When brands listen to local communities...

If you follow our blog, you’ll know how often we post about the importance of local communities to national or global businesses. So, we were buoyed by the news that our nearby Atria shopping centre is rebranding once again, and returning to its original name, Harlequin. As Atria put it themselves, us locals never really stopped using the original name anyway, usually clumsily announcing our visit to Harleq–Int–Atria–whatever-it's-called as we attempted to recognise its various guises since its doors first opened in 1992.

The Harlequin cemented itself into the minds of Watford residents after it was picked as the winning competition entry to name the new centre – probably a reference to the ‘Harlequin Line’ rail route which passed through Harlesden and Queen’s Park on its way from Watford to Euston. It came complete with a disturbing masked Harlequin character dancing across its walls, the obligatory patchwork pattern and an art deco H logo. Thankfully, the new take looks like a massive improvement with a tasteful mix of upper-case serif and sans-serif letters and a single ‘patch’ forming the Q’s counter – I’m keen to see more. Atria operators SGS Group teased “vibrant new signage, an expressive new logo, and a brand-new website – all part of a dynamic marketing campaign led by their retained agency BWP Group”.

It's being reported by the BBC as a ‘victory for shoppers’, after SGS conceded the renaming was “in direct response to overwhelming feedback”. A petition to bring back the Harlequin name was started in 2021 following the switch from Intu Watford to Atria, it cited Intu’s renaming of its Uxbridge shopping centre back to its original name The Chimes.

Whatever decisions national entities make, their success or failure is reliant on local adoption. It’s why brands need to remove themselves from any kind of ivory tower and engage with their local colleagues, communities and customers. “Our decision to bring back the Harlequin name is rooted in what the community told us – it’s part of Watford’s identity.” Bravo Claire Barber (SGS CEO).

Does your brand truly resonate with your local community? Whether you’re a 100% e-commerce DTC brand, a national or global multi-location business, or a franchised brand with a presence in multiple markets, it’s clear that in 2025, local connection has never been more important. As a brand, it’s no longer just about reach or scale – it’s about relevance. We Are Acuity would love to partner with you to make that happen.

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