Tag Archives: Brand Consultancy

News

Making everyday rides extraordinary – Firehaus creates Vittoria ‘Own the Unknown’

Firehaus, the Bristol-based brand consultancy, are launching Vittoria’s latest brand campaign ‘Own the Unknown’. The campaign is a collaboration between global leaders in cycle tyre innovation Vittoria and fellow pioneers: percussionist and composer Ian Chang, sustainable trail creators Velosolutions, and members of the new UCI MTB World Cup team Pump for Peace Racing.

The campaign includes 60 and 15 second films which will run on YouTube, brand and partner social channels, as well as a series of interviews with the cast.

Vittoria is best known for its road tyres, used by some of the most famous riders and teams in the world. But it also has a fantastic range of MTB tyres which are increasingly being used by pro riders and teams. Firehaus was briefed to raise awareness of the brand in the global MTB community and reinforce key brand and product characteristics.

Shot on location in Flims, Graubünden, Switzerland three friends (Faranak Partoazar from Iran, Tumelo Makae from Lesotho and Velosolutions boss and downhill star Claudio Caluori) ride out from different start points. Descending from the edge of the Vorab glacier and the wooded valleys 1000m below they eventually meet up at – a destination unknown.

The film captures the interplay between drum surface and tyres hitting the earth’s surface, which takes on an almost spiritual dimension in the dramatic landscape of the Glarus Alps. It also highlights the relationship between cyclists and the environment.

Partners

Originally from Hong Kong, composer Ian Chang has built an impressive roster of progressive pop collaborators such as Moses Sumney, Joan As Policewoman, and Matthew Dear, among others, all while performing internationally and recording as a member of Son Lux and Landlady. One of his latest projects was the soundtrack to cult film Everything, Everywhere All At Once, with his band Son Lux. The film has gone on to win seven out of eight categories at the Hollywood Critics Association’s (HCA) Midseason Awards.

Claudio Caluori is well known to MTB riders around the world. The seven-time Swiss National Downhill Champion and Red Bull World Cup commentator has gone on to develop innovative sustainable trails business, pump tracks, and now the Pump for Peace Racing team. The vision for the team is to offer professional support to riders from nations where MTB is a fledgling sport and they’re prone to marginalisation and discrimination.

Ernesto Garcia Domingo, CCO at Vittoria says, “We are building the Vittoria brand around the idea of The Ride Ahead. This captures the rational benefits of our innovative products and the sustainable business processes we are putting in place. But it also captures the spirit of curiosity, optimism and courage we stand for. Own the Unknown encapsulates this perfectly for the MTB community.”

Ian Bates, Founder and Creative Partner at Firehaus comments, “This is a really interesting collaboration between a group of highly innovative partners. Putting Ian Chang’s experimental music together with cycling pioneers Claudio, Faranak, Tumelo and the world’s most innovative tyre brand Vittoria has added layers of meaning to the campaign. The exceptional features of the tyres are given a new lease of life in the narrative.”

Musician Ian Chang adds, “I’m really happy to see how Vittoria saw the connection between my music and their products and their world. So, it’s fun to see my music manifest itself in that way.”

 

Concept and art direction: Firehaus

Film production: Yanzi Creative

Director: Marco Marcassoli

Ian Chang performance footage: Thrdcoast, New York

 

Education, Marketing, PR and SEO, News

Loughborough University appoints Firehaus to lead brand ignition

Firehaus is delighted to announce an exciting new project with Loughborough University. The brand consultancy will be working with the leadership team of the School of Business and Economics to position and rebrand the school in preparation for its next stage of growth. 

The University currently ranks in the top 10 in all UK league tables and is No.1 in the UK for employer-student connections. It is one of only a handful of universities globally to hold prestigious triple-accreditation for its business school. 

The School of Business and Economics has an enviable reputation for merging business theory with practical experience. However the leadership team have set themselves the ambition of staying ahead of the curve in this dynamic and highly competitive sector. A more distinct brand position, underpinned by an inspiring vision and mission, is the first step in creating the momentum needed to enable the School to bolster their undergraduate core, scale their international postgraduate profile and innovate their relationships with industry. 

The new brand position will align with the three themes identified in the University’s 2030 strategy; Climate Change & Net Zero, Vibrant & Inclusive Communities and Health & Wellbeing. 

Firehaus will be using its Brand Ignition framework to set the foundations in place to bring the School to the attention of a wider international audience, mapping a future for the brand that challenges, informs and inspires a new generation of business people for the world stage. It will work closely with the University’s in-house design team to capture and bring to life the new brand position. 

The appointment adds to Firehaus’ increasing body of work around innovation and enterprise in the higher education sector, including projects for UKRI and the University of Bristol. 

Professor Janet Godsell, Dean of the School of Business and Economics said “We knew the importance that brand would play in the future growth of the School. We concluded we needed an outsider perspective to make the transition required as we’d only get one bite of the cherry to get it right for launch. Firehaus are specialists and there is a cultural fit in their collaborative approach that builds trust with wider stakeholders.” 

“It’s been a real pleasure to work with the forward-thinking team at Loughborough. They intuitively understand the role a distinct and inspiring brand has in motivating staff and students as well as creating stand out in a competitive market.” Nick Barthram, Strategy Partner. 

Bristol, News, South West

Firehaus Bring Academia & Industry Together – Increasing Impact & Informing the Future

Firehaus, the Bristol-based brand consultancy, is bringing Academia and Industry together with the launch of The University of Bristol’s The Enterprise Sessions and Interact. 

