino Rampante (Prancing Horse) has heroic origins.  It was the personal emblem of Francesco Baracca, Italy’s most successful airman during WWI.  Baracca was first a Cavalry Officer then a fighter pilot and he had the Cavallino Rampante painted on the fuselage of his aircraft.  Following his death the Baracca family offered Enzo Ferrari the opportunity to adopt the emblem for the Ferrari logo, which he did.

Francesco Baracca (1888-1918) standing by his wartime Spad VII aircraft

But in addition to representing the bravery and success of Baracca, the Cavallino Rampante also stands for heritage for Enzo Ferrari was himself assigned to the 3^rd Alpine Artillery Division during WWI, horses providing the power pre-mechanisation of the army’s artillery and cavalry.  Furthermore, it is a visual reaffirmation of Enzo Ferrari’s ambition to bring driver-owners on to the racetrack (ref. stables).

The colours of the logo represent much the same things.  While traditionally the colour of Ferrari cars is red: ‘the colour of blood, the colour of passion, the colour of love’, the logo is predominantly Modena Yellow, the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari, where the company was founded and where Francesco Baracca undertook his military training.  This colour choice reinforces this message of history, heritage and a sense of belonging.  Sitting atop of the logo are the colours of the Italian flag: green, white and red.

If a ‘logo is a visual representation of everything [a] company stands for’, Ferrari’s logo is strongly symbolic.  It represents history, bravery, competitive spirit, a strong drive for success and a familial heritage.  These values that have promoted 60 years of ‘expertise in engineering and driving performance’ underpin the promise that Ferrari pledges to its customer base.

What makes people want to buy a Ferrari?  Bearing in mind that prices start at around £100k, buying a Ferrari is not only about buying a car that signifies success.  It is about becoming part of the Ferrari ‘tribe’ buying into the Ferrari name, the Ferrari family.  If the brand values are ‘pillars’ of the Ferrari religion then customers buying the product do so as a demonstration of faith and belief in the Ferrari promise.  The demographics of those who have purchased a Ferrari then reinforce this spirit of belonging, as Ferraris are a marker that ‘you’ve made it’.  This gives the brand exclusivity, luxury, wealth as well as the name.

For those who cannot afford a the car, Ferrari has gone down the route of increasing brand awareness by merchandising and creating market alliances with such names as Oakley and Microsoft XBOX.  From model car collectibles, Ferrari branded luggage, to sunglasses and gaming accessories, the Ferrari merchandise allows the mass market to be able to access and tap into the brand.  This is a tactical nod in recognition that not all motoring enthusiasts are in the wealthy elite; motoring enthusiasts, like Enzo Ferrari was himself from a young age, span all ages, creed, socio-economic backgrounds and gender.  By opening up the market to all, now everyone can buy into the Ferrari tribe, but it doesn’t erode the brand exclusivity.

Ferrari stores, numbering 27 worldwide

BY JAMES ROBINSON

There are a few eventualities we can be sure of if Scotland wins independence – according to the BBC.  The UK will lose: 32% of its land (but only 8% of it’s population); £106bn of Scottish goods and services (accounting for 7.7% of the UK’s ‘Gross Value Added’) and 59 seats in Westminster.

These are statistical changes that we can predict with some degree of certainty if the ‘Yes’ vote wins, some of which may hold potentially damaging consequences for Scotland’s future and some which may be less significant. But one thing that is much harder to predict is how the move away from the UK will affect Scottish brands.

Some believe that Scotland’s independence will have a positive effect on its overall brand image. An article in Marketing Week reads: ‘While Scotland has always been seen as a separate part of the UK, its independence will bolster that country of origin effect and potentially build its appeal. Combine this stronger brand image with more brand awareness and you begin to see why brands such as Glenmorangie or Highland Spring would prosper more in an independent Scotland.’

You needn’t look much further than the Visit Scotland website to see that the Scottish brand focuses heavily on heritage and tradition and of course one of the classic sources for brand associations is provenance.  Independence could potentially strengthen our pre-existing ideas of Scottish-ness and brands that already trade off that association but many businesses and economists are employing a “wait and see” approach before making hard and fast judgements.

For instance, The House of Britannia was created to ‘invest in the future success of British luxury brands’ and I spoke to the company MD, Simon Petherick, about the future of home-grown brands in an independent Scotland.  When asked if they had invested in any Scottish brands he replied: ‘Although we had been looking at buying a couple of Scottish brands, we have had to seriously re-think with all that has been going on… When we started the company last year we never could have foreseen what is currently happening… it’s come as a shock to us all’.

