A modernised brand and look. For a growing company. And some extra branding smarts to facilitate expansion. When Ceres fresh fruit and veg distributor HJ Nicholls & Sons needed to expand their business, they knew they needed to talk to a very different new clientele – other businesses, no longer the general public.
So, to ensure they have the right look and feel to take that bold new step, the brought in Swey to do a complete brand redesign and all the accompanying branding.
HJ NICHOLLS & SONS’ NEW BRAND
A famous fresh fruit and veg supplier, whose brand and products the general public recognises instantly from a mile off, HJ Nicholls & Sons were looking to expand their business in 2018. They wanted to start focusing on providing storage and cold storage services to other distributors of fresh produce. But, of course, this meant a whole new clientele – they could no longer rely on their instantly-recognisable brand in the public’s eye because their new clients are businesses.
So they brought in Swey to develop a brand redesign strategy that can accommodate both the old – the retailers and general public they serve – with a new brand look they needed to inspire trust and interest in agricultural businesses.
WHEN DID SWEY DO THE BRANDING?
Being such an extensive project that required various phases, the rebranding ran from concept to final execution over many consecutive months between 2017 and 2018. It was extremely thorough and, in the end, so successful that by 2020, the company was able to move their entire business over into the new direction exclusively.
WHAT DID SWEY DO EXACTLY?
This was a complete rebrand, but with an element of strategically phasing in changes, to accommodate what’s needed for the new clients, without spooking the old traditional client base.
Swey developed an entirely new corporate identity for HJ Nicholls & Sons, complete with all colours, logos, fonts, letterheads, business cards, signatures etc. And then went on to apply those changes to billboards and signage, as well as canvas and all outdoor branding, including their vehicles and trucks. Swey also designed entirely new corporate clothing and overhauls for the entire workforce.
STRATEGIC REBRANDING
The biggest strategic element was introducing the new brand onto the most recognisable part of the company’s brand (in the public’s eye). The general public already recognise HJ Nicholls & Sons products from the unique crates they are delivered in. They would see the truck pull up with those telltale crates and then refuse to buy any other product, they’d rather wait for those crates to be offloaded so they can purchase that product.
Now, the new brand required those crates to change a little. So Swey developed a phasing-in process, where the truck would come in and be very visible, loaded half-full with the old style crates and half with the new ones. And over the course of a few months, the public gradually became used to the new look, to the point where they now wait for the new-look crates to be offloaded.
It worked very well and HJ Nicholls & Sons were able to expand their business very successfully.
MORE SERVICES RENDERED BY SWEY
Apart from the branding, Swey also did all the graphic design and printing for HJ Nicholls & Sons.
Need a fast, experienced and efficient agency on your side? Contact Swey.
CLIENT: HJ NICHOLLS & SONS
55 Cilliers St, Ceres
023 316 2280
Also see the amazing branding Swey did for Parliament Golf Day.