Tag: brand strategy

Australia – Bush Heritage Australia, a not-for-profit conservation organisation that protects ecosystems and wildlife across the continent, has announced its new brand strategy and identity which is aligned with its goal to deepen and double the organisation’s impact before the end of the decade.

The organisation has collaborated with FutureBrand Australia which has been its brand partner since 2022. They have worked together on research and analysis, brand immersion, brand strategy, identity and experience to explore ways in redefining the brand’s values and enable the organisation to reach more people effectively.

Coming off of the organisation’s 30th year celebration, CEO Heather Campbell shared that they are committed to deepening and doubling their impact by 2030.

“What a better way to mark this exciting period of growth than with a refreshed brand that honours our history, and looks towards our future. FutureBrand has done a fantastic job of capturing our spirit and reflecting our vision of a healthy country, protected forever,” she added.

Meanwhile, Rich Curtis, CEO at FutureBrand Australia, said, “Knowing the real impact that Bush Heritage is having on Australia’s natural environment and native species – and delivering work that will enable Bush Heritage to scale sustainably for generations to come – makes our team feel particularly motivated to take on this vitally important work and partner with the Bush Heritage team.”

Other works for the said rebranding include a website redesign and a national ad campaign.

Sydney, Australia – To strengthen its strategy offering, Australia-based brand strategy and design agency Houston has announced the appointment of Daye Moffitt as its executive strategy director for Sydney and the promotion of Cara Meade as executive strategy director for Melbourne.

On the new appointments, Founder and CEO Stu O’Brien explained, “Our investment in top-tier strategic talent will pioneer a new era in the business’ go-to-market strategic execution as we continue to play a key role as a trusted strategic brand advisor for iconic brands such as Lendlease, Ampol and Macquarie Bank.”

Moffitt brings with her two decades of local and global experience in brand strategy. Prior to joining Houston, she was executive strategy director for Landor and Fitch Australia and has worked at Designworks Ltd., Principals, and Moon Communications Group.

Speaking about her new role, Moffitt said, “I can’t wait to get going at Houston, to help shape the offering that some of Australia’s largest and most progressive clients are asking for, and that Houston has the unique ability to deliver. These are exciting times and I have no doubt as a team we can deliver some truly extraordinary work together.”

O’Brien also shared his thoughts on Moffitt’s appointment, referring to her as “arguably one of Australia’s foremost strategic leaders.”

“Her role is critical to integrate our national offering across brand, design and creative, delivering growth and strategy for clients at the speed and efficiency demanded by today’s market,” he added.

Meanwhile, Meade has experience leading Toyota Australia and Toyota Asia Pacific’s brand transformation projects over the last 6 years. She likewise led projects for leading universities such as UTS, CSU, and UniSQ, as well as iconic brands including Qantas, Lendlease, NRMA, Origin Energy, Ampol and a range of not-for-profit organisations.

“After 8.5 years at Houston, it’s exciting to be stepping into this leadership role, working alongside Daye. Creating work that has the power to drive positive change is my passion and I’m looking forward to building our business and supporting our talented team in Melbourne and Sydney. I look forward to what 2023 has ahead,” she said. 

O’Brien also expressed his excitement over Meade’s promotion.

“Promoting Cara to a leadership role after many years with us is a natural next step to take our national strategic capability to the next level. Cara brings a level of care and respect to each project she works on – always looking to understand parts of complex systems, and then shaping simple, impactful strategies that deliver tangible results,” he said.

Both will be reporting directly to O’Brien and will immediately commence their new roles.

Australia – The Hallway, an Australian-based independent advertising agency, has announced that it has been appointed by NOVA Entertainment to work on key brand strategy and creative projects for the Nova Network and Smooth FM Network.

The latest appointment adds to The Hallway’s portfolio of collaborative work that includes Google, Suncorp, ANZ, and Streamotion, amongst others.

On  working with NOVA entertainment, Jules Hall, CEO of The Hallway, said, “We’re really excited to be working with the team at NOVA Entertainment. It’s always a huge privilege to be entrusted with brands that are not only iconic in the Australian market but also genuinely future-facing, especially when they are led by such an impressive team of humans.”

Adam Johnson, chief growth officer of NOVA Entertainment, also commented, “We were looking for a partner to really get ‘under the hood’ of our two biggest brands, to give them a distinct position in-market and ensure they continue to thrive at the heart of our all-of-audio strategy.”

Johnson added, “The Hallway is well known to us here at NOVA Entertainment and we’ve been impressed by the successful brand platforms they have delivered for BINGE and Flash. Work is well underway on our flagship Nova and Smooth FM brands and it’s proving to be a very effective partnership. I’m excited about what we will achieve together.”

China – Ogilvy China has been selected by Inner Mongolia Mengtai Group (Mengtai Group), the group that operates as a coal operation company, to lead the brand strategy consulting for its Mengtai Whiskey Distillery. The distillery is the group’s first foray in the area of Whiskey. 

