A new proposition and identity on a global scale
The brief
Competition can be tough – especially when you share the room with "two 800lb gorillas" (main competitors AON Benfield and Guy Carpenter). And that was the challenge facing Willis in their reinsurance operations.
Willis Re had ambitious growth plans. An important part of this was our review of their proposition and visualisation. When they appointed us as their branding agency, we started with a forensic analysis of the market and opportunities, spending time understanding the needs of major customers and prospects in both Europe and the US. Armed with this knowledge, and drawing on our experience of the sector, we set about defining a new and unique proposition and positioning.
The solution
We came up with a very single-minded proposition that reflected their core offering of delivering the best reinsurance solutions in a volatile world. 'Managing Extremes' was the strapline.
The brand identity we created was a visual metaphor for Managing Extremes: extremely confident, extremely dynamic and extremely distinctive. It marked Willis Re out as original, different and purposeful.
The identity focused on an eye-catching graphic approach using light-pen imagery to illustrate extremes. We created a bespoke library of over 50 images for products, services, analytics tools and generic usage.
The result
October 2010 saw launch of the new brand to staff and the market as a whole, with brandformula having delivered a global range of strategic and tactical marketing material across both digital and print in tandem with comprehensive brand and tone of voice guidelines.
Importantly, the strategic implications of the proposition review provided critical understanding that has helped Willis Re re-shape its approach to sales and customer management globally.