Endpoint were appointed by Mediclinic to implement a new visual identity across their global estate of 72 hospitals.

Founded in 1983, South-African based Mediclinic International are the sixth largest private hospital group in the world.  Over the last decade the company have grown rapidly both domestically and internationally, operating 72 hospitals and clinics across South Africa, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.  In order to support further growth, Mediclinic decided to unite all its hospitals under one brand identity.

The new global identity, created by Landor, was implemented by the V.I.M. group with assistance from Endpoint, as part of a fast-track launch programme, across 10 of the groups key South African sites.  We managed the transition of the 2D creative work into a 3D physical signage family, including prototyping, value engineering and technical specifications.

The new signage family has remained sensitive to the certain language barriers, the differing needs of visitors and employees and the strict infection control policies in place within hospitals.  Put simply we have helped to ensure a consistent brand experience across hospitals in the various countries, and provided Mediclinic with the platform for their ambitious growth plans to flourish.

By Paul Veness

We are all familiar with global brands such as Nike, McDonald’s and Apple.  Brands that have one set of values to communicate.  One vision.  One logo.  Wherever we travel in this exciting world of ours, their identity is instantly recognisable.  But these companies don’t just wade into a foreign territory without thinking about their impact on the local culture.  And the impact of the local culture on them.  In order to maintain their strong branding, they must adopt a localisation strategy to ensure they communicate effectively with their local markets.  The Globalisation and Localisation Association (Gala) state that “localisation is the process of adapting a product or content to a specific locale… The goal is to provide a product with the look and feel of having been created for the target market to eliminate or minimise local sensitivities”.

Research by the California State University details the widespread acknowledgement amongst global companies of the need to expand into foreign markets, with “74% of multinational enterprises believing it is most important to achieve increased revenues from global operations”.  To do this organisations require a strategic approach to their localised content, be it on marketing collateral, PR campaigns, advertising or packaging.  Although this is something that can be difficult to manage, the statistics indicate how successful a localised campaign can be.  Figures from Gala state:-

It would take 83 languages to reach 80% of all people in the world, and over 7,000 languages to reach everyone.

56.2% of consumers say the ability to obtain information in their own language is more important than price.

95% of Chinese online consumers indicate greater comfort level with websites in their language; only one percent of US-based online retailers offer sites specific to China.

Global brands and their local offering…

But it’s not just about translation, though this is obviously a large part of getting your message across.  It’s also about preparing your product for a new location, culture and audience.  Take McDonald’s for example, they have mastered the subtle art of localisation with the creation of regional menu items for their international markets.  Pop into a McDonald’s in New Zealand and you can get a Kiwi burger.  In India you’ll find Chicken Maharaja-Macs on the menu.  These products are individual to the local market, but they remain true to the brand promise, illustrating, as Idealog describe, how localisation “can actually boost the brand by making it relevant to a local market”.

Perhaps one of the best examples of a localisation strategy which governs the entire ethos of a company, comes in the financial sector.  HSBC have long been known as the global bank with an understanding of local cultures.  This has been conveyed consistently through TV, printed and in-house communications.  Their strapline ‘the world’s local bank’ is the external representation of their business strategy, that of maintaining a consistent, trustworthy and informed brand right across the globe.

It is however, important to remember that localisation can go wrong. By even considering creating a local offering you are dangling perilously close to a media backlash, or somewhat humorous miscalculation which manages to offend an entire country in one fell swoop.  Only recently Rosie Baker of Marketing Week highlighted an embarrassing error made by Kraft when promoting Oreo in Russia.  I’m sure you’ve read about it.  The new name they marketed in Russia translated as ‘oral sex’.  Not the kind of image you want to promote!  And as Baker points out, “the name shows that Kraft hasn’t carried out proper due diligence to make sure that it finds a brand name appropriate for all international markets”.

There are even some brands that deliberately side step localisation.  James Bickford of Idealog cites Gucci as one such luxury brand, claiming that “internationalism is the very essence of its glamour which is why Gucci avoids diluting it with localisation”.  The Gucci brand thus maintains its aspirational, even unattainable, image.  But this example is an exception rather than the norm.

Implementing a successful localisation strategy…

Spending the time and money to localise your marketing activity should be a priority for any organisation. If not, you take the risk of losing the money you spend on your global campaign — and to repair your image, you’ve got to add public relations spend to your budget.

