A brand that knows

Workshop | Competitor Assessment | Client depth interviews | Positioning | Business strategy | Brand Design | Guidelines | Website design | Signage

Project overview

Knowhow approached us with a desire to better understand how to grow their business, particularly by establishing a stronger positioning that would accurately reflect its expertise in ER (Employment Relations) and HR (Human Resources). Additionally, they aimed to refine their services for future success.

They presented us with four service ideas to be tested with clients, and sought a brand refresh aligned with these ideas.

Research and Strategy

We’re an evidence-led agency.

Our initial approach was to validate the viability of these proposed services. We conducted an audit of the brand and the narratives associated with the current services. To achieve this, we performed an assessment of the Knowhow business complemented by a competitive analysis. This allowed us to gain insights into the brand’s current positioning in the market and identify opportunities in comparison to its competitors.

We also conducted a workshop with the company directors and ran a staff engagement process to identify any weaknesses & opportunities within the organisation. Furthermore, we conducted 15 in-depth interviews with clients to pinpoint opportunities for business growth and assess whether the new service ideas were aligned with the clients’ needs and preferences.

This comprehensive research revealed that the envisioned services were not precisely aligned with client desires. Instead, it highlighted other aspects of the business, whether existing or not, such as in-house legal expertise/advisory, which would be highly valued if leveraged.

As a result, we recommended repositioning Knowhow as ‘The leading SME in Business Relationship Advocacy’ by expanding the business offering beyond a reliance on a few people.

In our view, they possessed the legitimacy to dominate the market share as a specialist in ER & HR advocacy for SMEs. A refreshed brand with a new and distinct voice to deliver a new business perspective seemed like a promising way to initiate this growth journey for their business.

Creative and Brand Design

With its refreshed positioning, guided us in evolving the brand to align with this strategy.

The research indicated strong brand recognition and recall. For us, the focus was more on evolving the brand to better communicate its expertise rather than reinventing it.

The core element that evolved by the tagline. The former line “Make wiser HR decisions” didn’t accurately the scope of the new expanded service offering. Employer Advisory was a term we developed that isn’t used within the market and help to positioning them a) as a specific service to employers (not employees), and b) covering more than HR, ER with the addition of in-house legal advisory.

We also made adjustments and additions to various visual elements – including the logo, colors, fonts, and imagery. Simultaneously, we integrated refreshed and more relevant messaging through impactful and memorable claims that related to client needs.

Our decision was to build upon the existing foundation, emphasising simplicity in both colours and the logo. We took ownership of the black and white territory, incorporating a ‘line’ symbol to introduce a graphic element that would enhance understanding of the business remit and expertise.

We worked on multiple brand touch-points, including the website, collateral and signage to ensure consistency and impact.

Conclusion

The extensive research phase we conducted enabled us to gather all the evidence necessary to identify the relevant opportunities for their business.

Upon the brand’s relaunch, Knowhow was confident they were presenting an offer aligned with their clients’ needs and wants. The business was now primed and ready for growth!