Challenges
Wrkspace are a commercial real estate business based in the North West. As their property portfolio grew, they needed to overhaul and manage their own leading corporate brand, whilst also bringing a growing number of sub-brands (for the buildings they acquired) into their brand architecture. Retaining the unique identity of each building’s brand, and cultivating it to inspire and build its communities (ultimately filling the buildings), was key, all whilst making sure everything fits under the Wrkspace umbrella. It was a core component of the brief that the Wrkspace house of brands be recognisable in the business community and that the identities of each were contemporary whilst subtly paying homage to the history or geographical significance of each location.
Solution
We started with a realisation process, we needed to get under the skin of Wrkspace: what makes a Wrkspace building different to the rest, how does the team work, and what is the brand’s true ethos? This underpinned the brand strategy that started with Wrkspace and trickled down through the subbrands.
With a strategy in place, we focussed on the brand visuals; without delivering a complete rebrand, we were able to initially uniform the brand identities of all the brands with some subtle redrawing.
Once the visual identities were nailed down, we put foundations in place for using them ongoing through a stringent set of brand guidelines that allowed flexibility but kept guardianship over the perception of the brand.
To tie everything together and provide consistency, we then employed and managed some ongoing marketing automations – keeping the communications on brand and the team efficient.
As a complete set of deliverables, we created initial concepts including colourways and typeface recommendations, a corporate logo for the main Wrkspace brand, an initial 5 sub-brands, with full brand guidelines for everything within their brand ecosystem. Throughout the project we maintained a clear and concise timeline, using collaborative tools and live dashboards to keep the client up to date with progress, and of course, held regular check-ins with the senior team at Wrkspace.
Impact
With their new house of brands, Wrkspace can now easily add to their portfolio; and they do. Since the original contract award, we have subsequently added further brands to the brand architecture system as more buildings have been acquired, creating totally brand new logomarks and identities for the new spaces that are identifiable as part of the Wrkspace family, but independently unique in their look and feel.
Feedback tells us that the brands are positively recognised within the business communities that they operate in, and data tells us they’re fit for purpose: their buildings fill fast and their flagship site has been at capacity for long-term office lets since we finalised their corporate brand. The strength of the brand was noticed externally, too, with 3 award nominations within months of the brand realisation going live.
We've delivered
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