Rebranding our home town.

The idea of rebranding the BID had been part of our conversations with the organisation for some time. As the introduction to this case study shows, the concept of BIDs is not well known, and the consumer-facing and business-facing aspects can be confusing.

We believed that a more customer-focused approach, which clearly communicated why the BID existed and what it did for the town centre would bring many benefits: a single and consistent brand would be simpler to manage across all channels, and could be established as THE place to turn for information about Watford for visitors, residents and businesses.

The BID also believed that this change was needed, and we were delighted the rebrand project was given the green light.

The new brand would need to feel equally focused on consumers and businesses; it would need to be flexible enough to promote a celebration in the park or an event in the shopping centre, but also to update business owners on crime rates for example; and it would need to make a visual impact in every channel, from social and online to printed collateral and OOH banners.

And whilst the BID was familiar to local businesses (particularly those who pay a levy to be part of it), it was a concept that lived below the radar for consumers. They had soaked up the BID’s messages in the past, without needing to know who was delivering them. We had to be careful not to muddy the waters with the introduction of this ‘new’ body, and instead ensure a smooth continuation of helpful, impactful messages.

With our work across both previous brands, we had an in-depth understanding of the strongest parts of each one. We knew that the colourful approach of the consumer brand had struck a chord with the people of Watford, with banners and a pop-up art gallery all gaining good traction and helping to communicate the young, vibrant and multicultural energy of the town.

We also knew that the many stakeholders behind Watford Town Centre appreciated this approach too. The new brand would need to be agreed by a majority of these stakeholders (which included a diverse set of businesses from national retailers like Boots to smaller boutique businesses), so it was clear that this strong use of colour should form the basis of the new brand.