Front cover image: Mercedes eSprinter charges outside Complete’s London office. Image courtesy of commercialfleet.org.
Keep in touch
www.mediafleet.co.uk info@mediafleet.co.uk T: +44 (0)1993 772525
CONTENTS 04
Introduction from Barnaby Barney welcomes you to this edition of Inside Track Magazine.
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New technology driving branding design Marketing teams are now looking to the design of the company branding to deliver high level messaging to the target audience, as ‘Complete’ has done with their new vehicle branding.
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The London Marathon – The ‘Lyons’ Den! Mediafleet’s very own Michael Lyons achieved an outstanding result during the London Marathon. We reveal his secret facts and his all important completion time. The Golden Age of Branding Returning for our second instalment, we dig deep into the archives and comment on the most iconic liveries over the decades.
INTRODUCTION FROM BARNABY As activity levels and revenues increase at Mediafleet, a growing number of our team are stepping up to support and contribute to the company’s progress. Much is often said about experience and skill levels, but I would argue that determination should be added to any list of what to look for first when identifying those who are going to drive a company forwards. And sometimes looking beyond the workplace helps you learn a lot more about those within your company, and what they might be capable of in the future. Determination – the trait to look for… A couple of month’s ago, we published an article looking at the meritocratic environment that exists within Mediafleet. We mentioned that success was appropriately awarded with the credit it deserves at Mediafleet. Success is often based on
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determination to succeed. And often determination can be difficult to identify especially in people who are naturally more thoughtful than gregarious. So have a read of the article concerning Mike Lyons and his recent Marathon success. It demonstrated just the kind of determination all business owners need in their people.
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NEW TECHNOLOG BRANDING DESIGN
Marketing teams are now looking to the design of the company brandi deliver high level messaging to the target audience. 6
GY DRIVING N
ing to
7
New Technology Driving Branding Design 8
Marketing teams are now looking to the design of the company branding to deliver high level messaging to the target audience, as ‘Complete’ has done with their new vehicle branding.
We are all aware that company branding plays a crucial role in delivering the right ‘tone of voice’ to your target market. This is nothing new and has been done successfully since ancient times; in places like ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, by marketers to explain their offerings to a mostly illiterate populace; they hung pictorial signs and painted their carts and store fronts. But today we are seeing branding being taken to a new level where messaging is being delivered in the brand design itself – not as an adjunct. This effort to develop a communication pathway is called ‘Brand Messaging’, and this technique allows marketers to convey important values to encourage the target market to engage. Sustainability is on everyone’s lips these days and rightly so. All organisations should be showing how they are tackling the issues concerning the environment. In the case of the ‘Complete’ fleet, the marketing team decided to use brand messaging to inform the audience that, where appropriate, electric vehicles are being in-fleeted to reduce the ‘Complete’ carbon footprint.
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How do you incorporate a direct brand message? The initial designs were developed by the
Complete
marketing
team,
and
they were sent to James Parry (head of creative design at Mediafleet) to finalise and ‘work up’ into official Mediafleet 2D proof documents. 3D presentations were also created to give the ‘Complete’ team the opportunity to visualise the branding without requiring a physical prototype.
Now for the clever bit! The Complete marketing team added a crucial identifier to the branding – this informed
the
audience
whether
the
vehicle was powered by ‘Electricity’ or whether it was conventionally powered. And they achieved this without corrupting the brand or the brand values. James Parry stated, “It was really cool to take a brand design element, subtly change it, and let that deliver such a clear message. Some other Mediafleet customers are using visual prompts to indicate the vehicle is an EV but taking the figure eight/infinity loop within the brand design, making it green against the black backdrop was a stroke of genius. The Diesel version had a less exciting monotone infinity loop. Put these two types of vehicles side by side and it would be clear that one is powered by electricity at a glance - delivering important brand messaging.
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Complete is one of the UK’s leading providers of business supplies and services 12
The vehicles were fully wrapped and are
Complete provide an extensive range of
actually white vehicles underneath the
services to customers large and small all
vinyl. ‘Complete’ even went as far as to
over the UK, seamlessly enabling them
wrap the entire roof sections to ensure
to run more efficiently by helping them
that
could
reduce the number of suppliers they have
be read by people inside office spaces
to deal with which ultimately reduces
or high-rise buildings. Mediafleet used
the overall cost of their procurement.
digitally printed Arlon 6000XRP for the
By placing customers at the heart of
base wrap, and each vehicle was installed
everything we do, Complete has built an
by the Mediafleet fitting team – some
enviable reputation as the ‘go to’ company
at our Witney facility, and some at sites
for a wide range of business supplies and
across the ‘Complete’ network.
services.
their
branding/messaging
James Parry
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THE LONDON MAR THE ‘LYONS’ DEN!
Mediafleet’s very own Mike Lyons entered this year’s London Maratho and it’s an understatement to say he absolutely smashed it! 14
RATHON –
on for the first time, 15
Mediafleet’s very own Mike Lyons entered this year’s London Marathon for the first time, and it’s an understatement to say he absolutely smashed it! Most of you as customers will know Mike. He’s been an account manager here at Mediafleet for six years, deftly handling your branding programmes and quietly going about his business. We embarrassed Mike a couple of weeks ago by including his upcoming marathon challenge in our internal weekly brief…much to his dismay. To get this into perspective, let me tell you some ‘secret’ facts about Mike. •
He is 55 years old.