One of the most important things to remember is that getting localisation right doesn’t have to involve a big change to have a big effect.  The impact achieved by simply taking the time to consider local sensitivities and adapting your brand appropriately can be huge.  Premier Inn have managed this perfectly with their international hotels, specifically those in the Middle-East.  The external branding on these hotels still strictly adheres to the UK-conceived brand guidelines, with the same logo and colourways, the same ‘guest-obsessed’ brand values, but with one addition – the hotel name in Arabic sits above the main brand marque, conveying the name to both international and local customers.  This doesn’t dilute the brand, but does tell the local customer that they are important enough to be acknowledged in Premier Inn’s corporate image.  The local message is continued inside the hotel too with the inclusion of a Qibla in each bedroom – essential for guests and an example of how a small change can have a big impact.

So the lesson is, when you take your beautifully crafted product or campaign to a new market, it is vital you first understand the cultural, religious and political impact it will have, and tailor your offer accordingly.  A localisation strategy cannot guarantee success, but without one it will all but guarantee failure.

Endpoint and its international network of affiliated offices are skilled in implementing global brands, locally. If you would like to talk confidentially about a brand implementation or brand management challenge please call Tony Lorenz in London (+44 020 7089 2670) or Mathew Glover in Dubai (+971 4447 5847) – we’d be delighted to help.

References:-
http://thefinancialbrand.com/hsbc/
http://www.idealog.co.nz/global-warning
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/krafts-new-brand-means-oral-sex-in-russia/
http://bondyconsulting.com/news/
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/why-global-brands-must-be-part-of-local-cultures/
http://www.gala-global.org/why-localize
http://blog.csoftintl.com/5-reasons-why-localization-should-be-a-priority/

Accessed 15-05-2012

Endpoint were appointed by Bishopsgate Institute to develop, manage and install rebranded signage at each of the sites two entrances.

Bishopsgate Institute is a purpose-built grade II* listed building located on the edge of Spitalfields in the City of London. Opened in 1895 the Institute has an impressive library, historic archive collections, a diverse range of courses, programme of cultural events and a schools & community learning programme.

As part of a large internal refurbishment, the Institute wanted a complete refresh of their visual identity. This was created by Intro and Endpoint were appointed to turn the design concepts into real world external signage.

Working at each of the institute’s two entrances – one entrance on Bishopsgate and the second entrance on Brushfield Street – we developed signage which was contemporary and attractive whilst remaining sensitive to the external facade of this listed building.

By Annie Corbishley

You wouldn’t spend thousands of pounds on a sparkling new kitchen and never clean it (or at least, pay someone to clean it for you).  You wouldn’t buy a vroomy new car and then never get it serviced, letting it slowly fall to pieces.  You wouldn’t spend millions rebranding your business with a sexy new logo, strapline and mission statement, only to forget about it the minute the signage is installed.  Oh, hang on a minute!  It would seem that some companies do…

Much emphasis has been put on rebranding choices and how the 2D logo manifests itself in the reality of 3D life.  But what about the rest of the brand?  Yes, a new logo may look pretty, but we all know that a brand is more than that.  The brand is inevitably tied up in the human experience of the product or service:

If the brilliant new e-reader in the pretty new packaging falls apart just after the warranty expires, then that’s your brand.

If the receptionist in the beautifully designed hotel foyer ignores you while she finishes chatting on her mobile phone, then that’s your brand.

And if the shiny new sign outside that swanky new restaurant gets covered in pigeon poo (sorry) that no-one bothers to clean, then that’s your brand.

As the implementors of brand identity, responsible for the ‘bits people see’ (the lighting, the wayfinding and signage, etc.), to say that the discovery of a hastily-applied bit of masking tape to a once-beautiful store directory stabs at our pride (and even a little bit at our hearts for the more sensitive of us) is an understatement.  For this achieves not the effect desired by the employee who applied said masking tape – namely, to re-direct customers to or from another department in the store – but rather, what this says to the customer is “We don’t really care about how we present ourselves to you.  We don’t really care what you think of us.  We take you for granted”.  That is the brand.  Regardless of how faithfully the logo is reproduced on their new uniform.

But so often, a maintenance programme is either shunned as being too expensive to set up, or, more commonly, not considered at all.  Many brand owners like the appeal of the ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ stance which I can sympathise with.  The implementation of a rebrand is more often than not the most expensive part of the whole process.  As Endpoint co-founder Paul Veness says, “What people don’t always realise is that the implementation costs can be 20 to 30 times the design budget”.  So having just spent this amount of money, it’s no wonder that companies want to take a moment to regain a sense of composure.  Emotionally, the job is done and dusted.  The rebrand has been rolled out across the estate.  The signage is up.  Everyone can relax.

