THE CHALLENGE
While the business enjoyed a strong reputation and deep heritage within the insurance sector, its brand, digital presence and marketing activity no longer fully reflected the quality of its offer, expertise or ambitions for the future.
Marketing was being managed alongside other responsibilities, and there was a sense that an existing agency relationship was not delivering as much value as it could.
HOW I HELPED
My first step was to understand the business, its ambitions and what might be standing in the way.
Through discussions with the leadership team, SWOT analysis, competitor review and an assessment of Lumley’s brand, marketing activity and channels, I built a picture of where the business was, where it wanted to be and what needed attention.
The review highlighted a significant gap between Lumley’s reputation and ambitions on one hand, and its brand, marketing capability and supporting infrastructure on the other.
Importantly, looking closely at the agency’s work revealed that the issue wasn’t capability. What was missing was greater strategic clarity: clearer priorities, stronger briefs and alignment around the outcomes Lumley wanted to achieve. This created an opportunity to refocus the effort.
It became clear that Lumley didn’t simply need more marketing activity. It needed clearer direction, stronger capability and better foundations for communications and marketing investment.
A BROAD PROGRAMME OF WORK
My review led to a broader programme of work across several connected areas.
Repositioning the brand
Experience told me that incremental changes to the existing brand would not be enough. Lumley needed a stronger platform that reflected its expertise, reputation and future direction.
Working closely with the leadership team and Mobas, I shaped and led the rebrand programme, encompassing a new visual identity, positioning and messaging, tone of voice and website.
Creating greater clarity for agency partners
I helped the leadership team clarify priorities and desired outcomes, reshape the agency brief and establish a clearer framework for collaboration with a focus on the rebrand and new website.
Building the right capability
I helped determine the mix of internal and external resource required, shape and recruit a Marketing Executive role, and source specialist freelance support to fill specific skills gaps.
Strengthening strategy, systems and measurement
As the foundations developed, the focus increasingly moved towards measurement and accountability, including KPIs and a monitoring framework to provide more meaningful insight into performance.
I developed a communications and marketing strategy aligned with the wider business plan and worked with colleagues to strengthen the infrastructure needed to support it. This included defining CRM requirements to inform the use of customer data and identifying KPIs as part of a meaningful approach to monitoring performance.
Supporting organisational alignment
I facilitated workshops with employees to develop a refreshed set of company values, helping ensure the evolving brand was authentic and rooted in the culture of the business.
OUTCOMES
The work has given Lumley stronger foundations for its next stage of development, including:
- a transformed brand that more accurately reflects Lumley’s expertise, reputation and ambitions, supported by new positioning, messaging, visual identity, tone of voice and website
- a strong, productive agency relationship
- increased marketing capacity through a flexible blend of in-house, agency and freelance expertise
- closer alignment between communications, marketing and business goals
- stronger foundations for using customer data, setting meaningful KPIs and measuring the contribution of communications and marketing activity
- greater employee engagement with the brand and increased confidence in contributing ideas to raise awareness
- increased confidence in pursuing partnership-led communications and thought leadership opportunities
The new brand was live in time for Badminton Horse Trials where Lumley hosted partners and clients. The team received positive feedback from guests at the event and subsequently from insurers, clients and partners. This created momentum ahead of a Summer of co-hosted events and new partnerships as part of a wider programme to underpin business development.