•
He’s been running seriously for about two years after joining a running club!
•
Two years ago he was three stones heavier than he is now.
•
This the first full marathon he has ever entered.
…and his time… 3 Hours, 19 Minutes and 8 seconds. Well Done Sir!
Mike didn’t just enter and finish the London Marathon…he completed it in an unbelievable time
3
HOURS 16
19
MINUTES
8
SECONDS
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The on-line magazine, Running Level, rates runners according to age and the time achieved. The categories are: Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Elite, and World Record.
Mike’s time of 3 hours 19 minutes puts him in the ‘Elite’ category! As a point of interest, the average finish time for 50 to 60 year-old participants is 4 hours 34 minutes. So, Mike, what’s next? How about going for the world record?
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Is the John Player Special Branding the Most Iconic Motor Racing brand?
W
hat do you call it when unrelated events,
happening
at
different
times, eventually result in a connected convergence?
Is
that
‘synchronicity’,
‘serendipity’, ‘coincidence’ or something else? Mediafleet was founded by Colin Smith in 2000 after spending a career working in and developing marketing businesses. Born in 1950, Colin grew up in the golden era of motor racing and, from the stands of Silverstone and Brands hatch etc, witnessed the evolution of motor racing. Not just from a vehicle technology point of view, but from a vehicle billboard standpoint as well. More on this later. Now, let’s travel back in time to 1877, when a chap named John Player bought a tobacco company and set up in Nottingham, becoming
famous
for
the
pre-rolled
cigarette. The company grew rapidly and decided in the 60’s that they needed a more ambitious marketing plan to really stand out.
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Photo by Dave Rook on Flickr
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In 1948, Colin Chapma
to see great success i
Lotus 12 being entere
especially with his ‘m championship home
Over the coming year
improved as did drive 22
an built his first car, a modified Austin 7 he called the Mark 1. Subsequent ‘Marks’ and ‘Types’ went on
in local trials events and track races. In 1952, Chapman decided to enter ‘Grand Prix’ racing with the
ed at the Monaco Grand Prix driven by Graham Hill. Chapman went on to develop winning machines
mid engine’ Lotus 18. In 1963, Jim Clark won seven Grand Prix in the Lotus 25 and took the world to Lotus. Lotus had really arrived.
rs, the technology wasn’t the only thing to improve in motor racing. Driver ability and race preparation
er safety and the race venues themselves. 23
The other big change that happened was when Lotus Cars signed a sponsorship deal with Imperial Tobacco for £85,000 and the era of motor racing sponsorship had arrived. At this time, Colin Smith, and his brother Peter, were now keen motor enthusiasts and, with Peter’s friend Steve Thompson (later a driver himself for the Hesketh Racing Team), witnessed this branding revolution. For anyone born in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s the name ‘John Player Special’ conjures up the image of a Lotus racing car with the black and gold livery. But why was this livery so successful? James Parry head of design at Mediafleet comments, “In my opinion, the secret to its success is in its simplicity and elegance. Gold on black is a great colour combination. There are countless examples in the use of this combo from Dom Perignon to Burberry, to Chambord Liqueur. Even company name plaques for buildings adopt this colour scheme with the brass name plates and black writing.” We now skip forward to 2020. Tobacco and alcohol companies have now been banned from sports advertising since 2003. For 20 years, Mediafleet has been successfully supporting organisations with their vehicle branding and Colin Smith has now retired with his son, Barnaby, taking ‘the wheel’. Lotus cars are going from strength to strength with the launch of several new exciting models – and for one particular launch, Lotus decide to re-introduce the ‘JPS style’ branding with black and gold graphics chosen for the new Lotus Evija.
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Photo by Bob Bob on Flickr
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Barnaby said, “The black and gold livery is iconic and when you combine the two, you are immediately taken back to the Lotus glory days. And who can forget the amazing drivers such as Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell to name but a few? From the days when my father used to go and watch these cars in his youth, to the modern reworking on the livery for the Evija, it’s still such an iconic look.
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Company Information Mediafleet is one of the country’s leading fleet graphics and branding specialists. With an expanding central printing and manufacturing facility at Witney, Oxford, and a graphics application team with perhaps an unrivalled level of experience in the industry, the company has developed an advanced range of vehicle branding products and services to cater for all large national fleet networks, whatever their requirements. Building on Mediafleet’s core vehicle graphics expertise, the company has grown its vehiclerelated business by learning to understand the complexities and requirements of every unique fleet. By listening to prospective clients’ needs, Mediafleet provides a bespoke approach
to
each
new
customer.
The
company’s adherence to that basic principle has enabled it to develop successful vehicle branding campaigns for nearly 20 years. For further details, please contact Barnaby Smith or Rob Rudd at Mediafleet on 01993 772525.
Keep in touch
www.mediafleet.co.uk info@mediafleet.co.uk T: +44 (0)1993 772525 29