Case Studies
Barclays Africa
Implementing a brand consistently throughout Africa is an unusual challenge, but for Barclays, it was one worth taking on. Although the bank had branches in ten African countries, every country was handling their identity in a highly individual way. The bank was determined to raise every branch to the same standards as in the UK.
The problem was how to get it done. Appointing local managers and finding the right expertise would be troublesome and extremely time-consuming. Instead the bank turned to the Principle360 network to mastermind and deliver the whole process.
Starting out with nothing but the brand guidelines and a property list, we ironed out the array of potential difficulties to deliver a trouble-free implementation. Our local partners carried out all the surveys, put together the brand schemes for each site, and handled the intricacies of planning applications.
Because of the tight timescale, we manufactured in Europe, and then air-freighted a complete set of components to each country – filling the equivalent of four Boeing 747s. Our partners then handled the import documentation, cleared customs, and stored the kits in their own warehouses.
The multi-site, multi-country implementation was a first for a European company, yet was completed in just five months. Barclays was delighted – and the Barclays brand is entirely consistent everywhere.
