Member Article

Teesside experts transform historic UK shipping business

A Middlesbrough-based brand agency, which has seen a 50% increase in demand for its service in the last year, has started the year with the completion of a major project for one of Teesside’s longest-established companies.

The award-winning agency has recently completed a contract for Casper Shipping, the UK’s leading port agency company which is based at Tees Wharf in Middlesbrough and operates internationally from across the UK.

Better was tasked with creating a new brand for Casper Shipping, which has been established on Teesside for almost 145 years, to support the business in its growth.

Better used its unique ‘BetterBrandBuilder’ to develop the new brand including the company’s vision, mission, values, tone of voice and strapline before the creation of new brand identity.

The BetterBrandBuilder is a business tool developed in-house at Better and used by dozens of companies around the North East to improve their brand communications. Demand has grown significantly in the last year with a 50% increase in the number of projects. The company is now working on brand development for high profile North East companies including Endeavour Partnership, Active Financial, Baltic Training and GSC Grays to name a few.

Michael Shakesheff, managing director of Casper Shipping, said: “Casper is beginning a new chapter of growth, service delivery and geographical coverage. We needed a new brand and corporate identity to reflect and support the current business and where we plan to go in the future. After seeing the impact for other clients, the BetterBrandBuilder was the only choice for us.

“The impact of the project on our business has already been incredible and we’ve established a new brand structure and identity for our group. The inclusive BetterBrandBuilder process has meant our staff and customers all have buy-in as they feel that they have contributed. Our team now also understand our vision and mission for the business and what we are trying to achieve. Better have helped us to ‘rebrand’ our way of thinking which in turn is having a major commercial impact on our business.”

Better specialises in brand, design, web and digital marketing and last year increased its team from ten to 14 and office space from 1000 to 1500 square feet.

The business was established in 2008 and has continued to grow working with clients around the UK including PD Ports, NHS England, the North East Chamber of Commerce, Northumbria University, Active Financial, Odyssey Systems, Faithful and Gould, Red House School, Growthfunders and author of ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ Philippa Gregory, to name a few.

Managing director, Mark Easby, said: “Working with companies to build their brand is an important business process to support growth, business change and repositioning in a very competitive marketplace. We have a stringently tried and tested process that has a significant track record, as well as an exemplary level of delivery that is helping to secure new clients for 2017.

“It’s very important in the current marketplace to have a service that no one else can offer and that’s what we have in our BetterBrandBuilder. Although the Casper Shipping brand is established and recognisable with a history spanning almost 145 years, there was a real need to ensure that its positioning was fit for purpose and fit for growth. The company needed to ensure its ‘brand story’ represents the company it is today and the messages and communication about the business are accurate and reflective of the growing ambition, service offer and reputation.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anna Addison Associates .