CorpComms Magazine

With its 25th anniversary in 2008 drawing near, the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC) decided it was high time for a fresh new look.

The retail trade association hired brand consultants harrison:fraser a year ago to create a new image. Harrison:fraser was asked to examine how BCSC's image reflected what the organisation stood for. It held discussions with stakeholders such as retailers, developers, landlords, architects, agents and local authorities.

BCSC wanted to emphasise the role it plays in influencing and representing the retail property sector, and the fact that it is committed to ensuring that retailers and the industries around them help to support the communities in which they operate. It also wanted a 'greener' look.

'We examined our tone of voice as well as the range of materials we produce,' explains Rachel Frankel, BCSC's head of communications. 'Staff and management from BCSC put in a team effort with harrison:fraser. Because so many people were integral to the decision-making process, there is a feeling that the new identity really reflects the direction in which BCSC is going.

'The exercise involved quite a bit of soul searching,' she continues. 'We had to ask ourselves questions such as: What do we want to achieve? Who is our audience and who do we want to target? How can the brand reflect our involvement in the sector, and our focus on partnerships? The whole project required a good bit of stakeholder involvement, and harrison:fraser helped guide BCSC executives and staff through the design process.'

The result was a new logo with the strapline 'Shaping retail property'. Frankel says: 'We think the new logo shows a clean, fresh approach - a much more modern look. The strapline underlines our commitment to working with the sector, representing the issues facing our members, continuing to engage with government, and keeping retail-led regeneration high on the agenda.'

To mark the launch of the new brand at BCSC's quarterly luncheon at the end of September, chief executive Michael Green presented the first two major segments of a new eight-part research series entitled 'The Future of Retail Property'. These were the first reports to appear with the new branding - which already featured on the web site and all marketing materials - and were designed by agency in2.

'BCSC carefully reexamined how a revamped brand can effectively communicate a clear, strong message reflecting the broad range of its involvement and the collective, cross-industry 'voice' it has,' explains Green. 'Shaping retail property acknowledges the thought-leading role the organisation and its members play in actually determining how shopping centres and retail destinations develop here in the UK.'

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