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Introducing Helen and Hermione

In the world of PR, you can’t stand still; that’s why even the biggest names constantly tweak their brands and bring out new products.

It’s a phenomenon Charlotte Nichols, founder and managing director of PR agency Harvey & Hugo knows all too well – which is why the firm has recently undergone a rebrand all of its own.

The world is constantly evolving and we’re always telling our clients they have to move with the times. What looked fresh and exciting ten years ago can now look tired and dated, while the services you were offering then may no longer be relevant or even needed.

At Harvey & Hugo, we’ve recently branched out into new services ourselves, launching our Pay-as-Hugo e-commerce site, but sometimes, changing your offering isn’t enough to keep you relevant.

That’s why this April, we’ll be launching our fresh new branding – it’s been a long time coming and I’m really excited to share it.

Dog days

When I set up Harvey & Hugo 13 years ago, I named it after my two Border terriers, and I soon became known as the girl with the dogs.

However, every dog has its day, and, following my move to the countryside a few years ago, I was able to open my home up to more pets, which was perfect for an animal lover like me.

That’s how I came to share my life with Helen and Hermione, two gorgeous cats who came to me as kittens from the farmhouse next door. Since their arrival, I’ve fallen totally in love with them – so much so that they’ve inspired our rebrand.

While I plan to retain the name Harvey & Hugo for that all-important brand recognition, from now on, it will be our two feline friends adorning our website, social media and marketing collateral – just look at that new logo!

Famous faces

As well as the cats, I was inspired by some of the most famous rebrands of the past 20 years to make my decision.

Rebranding is the perfect way to breathe new life into your business and potentially open you up to a whole new audience, whether you simply alter your logo or go all out with a whole new name.

Who remembers when the Instagram logo was a little camera? Or Starburst were called Opal Fruits? Or Meta was called Facebook?

In fact, one of the biggest brands of all, Apple, was facing bankruptcy as recently (in pop culture terms) as 1997. However, since the early 2000s, it has become synonymous with sleek design and innovative products, all backed up by some of the most innovative branding around. Remember the brightly coloured Macs and the monochrome apple logo? All part of the great rebrand.

However, it doesn’t always go according to plan. In the 1970s, one of the most famous brands in the world, Coca-Cola, was rattled by a Pepsi ad campaign that directly pitted the tastes of Coke and Pepsi head-to-head in a blind taste test – with Pepsi consistently coming out on top.

To compete (or so they thought), the head honchos at Coke made adjustments to the formula, which they branded as New Coke – to widespread dismay.

Despite the new product objectively tasting better than its predecessor, Coke drinkers everywhere were furious. That’s because what they loved about Coca-Cola wasn’t the taste, it was the brand, and New Coke just wasn’t cutting it.

So, while I know that rebranding is risky business, I’m confident it’s time for a change – and who better to take us through the next 13 paw-fect years than Helen and Hermione?

Of course, as well as rebranding, another key element of PR is keeping up with awareness days and special dates – happy April 1st!

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harvey & Hugo .