Sector : Transport

Services : Brand positioning, brand architecture and identity

V.Group

Clarifying the portfolio for a global marine services business

⁰¹ Challenge

V.Group is a global leader in ship management and marine services. The business had grown rapidly through acquisition to become one of the largest marine services businesses in the world with over 20 companies. However, there was a lack of consistency across the group and they struggled to articulate their offer externally to customers and investors. Internally people were working in siloes and were unclear on their vision and values.

V.Group looked like an accumulation of companies not a global leader so needed a strategic rebrand with a clearer positioning, brand architecture and fit for purpose visual and verbal identity. This would enable the Group’s Directors to manage their portfolio of companies in a way that supported rather than hindered their strategy for growth.

⁰² Solution

Fiona Myles, Brand Strategist worked with Javier Garcia, Creative Director to undertake this work. We began by undertaking over 25 interviews with internal leaders globally and 10 customers together with portfolio analysis, visual audit and a series of workshops.

We clarified the positioning as ‘performance assured’ and the brand architecture was rationalised and implanted in two phases, with a plan on how to acquire businesses going forward. We developed the identity as a flexible system made up of a stylised flag device with redrawn icons for each V.Group company. The system’s flexibility means V.Group can quickly and easily assimilate any new companies they acquire.

As well as changing how V.Group looked we also helped evolve their sense of themselves, we created an inspirational internal video that explained the importance of V.Groups’ new positioning and how it would both contribute to their success and help to build a genuine company-wide culture.

Throughout the process we acted as guides and mentors to the senior directors at V.Group, advising them on best practice We worked with the global team to develop brand champions to roll out the work. Our ability to talk in clear commercial terms strengthened the relationship and showed we understood this was above all a business challenge.

⁰³ Outcome

Our work has helped V.Group become far more consistent so people understand them, trust them and are more likely to do business with them. Internally our work has helped create a group culture that gives staff a far stronger sense of their common purpose and shared direction. The rebrand helped V.Group to achieve global consistency and supported the sale of the company to new financiers.

“The process has helped us to take control of our group of brands and present a clear and consistent portfolio to the market. The new visual identity system is both modern and distinctive, while our clear brand position of ‘performance assured’ perfectly encapsulates our core offer and values. The impact of the new brand will be felt right across the business – staff will feel more connected and as a group we will be better placed to deliver greater value to our customers and continue to lead the market.”
Clive Richardson
President & Group CEO, V.Group