No Logo?

What happens when a change management company wants a re-brand? LCC Graphic Branding and Identity tutor Sunita Yeomans talks about working with high-powered SE1 based consulting firm 4OC.

Located on Cole Street by Borough Station, 4OC Consulting is a fairly young management consultancy company with one goal – to manage change in organisations in the easiest and most efficient way possible.

Created by CEO Paul Marray, in its short existence, it has already built up an impressive resumé and has worked with major organisations such as the NHS, the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London.

The one thing it lacked though, having grown so fast, was time to develop a sleek brand identity themselves, and that’s where a chance encounter with the London College of Communication came about early this year. “We wanted a complete rebranding of our design,” explained managing director James Curran, recalling a conversation with LCC MA Graphic Branding and Identity course leader Sunita Yeomans.

We ask Sunita about the collaboration involving three MA Graphic Branding and Identity students consulting and pitching ideas about 4OC’s brand and what it should connote.

How was the project between 4OC and LCC managed?

“The students had an initial ‘getting to know you’ meeting. When I joined the team, we held a briefing meeting with 4OC, in which we learnt about the vision and values of the organisation and immersed ourselves in what’s important to them and how they work.

“We then spent time as a creative team developing different routes that we felt expressed 4OC, what they stand for, and what they would like their clients to feel when they work together. We shortlisted the routes for a creative presentation at the 4OC offices.

“The entire process was very collaborative – we held a number of meetings with 4OC so they felt ownership of the brand identity as it developed. However, all the designing was done by the students, with formal sign-off meetings at every stage all the way through to approval of the final identity and brand toolkit.”

Did the students find the project beneficial?

“I believe they did, for all sorts of reasons. Client projects like this are very different from university projects. Students have to learn how to make collective decisions which can be very difficult when there is the pressure of responding to the client’s feedback (which you may disagree with), imminent deadlines, and differences in creative vision.

“It’s tough, but a great learning experience. I was immensely impressed with all three of the students – and I hope the experience will empower them in the future.”

Did they like the ideas: was the project a success?

“Very much so, despite 4OC deciding not to go ahead with the suggested brand identity in the end. During the final ‘hand-over’ meeting, the 4OC team were delighted with the final designs and offered to provide the students with testimonials expressing how intelligent, creative and professional the LCC team were.

“However, overcoming challenges and difficulties are what makes a design project the best it can be. If everyone agreed on everything all the time, then the designers wouldn’t have pushed their creativity to its limits. There will have been very valid reasons for their decision. “

“Rebranding is a big business decision” – Sunita Yeomans

Below are some of the sketches and ideas – provided by Sunita – in the early stages of the project constructed by designers; Serena Fanelli, Lucie Gundlach, Disha Grewal.

What did the client gain from the process, ultimately?

“I believe the 4OC team very much enjoyed the experience, especially discussing the pros and cons of different design routes and how they might influence perceptions of the organisation. Rebranding is a big business decision, and I hope working with LCC will have given 4OC a good insight into the process and how critical branding is to the success of an organisation.”

Feature image from Google Maps.