Marmion
Every now and then, we get to flip the script and turn our own suppliers into clients. That's exactly what happened when Marmion asked us to work with them on defining their brand identity and supporting their ongoing social media marketing. They already had a good understanding of what HUB is all about from recruiting several members of our team, so working together on this project seemed like the perfect fit.
Services
Brand Development & Design, Brand Strategy, Digital Design, Marketing & Advertising Strategy, Photography, Social Media Management (Paid & Organic), Website Design & BuildSector
B2B, Professional Services
Challenge
Before Marmion could kick on with their ambitious growth plans, they needed to ensure they weren’t underselling themselves. Their values and proud Yorkshire roots still persevered, but their brand identity needed some TLC. Fortunately, that’s where HUB’s brand strategists really shine.
The brief was simple – put Marmion’s values and personality front and centre, showcase the scale of their operations, and emphasise their ethical approach to recruitment. Underpinning all of this would be their Yorkshire heritage, a long-standing cornerstone of their brand identity.
Taking on a brand refresh is an important job. We had to make sure we were really in tune with the client’s thoughts, feelings and ambitions. The brand had to reflect them perfectly, without throwing aside their deeply-rooted values or alienating their current clients.
We couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
Trusting someone with your “baby” is a huge leap of faith. From the start, my instincts told me this no-nonsense agency would work hard to represent Marmion and our team with integrity and purpose, and go on to create something we could all be truly proud of.
Janet McGlaughlin, Founder
Solution
Marmion are passionate about what they do. And they have a clear idea of who they are. So before we could get to grips with the design brief, we needed to get under the skin of what makes them tick. A brand’s mission, vision and values statement forms the foundation of a brand identity, and these principles remained our North Star throughout the project.
As with any brand design project, research was key. We conducted a technical SEO audit of their website and analysed competitors and similar aspirational brands, all the while assessing what would and wouldn’t work for our client.
What started as a simple brand refresh turned into reviewing iconography, colour palettes, tone of voice – basically, the whole shebang. Working in collaboration with our client, we identified several potential routes that would take Marmion to new heights.
[Our rebrand was] made possible by the exceptional team at HUB. Their ability to capture our vision, values, and ambition was deeply moving (actual tears), and the outcome speaks for itself. Not only was this a big investment, it was personal for me, as it represents a lot of hard work and effort. So it mattered that they got it right, and they did.
[They] have an amazing team with enormous emotional intelligence, and they have all been a joy to work with. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner. Thank you … you just got us from day one.
Janet McGlaughlin, Founder
What we landed on was something that really positioned Marmion for the future. We took their existing brand and elevated it to give it a more aspirational yet personal corporate identity. This meant saying goodbye to the inauthentic stock photography and arranging a multi-location photo and video shoot with their team. Our studio and creative teams then collaborated to create some truly stunning assets that really showcase Marmion’s unique personality and emphasise their expertise and professionalism.
As for the visual identity of the Marmion brand, we stripped back their original approach and elevated it. We’re talking a whole new colour palette, type face, tone of voice and messaging strategy. This was compiled in a comprehensive brand book that would provide a reference point for consistency across Marmion’s marketing mix going forward.
The final step? Outlining considered and relevant key content pillars that would underpin Marmion’s website design, SEO content and organic social media strategy moving forward, giving weight to the different aspects of Marmion’s values, personality and work.
Results
Within 3-4 months, HUB’s brand and creative experts had delivered a visual refresh that the client absolutely loved.
Marmion’s new bank of assets meant we’ve been able to launch the new brand in a consistent and impactful way across channels – a key element of any brand refresh implementation.
As always, we were able to harness several different skillsets within our team to really make this delivery stress-free. From designers and photographers to content writers and brand design strategists, our team integrated seamlessly right from initial concepts to execution.