For the remit, Ogilvy Consulting will be assisting the Mengtai Whiskey Distillery to plan and launch a new Chinese whiskey brand, and help to establish China as one of the strong players of the international whiskey scene along the likes of Ireland, Scotland, the United States, Canada, and Japan.

The company wants to take advantage of the market’s whiskey sector which is undergoing rapid transformation, turning from simply being a ‘whiskey consumption market’ into a ‘whiskey production region’. The Ordos plateau, situated in the southern part of Inner Mongolia and where the Mengtai Group’s distillery is based, carries a similar climate as Scotland, making it an ideal region to launch a high-quality whiskey brand.

In October 2021, the first batch of distillery equipment was manufactured in Scotland and shipped to Inner Mongolia for assembly with operations expected to start in 2022, making Mengtai Distillery the first whiskey distillery in Inner Mongolia. 

Ogilvy Consulting’s remit will focus on business strategy and consulting duties for the Mengtai Group. This includes market research, segmentation, product portfolio definition, as well as brand positioning, naming, and visual identity.

Ao Bo, vice chairman and vice president of the Mengtai Group, commented that they are confident that the partnership will be able to build a true world-leading Chinese whiskey brand and expand the company’s footprint even further across the globe.

“Mengtai is truly passionate and committed to developing local Chinese whiskey brands. Through our cooperation with Ogilvy Consulting China, we have gained even more confidence about bringing this project to fruition. As whiskey enthusiasts, just like many other Chinese consumers, we are looking forward to being able to taste domestically produced whiskey,” said Bo.

Sandy Ng, president of Ogilvy Consulting in China, commented saying, “We are honored to be working with the Mengtai Group’s leadership team on this brand creation project, which truly exemplifies the breadth and depth of our Consulting offering, from data-led brand positioning and architecture design to product visual identity and naming, all the way to portfolio and integrated communications strategy.”

Chris Reitermann, CEO for Ogilvy Asia & Greater China, adds, “It is an immense pleasure to be partnering with the Mengtai Group to together pave a new way for the Chinese whiskey industry. The future is full of exciting opportunities in this category and as part of our focus on being the best platform and partner for growth for our clients, we look forward to leveraging our expertise in developing strong brands globally and in China to help the Mengtai Group build a strong and sustainable business for years to come.”

Sydney, Australia – Following a competitive pitch across multiple agencies, local independent creative agency The Core Agency has won the business account of Quest Apartment Hotels, spanning brand strategy and creative development, covering identity design, advertising and digital.

Quest Apartment Hotels is a global apartment hotel brand run by local business owners, and since 1998, Quest has opened four to 10 new properties every year in Australia alone, to become the largest serviced apartment operator in Australasia. 

Quest’s business continues to grow rapidly, with four hotels currently announced as under construction in Australia. The group is also expanding overseas with plans for five new Quest Apartment Hotels to be opened by 2025 in Europe.

Christian Finucane, founder and creative partner at The Core Agency, said, “Quest Apartment Hotels represent a fantastic choice for travellers who want more than just a room with a bed in it. During the pitch we visited their properties and instantly realized they had a wonderful product. We’re excited to now partner with the Quest team and help tell their story.”

Meanwhile, Jeff Baars, chief marketing and digital officer at Quest Apartment Hotels, commented, “We’re thrilled to be working with The Core Agency to help bring our passion for the local soul, and commitment to a truly effortless guest experience to center stage.”

The Core Agency’s clients include IGA Supermarkets, PwC, Just Better Care, EasyFlowers, Doctors on Demand and Evergreen Garden Care.

Australia – APAC digital transformation and supply chain consultancy, TMX, has appointed the independent creative agency Now We Collide, to manage its brand strategy, as the firm expands rapidly across the region.

TMX offers end-to-end digital and supply chain solutions, and works with major consumer brands including UNIQLO, Australia Post, BMW, L’Oreal, and Kmart, as well as Asahi, and Coles.

Through the partnership, Now We Collide has developed a universal visual identity campaign that translates across multiple languages and markets to support TMX’s growth, encompassing digital and social media strategy, as well as a full suite of creative for both organic and paid media.

The new integrated brand campaign is driven by high-end 3D animation and its aesthetic has been made dynamic, fast-paced, visually informative, and warm to echo TMX’s brand purpose – ‘Invent Tomorrow’.

Travis Erridge, TMX’s CEO, said that the new brand strategy firmly establishes the company’s credentials.

“Navigating through the nuances of each APAC market is no small feat however Now We Collide were experts in providing consistency of message. We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with Now We Collide as we continue our growth across key markets,” said Erridge. 

Now We Collide’s managing partner and CEO, Keir Maher, said that it is a privilege to support a successful Aussie business that’s making such big waves on the international stage. 

“The visual identity, language, and style guide of the campaign is very unique in the category and goes to the heart of TMX as an innovator. We’re proud of this campaign that translates TMX’s unique story onto a global platform and best of all, we’re already seeing the strategy provide positive business outcomes for the team at TMX,” said Maher.