When Solon South West and United Communities agreed to merge last year we were delighted to be commissioned to guide them through the process of shaping their new brand.
Almost six months in the making we started the process by getting right to the heart of both businesses. Following a comprehensive consultation, and Survey Monkey questionnaires with residents, service users and staff living in and around Bristol, the name ‘Brighter Places’ emerged as the name of the new organisation, inspired by a resident suggestion.
Through a further stage of research and development, we created the bold new brand logo and visual identity, which is reinforced by a fresh and energetic palette of vibrant colours that complement the culture and diversity of the communities.
One of our challenges was to create an eye-catching creative concept that represented and supported the new brand and messaging. We created a comprehensive set of brand guidelines for the new visual identity, this was applied to a wide range of marketing materials including stationery, presentations and website landing page.
The new brand was also applied to front-of-house signage, both internal and external, as well as additional new way-finding signage. A mix of post and panel acrylic signs and window manifestation helped to bring the new shared office space to life.
We also helped to manage and grow the brand’s presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with a series of ‘teaser’ videos, animations and the ‘big reveal’ video for the launch day. The launch also coincided with the delivery of 100 personalised Welcome Goodie Pack’s for all staff members, all sourced and produced by our in-house team.
Anna Klimczak, Chief Executive of Brighter Places, has pledged a commitment to “building better futures” for their residents. The “provision of better customer service” will be a priority for Brighter Places and work will also start on a £10m programme of home improvements, and to deliver 1,000 new homes.
