Background
Houlder, specialists in engineering design, clean technology and technical consultancy for the marine and offshore environments, asked BLUE Inspire to undertake a brand development project to deliver a compelling and inspiring new brand position.
Objectives
The objective was to update their brand to better communicate their strategy of helping clients meet the challenges of the low carbon energy transition, improving vessel efficiency through clean technology and automation, and building the infrastructure for renewable energy.
Approach
BLUE Inspire undertook a perception audit, interviewing key clients and stakeholders to understand their true reputation in the market, what sets them apart and areas for development. The audit delivered key recommendations for Houlder’s new positioning.
The evidence showed that Houlder had a great reputation for technical expertise, being agile, responsive, and going the extra mile for clients. Houlder plays a key role in helping clients navigate the complex, demystifying the options and implementing the most practical solutions. It also showed that they were the industry’s best kept secret…
Alongside a brand review and competitor analysis to find their unique position in the market, BLUE Inspire developed a new purpose, vision, values, brand narrative and strategy for Houlder, with a new sign-off, ‘Your partner for a sustainable future’.
The next step was to communicate the new brand position visually. BLUE Inspire proposed creative concepts to update Houlder’s visual identity, including logo, colour palettes, fonts, photography style, infographics, icons and graphic devices, and developed brand guidelines and a full suite of templates for branded assets.
BLUE Inspire developed a new Houlder website to showcase the updated brand position and better communicate Houlder’s value and services to clients. Using best practice for accessibility and mobile design, all web content was reorganised and rewritten to showcase Houlder’s broader offering, deep expertise and strong experience.
Results
Importantly, the website focuses on bringing Houlder’s experts to the fore, helping clients find the services they’re after and the right expert to speak to, and explaining Houlder’s role in bringing fresh thinking in engineering design and project delivery.
Houlder’s Simon Hill said: “BLUE Inspire moved us from an initial position of ‘healthy scepticism’ to becoming ‘convinced advocates’ of the process, approach and the people we worked with. Some of us feared an exercise in cosmetic tinkering but thankfully that proved wide of the mark. We quickly formed a strong joint team with Blue Inspire just as invested in making the project a success as those from Houlder. We haven’t just straightened out the look and feel of the brand but have also addressed and resolved deep-seated challenges of marketing strategy and clarity of thinking.”