But having forked out however many thousands or millions of pounds on the hardware, shouldn’t this be seen as an investment worth protecting?  In terms of brand image, failed lighting or dirty, broken signage is never going to be desirable, and customers will notice discrepancies.  Rather than waiting for something to go wrong and reacting to it, a proactive approach to insuring your physical brand assets should be adopted.  Regular maintenance and servicing will result in enhanced performance and extended life, saving you money in the long term.

Still not convinced it’s worth the set up costs?  Let’s look at the pros and cons: 

A reactive or unplanned approach to sign maintenance is one that relies purely on emergency call-outs, which can be costly as it may involve long distance travel and out-of-hours charges.  In addition, as the engineers won’t have planned to visit the site, they may not have the right kit with them resulting in the need for a re-visit (more cost – yawn).  Similarly, the unplanned visit will very rarely coincide with a convenient time during which to carry out the work, so your customers may be inconvenienced or revenue lost while the work takes place.  Each replacement item, be it an LED light strip or new acrylic panel, will have to be ordered as a one-off which is usually the most expensive way of ordering a product.

A well thought-out and managed maintenance programme will address most of these issues.  Instead of single emergency call outs, a planned programme will minimise site disruption as work can be scheduled to take place at the most convenient time.  It will take the geography of the estate into account and minimise travel costs.  Engineers will be able to ensure they have the right kit with them, reducing the need for re-visits.  Regular inspection of each site will result in signs that are less likely to suddenly fail and ensure that they meet current health and safety measures (which should keep your legal team happy).  And of course, regular cleaning (no more pigeon poo!) can only enhance your brand image.  In addition, if a bulk store of replacement hardware is available for those times when replacing a sign or lighting element is unavoidable, you will benefit from economies of scale rather than paying that expensive one-off cost.  Of course, a reactive approach will be needed to deal with unforeseeable situations such as vandalism or storm damage, and so a contingency budget should be set aside for this.

In addition to maintenance on a practical level, continued communication with the branches of the company is equally important.  With high staff turnover in sectors such as retail and leisure, it’s essential that the thinking behind the brand is communicated clearly and regularly so that each employee feels involved and understands the reasons behind the physical manifestation of the brand that they live with day in and day out.  Communication and training, combined with regular site visits, will reduce the number of instances of masking tape on the store directory, or a regional manager deciding to ‘logo-up’ an off-brand item like a rubbish bin.

I know it’s not glamorous.  It’s not exciting.  And it doesn’t exactly get your pulse racing.  But once you’ve decided to protect your physical corporate image by putting a bit of investment in maintenance, I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

Endpoint and its international network of affiliated offices are skilled in maintaining global brands. If you would like to talk confidentially about a brand implementation or brand management challenge please call Tony Lorenz in London (+44 020 7089 2670) or Mathew Glover in Dubai (+971 4447 5847) – we’d be delighted to help.

References:-

http://www.endpoint.co.uk/how-to-set-about-rebranding-your-business/

Accessed 01-05-2012

Located in the heart of Thames Valley, one of Europe’s top 10 business locations, Green Park was master-planned by architects Foster + Partners, who also designed the first of its buildings.  Employing over 5,500 people, the park is home to a number of blue chip organisations including Thames Water, Cisco, HSBC and Symantec, in addition to a range of cafes, restaurants and amenities.

Further creative group will lead the rebrand alongside their sister consultancy Fishburn Hedges. Creative director James Beveridge, who is leading an integrated team, said of the incumbent brand “it focuses solely on the property, rather than other benefits such as the environment and its amenities.”

By addressing brand positioning, identity design, wayfinding signage and marketing literature Further intend to “unify all of Green Park’s content and help people understand the benefits of working there”

Tony Lorenz, Endpoints Strategy & Development Director said of the project “this is an excellent opportunity for Endpoint to deliver a visual identity which will benefit the day-to-day operations of this thriving business park, making the lives of the many employees easier and enabling the parks ambitious growth plans to flourish”

Source: Green Park

Source: Further

As well as the growing importance of brand identity, new technology and the increasing need to be more sustainable are changing the face of museum signage.

Digital signage, interactive floorplans and handheld multimedia guides are all becoming more common, particularly for those with bigger budgets. Digital signage offers flexibility, and can be easily updated and personalised. “Digital signs are fantastic for real-time information,” says Lucy Holmes, creative director at design consultancy Holmes Wood.

“Digital signs remove the need for lists of static content and therefore de-clutter spaces,”

One of the drawbacks of digital signage is the costs involved and the perceived opinion that it is often the software, rather than the hardware, that takes the lion’s share of the budget.

