Cornwall Brand Strategy, Executive Summary

Background

In 2002, Cornwall Enterprise commissioned an extensive research programme within Cornwall and the UK to investigate perceptions of the people who live and work in Cornwall and those businesses and consumers that buy their products and services. This qualitative and quantitative research highlighted the challenges that face Cornwall.
 
The research findings were then translated into a brand strategy which would allow a more multifaceted perception to be developed and become credible, motivational and resonant with customers.

Importantly, the brand strategy provided the focus to move forward and an agreed approach to representing Cornwall, so that communications could be tailored to individual products, but send out clear and consistent messages to all audiences.

The strategy which has resulted from research undertaken in 2002, part funded by ERDF & Objective One, was developed by a cross-sector group and managed by Cornwall Enterprise.

Developing an umbrella brand

The Image and Brand initiative arose because there was a realisation that Cornwall’s Brand could benefit from greater cross-sectional cohesion, if it was to better reflect the growing excitement and dynamism within Cornwall’s economy.

Experience shows that well implemented umbrella brands can introduce cohesion into disparate individual and sector brands and stand for a set of values associated with the brand that unify all the other brands.

An umbrella brand can also increase recognition of the brand through a marque or logo that acts as a shorthand reminder of the brand. Of greatest importance, however, is that the brand uses, and stands for, a set of values which individual promotions then adopt to achieve consistency.

Addressing the challenge

Research shows that current perceptions of Cornwall both internally and externally are strong and, in overall terms, very positive. However, they are largely one-dimensional. A gap exists between perceptions of Cornwall and what is really going on in the region today.

The associations with environment, culture and heritage and customer’s experience of them - often a leisure perspective, are extremely strongly entrenched. They will, therefore, only be stretched to include new ideas about Cornwall if the new activity in the region is communicated consistently, clearly and creatively.

Research

As listed below, an extensive programme of research was carried out within Cornwall and across the UK to investigate perceptions of the people who live and work in Cornwall and those consumers and businesses that buy their goods and services.

• Qualitative Research amongst Residents of Cornwall
• Quantitative Research amongst Residents of Cornwall
• Quantitative Research amongst GB Residents
• Quantitative Research amongst Cornish Businesses
• GB Business Customer Research

Further Brand Value Research

This qualitative and quantitative study resulted in a Brand SWOT which highlighted the challenges that Cornwall’s branding exercise should aim to meet.

Outcomes

Tourism has been hugely influential in building perceptions. For many years large numbers of people have visited Cornwall (over 5m in 2001). Those experiencing Cornwall while on a visit have formulated a view of Cornwall as a place of relaxation and enjoyment. This view has also informed others.

Other traditional sectors have, on the other hand, faced decline and replacement industries have largely developed their own approach to marketing. As a result there has been insufficient activity to counter balance the very strong image associating Cornwall with a leisure environment (60% of GB residents associate Cornwall with tourism – source Image and Brand Methodology and Strategy 2002, research point 9.52).

It is evident that Cornwall’s brand strategy must allow a more multifaceted perception to be developed and become credible, motivational and resonant with consumers.

There can be a strategic approach to how Cornwall is talked about and represented so that communications can be tailored to individual products, but send out clear and consistent messages about Cornwall to its whole range of customers.

Shown below is a table of values that have been identified and are being developed and reinforced to ensure consistency in communication.

Communicating these values consistently, creatively and comprehensively will broaden the strong, but one-dimensional image that Cornwall already enjoys. Cornwall can close the perception gap and reposition itself as a distinctive, lively and forward looking region not afraid to innovate, but remaining true to its values and beliefs.

Indicative actions

In short, the strategy is not recommending that all current branding activity is scrapped and that all future promotions should be ‘policed’ to ensure that everything that comes out of Cornwall looks exactly the same. To do this would be bland, boring and impractical.

Implementation of the strategy calls for:

• The establishment of a brand advisory group which would include cross sectional representatives appointed on the basis of their individual knowledge about branding and promotional marketing. This group would advise on the implementation of phases of the project and foster cross-sectional integration on branding issues. The group will meet according to need, at least quarterly, and perhaps monthly in the initial stages of the initiative.

• Capacity building and skills development on branding and marketing issues within key sectors to develop cohesion, in line with the values shown earlier.

• Adoption of brand values so that all messages talk about or show Cornwall in a consistent and positive way.

• Brand management to support the above processes, giving guidance and access to support materials.

• Development of brand marque, type faces and other graphic devices for use where appropriate in ‘corporate’ promotions of Cornwall or to support other branded activity.

• Development of materials for straightforward use where product providers or sector groups would welcome direction and the provision of replacement activity.

• Sector specific campaigns, using umbrella brand imagery but communicating messages specific to the new products, developments or successes, relevant to identified sectors.

• Corporate campaigns that reinforce sector specific messages through exciting and motivating creativity and encourage familiarisation with today’s Cornwall and the Cornwall of the future.

Conclusions

The above indicative actions are being developed and implemented as Phase 2 of this brand process. Research has shown that Cornwall’s residents and businesses are particularly concerned that inherent skills were being under utilised and that the valuable young people of the region were being given inadequate opportunity to build careers in the area they love. The integration of the promotion of the new Combined Universities in Cornwall with this approach to Cornwall’s branding will be vital. It is important that the graphic imagery and messages developed are persuasive for audiences and generate perceptions of Cornwall that fit with the passionate commitment that Cornwall has to a sustainable and vibrant future.