Case studyHoare Lea

Hoare Lea, brand and digital transformation.

Hoare Lea is one of the world’s pre-eminent mechanical and electrical engineering firms. Established over 130 years ago and with 1200 staff, they lead the field in turning ideas into reality for commercial building schemes.

Their whole business is focused on solving complex engineering briefs, and while there are very few better at this, their brand positioning, identity, digital estate and marketing voice didn’t reflect the business that they were, or that their staff aspired them to be.

Our role was to dig deep to find and unearth their true spirit and find a way that set them apart from their competitors in a category that had become an identikit approach from a creative and branding perspective.

Client

Hoare Lea

Duration

1 year

Teams

Strategy, Creative, Digital, Client Services

Our organising thought ‘Challenge accepted’ gave the firm a platform to talk about what sets them apart – a spirit of problem-solving, expertise and commitment. A new visual identity, tone of voice and website brought this to life in an accessible way.

The existing brand and website lacked stand out among the many similar competitors so, working closely with the partners and future stars, we created a strategy that gave Hoare Lea a clear point of difference. Countering misconceptions around engineering as dry and technical, the focus is on human experiences and relationships.

We focused on bringing the personality of the team through, with project stories illustrated by snapshots of real conversations, and an image style that offered glimpses of work in action, rather than just buildings.

The result is a new brand positioning that drives a highly distinctive brand identity and marketing platform that has enabled Hoare Lea to really stand up, and stand out.

“Our brand journey was even more powerful than I had dared hope. It was a rallying call for our people to unite under and has sparked an enthusiasm that’s already becoming infectious. This new identity is rooted in our confident, positive, can-do attitude – the one that’s always been at the heart of our firm, as anyone who works with us knows.”

Ian Durbin
Partner
Hoare Lea