We met with Fiske senior managers and outlined a three-stage approach to achieve their objectives:
- Clarify the business’s objectives and target customers – ensuring everyone recognises and agrees what makes the business distinctive. Embed this at the heart of the marketing messaging.
- Refresh the brand – develop a strong, updated brand identity and apply it consistently across all communications and marketing materials.
- Redesign the website.
Our first activity was an in-person workshop. We used a well-established process, represented by the acronym OASIS, to dig into the detail of the Fiske strategy. You can find out more about OASIS in this blog post.
Here is what we did in the workshop:
- Using a mix of individual and group work we explored business and marketing objectives, target clients and implementation strategies by asking the following questions:
- What do you want to be famous for?
- This provided an opportunity to discover if the team were all giving the same message to their clients
- Why do you need to be famous?
- What are the objectives of the business?
- Which client groups are most important to Fiske for its future growth?
- What do you want to be famous for?
- We also ‘stepped into the client’s shoes’ by reviewing competitor websites and looking for best practice that could be adopted by Fiske
Workshop outcome
After the workshop Bulletin produced a comprehensive report that defined what makes Fiske distinctive. We also summarised the business objectives and the target audiences. We shared thoughts on website design and the choice of images.
The report provided the underpinning information for the later elements of the project.
Once Bulletin had an intimate understanding of what Fiske ‘stands for’, we were able to update its branding. Fiske wanted to modernise their brand while retaining the traditional feel that they felt best represented them. There were three elements:
Logo redesign
We explored a range of traditional serifed fonts that had modern aspects. By simplifying the logo we were able to make the Fiske name stand out more.
A new colour palette
Fiske were keen to implement a fresher and bolder colour palette. We took inspiration from London’s traditional financial district and the UK countryside, both of which ‘speak’ to their clients, and we created a stronger colour palette that works across all platforms.
Fiske brand refresh
Brand guidelines and document refresh
Once we had agreed the logo and colour palette, we created a set of brand guidelines explaining how to apply the brand across different media to ensure consistency in the future. We then applied the new brand to their existing documentation including business cards, letterhead and internal document templates.
Website redesign
With our understanding of the Fiske business objectives and the updated brand identity, we were able to design a new website. The new website had to engage with existing Fiske clients as well as bring new clients into the business. We had to create a new website navigation and hierarchy to achieve this. Working with our specialist developers, Hex, we also ensured that the new site was inclusive for all ages and useable by people with accessibility requirements. We brought Fiske’s core services to the fore and encouraged users to engage with the content across the site by providing easily accessible navigation and contact points.
Our editorial team wrote new copy across the whole site based on the material generated by the OASIS workshop. We ensured that all new copy was consistent across the site and provided links to deeper areas of the site wherever possible.
Consulting with Fiske over mock-ups of the new site we identified that a one column content site would work best with clearly marked up navigation and larger icons to make it easier to use. We introduced new imagery across the site that was brighter and more consistent and that could be easily integrated within future marketing materials.
We also commissioned a brand photographer to visit the Fiske office and take some ‘candid’ shots of the team as well as new professional headshots. Placed across the site, these show the strength of the Fiske team and its history.
The final website was launched in April 2022. Ian Clogg, COO of Fiske said,
Our new website has transformed the way that we represent our business to our clients and business partners. As we continue to evolve the Fiske service model, we will continue to update the site to reflect the new messages we want to communicate.
Read our blog on demystifying the web design process and how your brand story can be told digitally to reach a larger audience.
