We created a brand strategy and brand identity for Gibbins, as part of a rebranding project. Gibbins wanted to position the company as a premium supplier, to avoid competing on price.
Gibbins was well-established – very well-established! The company was founded in 1860, and we were working with the fifth generation of the family to run the business. Over this time they had earned a reputation for delivering quality meat to commercial kitchens: restaurants, hotels and pubs. But in an increasingly price-sensitive market, their margin was being squeezed, and they were struggling to stand out. Customers were focusing on cost, not quality. Gibbins asked us to change that situation.
We began with some brand strategy activity. We talked to the Gibbins team and customers, to understand what made the company different. Existing customers recognised the quality: high quality meat, combined with high quality butchery, allowed them to create high quality dishes. But they also recognised that quality came at a price. These conversations gave us firsthand insight into what made Gibbins different from competitors. Our brand strategy was to establish Gibbins’ market position as a premium supplier.
The brand identity was a great opportunity to do this. We used the brand identity to reflect the companies heritage. The logo was one element – a traditional typeface, within a modern brand identity. But a bigger and better opportunity was the use of imagery. We began by commissioning a set of five illustrations, in a traditional woodcut style. These were used across their fleet of delivery vehicles, as large as possible, to raise their profile. We also used photography to capture the quality of their meat. We commissioned a library of images, showing the preparation, the cooking and the presentation of the final dishes. Quality at every step.
The new brand identity – and market positioning – helped Gibbins to maintain their margin, in a very competitive market. The company – and the brand – was recently acquired by a competitor. You can still see the vans on the streets of Exeter.