However, Graham Erickson, creative director at brand implementation consultants Endpoint, says that once the initial investment in hardware and software has been made, these systems can offer flexibility at low cost. “The drawbacks are that this technology is constantly and rapidly evolving, causing expensive equipment to quickly age,” he adds.

Additionally, digital signage can encounter problems. “Too many museums have complex, expensive signage covered with an A4 sheet of paper offering an apology for its non-performance and written instructions instead,” says Erickson.

Online Wayfinding

Increasingly, visitors are taking advantage of the wayfinding information that museums provide online. Planning their visit before they arrive at the venue can help improve their experience, but it is important to remember that not everyone will want or be able to do this.

“The emergence of pre-visit wayfinding and visitor information is certainly useful to a certain visitor who can pre-plan a visit,” says Erickson. “But this does not apply to the rainy-day visitor who spontaneously drops into a museum for a short period – their visit should still be an interesting and fulfilling experience, so the physically installed wayfinding measures should be strong to support these visitors.”

Back To Basics

Despite new technology and the demands for sustainable signage, designers agree that the principles of good wayfinding remain the same. Lucy Holmes says the dominant factors are still usually budget, management of the scheme once the signage experts have completed their work, changeability and durability.

“How we work has changed with the massive advances in technology, but the principles remain the same,” she says. “A wayfinding scheme must ensure that the visitor experience is positive – this doesn’t change.”

There is another important factor in wayfinding that is low-tech, but pretty hard to beat: face-to-face help.

“We know that even in environments where the signage is clear, effective and immediately accessible, people will occasionally ask another human for directions,” says Erickson. “Do we really want to eliminate this form of cooperative communication entirely?”

To read the full article click here

Jamie Oliver and American chef Adam Perry Lang have drawn on traditional cooking techniques from around the world to create Barbecoa restaurant – a celebration of the relationship between fire and food.  Endpoint worked in conjunction with the design consultancy MadeThought to develop, specify, manufacture and install the carefully designed menu boards.

The identity created by MadeThought was developed to reflect the qualities of the restaurant itself: honesty, heritage, integrity and authenticity.  In order to realise these qualities, Endpoint conducted research and traditional enamelling techniques were utilised to create menu boards that truly encapsulated the brand identity.

Endpoint has been helping Busaba Eathai with the ongoing management of their branch signage since 2007.  The Thai eatery, conceived by Alan Yau, currently has 6 restaurants across London and continues to expand its network.

Working with brand design agency North, Endpoint has developed and implemented Busaba’s interior and exterior signage, treating every branch individually but within the same boundaries.

In accordance with the high specification fit-out Endpoint has employed innovative techniques and design, including the use of slate with push through acrylic, to provide a high quality finish to the signage.

With the creative brand consultancy being undertaken by Hat-trick Design, Endpoint were appointed to rollout the visual rebrand across its UK sites.

As the first phase, Endpoint undertook the internal and external fit-out of eight Action on Hearing Loss offices across the UK to coincide with the centenary celebrations of the charity.

With the visual identity being a closely guarded secret, work on the graphic installation began at 5pm the day before the launch; the Endpoint team worked to ensure that Action on Hearing Loss staff began the next morning into fully rebranded offices.

Working with a charity demands the best possible value for every pound spent; Endpoint have supplied the signage for the remaining 15 sites and are developing a specification pack for Action on Hearing Loss to implement a fit-out on any future sites they acquire, to ensure brand consistency cross the estate and facilitate tight control over the clients’ budget.

Action on Hearing Loss: click here
Hat-trick Design: click here

Endpoint worked in collaboration with Materialise to manufacture and produce the beautiful CALGAT (Can A Lily Grow A Phone) trophy.

The design of the trophy itself was the fascinating result of design collaboration between Studio Fernando Gutierrez, who designed the overall trophy and Ross Lovegrove who designed the Lily flower concept within the trophy.

Ross Lovegrove, shares with us his initial design concept behind the CALGAT trophy.

‘Bioengineering, speculation and anticipatory design converge to challenge the basis of industry.

The silent growth of a cell phone from a genetically modified plant that turns nutrients into cells and cells into biologically formed devices.

Beetles with golden shells, insects in the shape of leaves… Adaptation to context.

We are gripped by the concept of objects made from heat and violence when in parallel nature unfurls wonders that just need a helping hand to accelerate the potential of thoughts that once seem ridiculous but ultimately might become the norm.’ Ross Lovegrove

For more information on the Brit Insurance Design Awards and winners please visit http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/current-exhibitions

PHOTOGRAPHS: Luke Hayes