Brewin Dolphin, the UK's largest, independent, private-client investment company, managing funds in excess of £21 billion, has been re-launched as a consumer-facing brand with a new visual identity. Masterminded by new marketing director, Philip Browne, this initiative is a fundamental component of Brewin Dolphin's growth plans in the wealth management market.

In May 2007, brand development company, Headmint, was retained by Browne to create a compelling, competitive and focused brand story for Brewin Dolphin. With such a people-orientated business, it was critical that this story was built from the inside out, so the experience and expertise of employees and consultants could be distilled into a fuller understanding of why Brewin Dolphin's way of doing business is so competitive and desirable for people with money to invest.

"Brewin Dolphin has been a well-kept secret - a huge company with a very low consumer profile, often relying on acquisition or personal recommendation for growth", says Tim Hollins, Headmint's director of strategy. "But, they have a strong proposition and incredibly talented people. Through a programme of collaborative sessions we encouraged them to look at themselves in new ways, bringing our external perspective to challenge their status quo, and ultimately helping to create focus and consensus around their compelling brand story."

With the brand story and brand ‘bible' in place, Headmint then ran a competitive agency pitch for the design of the new visual branding which was won by award-winning, independent design agency, Deep.

Comments Grant Bowden, Deep's creative director, "To reflect the company's stature, heritage and integrity, Deep designed the new identity utilising a photographic theme based around the line - ‘individually crafted investment solutions'. This encapsulates the absolute values at the heart of the brand". Deep have now fully implemented the new branding across all marketing literature and materials, client documentation, advertising, website design, and office signage for 40 sites in the UK and Channel Islands.

"The organisation is galvanised behind the new brand", comments Browne. "Individuals feel that it's a true reflection of our unique way of doing business. ‘Individually-crafted investment solutions' are what Brewin Dolphin is all about: a real, human, personal and distinctive way of building relationships with our clients. Headmint and Deep have helped us transform ourselves into a true marketing-led business; we now have a huge opportunity to grow and capture a larger share of our market".

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