But whilst The House of Britannia may not be investing in Scottish businesses (at least until after Sept 18^th) as part of their portfolio of luxury British brands, Mr Petherick was very adamant that a move away from Britain could be positive for companies north of the border,  ‘They could really use it to their advantage, romantic associations with the country are so strong that they could play on the Scottish branding, for example the Japanese love Scotch whiskey and breaking away from the UK will only serve to reinforce the Scottish brand image that the Japanese love’.

On the flip side however, there are brands that will undoubtedly face a rockier ride in an independent Scotland, for example RBS. Having been bailed out multiple times by the Brits (now the majority stakeholders) not only will its patriotic allegiance be seriously tested but it will also face a significant period of instability during the debate on Scotland being allowed to keep the pound or not, or joining the European Union.

It is hard to believe that other financial service brands based in Scotland will not suffer a similar conundrum should the ‘Yes’ voters emerge victorious. As pointed out by Marketing Week, they ‘face the existential choice of being true to their provenance and experiencing significant volatility in their share price and customer retention as a post-independence fog descends, or head south and face the equally intimidating threat of becoming an émigré brand that appeals to neither the rejected masses of the rest of the UK populace or a Scottish market now steadfastly loyal to the brands that stayed with them’.

When I asked Simon Petherick of The House of Britannia how he thought Scotland would fare as a brand if it stepped away from ‘Brand Britain’, he said, ‘I think Scotland is a more standalone brand than Wales, I think large swathes that make up Brand Britain are English. There is enough royal history in Scotland to create a new story out of Scottish royalty…..I see it as a positive thing, perhaps the breaking up of Britain will focus more on the regional identities’.

Certainly it is hard to see how a break from Britain will damage Scotland’s brand identity, if anything, independence will reinforce Scotland’s international image. What is harder to understand is to what extent businesses in Scotland will prosper as a result. According to research on https://www.scotland.gov.uk/, one conclusion is that international perception of Scotland was that it had ‘a very positive and distinctive image’ but unfortunately ‘awareness and knowledge of Scotland internationally were usually related to images and icons rooted in the past rather than contemporary Scotland’. As a result it was not rated as a ‘place to do business’ in global terms.

There is no doubt that Scottish independence will generate thousands of media stories all around the world and this coverage will draw attention to all things Scottish, thus raising awareness of Brand Scotland. However, how this awareness will impact economically on Scottish brands as a result is impossible to predict. The question is, how many brands will stay loyal and how many will ‘sell their souls’ if the ‘Yes’ vote wins?

Sir Ben Ainslie with winning crew members Matthew Millard-Beer, Andrew Brinded, Patrick Tatham and Gareth Watkins – winners of ISC Rating System Division 8D in Fooster.

The annual J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, organised by the Island Sailing Club, is a one-day yacht race around the Isle of Wight, an island situated off the south coast of England. The race regularly attracts over 1,600 boats and around 15,000 sailors, making it one of the largest yacht races in the world and the fourth largest participation sporting event in the UK after the London Marathon and the Great North and South Runs.

Dr John S Pemberton invented Coca‑Cola on 8 May 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia. He tried it out on customers at his local chemist, Jacobs’ Pharmacy, where it proved so popular it immediately went on sale at five cents a glass. It was Dr Pemberton’s friend and business partner, Frank M Robinson, who came up with the name Coca‑Cola and wrote it out by hand in the Spencerian script that is still used today as the brands logo.

128 years of clarity sharing happiness.  46, 720 days of consistency.

What’s the lesson?  Sometimes its better not to reinvent the wheel.

Happy Birthday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0D3jKLz6sA

I recently attended a Marketing Society lecture by Sir Charlie Mayfield, the charismatic Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership.

Sir Charlie deftly addressed business issues such as: How do you stay true to your values in a rapidly changing world? How do you make your employees really care about your brand?

In essence they do this by being famous for their Quality, Value and Service (and now competitive Price) Promise.  You may even say they they have democratised quality.

But two key points stood out from the evening.  Firstly, the role of great leadership, to drive the firm in one clear direction.  Secondly to absolutely know your customers and always put them first.

I left enchanted by the brand.

And, if you’ve seen their Christmas TV Commercial, as 12,577,619 viewers on youtube have, you may be wondering who or what the bear and hare represent.

I guess Charlie is the hare.  He totally gets what we want.

So who’s the bear?  Well, we all are of course.

See the TVC on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqWig2WARb0