Interact is a newly-funded initiative through Made Smarter Innovation, part of UKRI.  Many of the barriers to digital innovation in manufacturing are not actually technological, but economic and behavioural. Social science, with its focus on human behaviour, has much to contribute to help industry overcome these challenges. Yet many social scientists are unaware of the opportunities manufacturing provides as a platform for their expertise.  

Interact has been launched to bring pioneering human insight to the industry and accelerate the adoption of industrial digital technologies in the UK manufacturing sector. Firehaus worked with Made Smarter Innovation and academics from the Universities of Loughborough and Strathclyde to create the positioning, name, branding and manifesto film for Interact.  

The brand will offer expertise in social and economic sciences to initiate research and improve access to insights to inform the future of a net-zero economy and make an important contribution to how the UK realises its ambition to become a global leader in industrial digitalisation by 2030. 

Professor Jill MacBryde, University of Strathclyde, Co-Director of Interact comments: “Our long-term vision is to build a strong, vibrant, interdisciplinary community to support UK manufacturing in the adoption and development of digital technologies that will result in a stronger, more resilient, manufacturing base. We know that technology alone is not enough. We need to harness the knowledge of people and society to really reap the full benefits that technology can bring.” 

Jill MacBryde, University of Strathclyde, Co-Director of Interact adds: “Firehaus were great to work with. They explained everything and discussed our choices. They listened to our multiple stakeholders and were very flexible. We ended up with something we are delighted with – but would never have been able to do ourselves!” 

Meanwhile, The Enterprise Sessions is a series of films led by Prof. Michele Barbour Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor: Enterprise and Innovation at the University of Bristol. She speaks with founders, researchers and academics from different disciplines and career stages who’ve been part of its Enterprise ecosystem. Guests include Konstantina Psoma, Professor Wuge Briscoe and Professor Roberta Guerrina and will cover a range of topics from funding, licensing and IP, consultancy, contract research and business incubation. The series aims to inspire others to consider how they can realise impact from their ideas.  Jones Millbank were responsible for all of the video production for the project. 

The University of Bristol now tops the list of UK universities for the return on investment achieved by spinouts and is ranked in the top 3 for equity investment. [Govgrant: University Spinout Report – Parkwalk and Beauhurst: Equity Investment into UK Spin outs 2022] 

Prof. Michele Barbour says: “The University of Bristol has an impressive track record of enterprise and innovation and we’re keen to share that knowledge within our community as well as with a wider audience. The Enterprise Sessions is a new content series that brings to life the personal stories of spinout Founders and how our enterprise ecosystem has them.” 

“Firehaus took our idea and created a branded content series, introducing the broadcast-style interview approach, as well as the name and look and feel. The approach has allowed me to develop rich conversations with our interviewees and showcase their experience of our ecosystem which will be of huge benefit for anyone involved in research, innovation and enterprise.” 

Nick Barthram, Strategy Partner at Firehaus adds, “Firehaus have worked with a range of organisations in the Research, Innovation and Enterprise space, including UKRI, Made Smarter Innovation and The University of Bristol. Consequently we’ve developed a clear understanding and methodology to ignite opportunities at the intersection of academia and industry”.  

News, Wales News

Firehaus wrap up first quarter with duo of new business wins

Firehaus, the Bristol-based brand consultancy, is wrapping up the first quarter of 2022 with a duo of new business wins in the form of Vivo Life and the University of Bristol. Firehaus will be working with Vivo Life on brand positioning and will aid the University of Bristol in development of commercial Quantum offering. 

Vivo Life makes 100% plant-based health and fitness supplements. They have an enviable range of top-quality products which are not only great for people using them, but for the environment and world around them. Their growth has been fuelled by growing awareness and desire for plant-based, cruelty-free nutrition, and is underpinned by a strong sense of purpose as a business-for-good.  

With a loyal following in the UK, US and Germany in particular, the business is looking to remain top-of-mind in an increasingly competitive environment, expand awareness to wider audiences within those core markets, as well as access new international markets.  

 Based in Somerset, Vivo Life is the latest purpose-driven organisation based in the region to work with Firehaus on how they scale for growth. 

Firehaus have been appointed to take the Vivo Life team through its Brand Ignition framework, beginning with defining a new Brand Position. Firehaus will also be carrying out its proprietary Spark survey with employees to understand how the brand currently shapes their internal purpose, culture and environment to set the business up for growth.  

Salvatore Notaro, co-founder and Managing Director at Vivo Life comments, “With big change in the competitor landscape since our launch seven years ago along with rising marketing costs, we recognised that we need a new approach to be able to achieve sustainable growth. So, I’m delighted to be working with Firehaus and their Brand Ignition framework to get us to that next stage.” 

 The consultancy will also be working alongside the University of Bristol to develop its commercial quantum offering and brand positioning. The focus will be on Bristol bringing quantum technology out of the lab and into the world to help tackle the challenges of the future. 

Nick Barthram, Founder and Strategy Partner adds, “We’ve been working behind-the-scenes with the Bristol quantum community for a year now and it still remains exhilarating to be part of something which could so fundamentally change the world we live in.” 

News

Firehaus Scoops Company Shop, UKRI And Tickitto Accounts In Trio Of Wins

Firehaus, a brand consultancy, has scooped the Company Shop Group account amongst a trio of new business wins. The win comes alongside project work for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and Tickitto where Firehaus will work on their rebrand.  

Company Shop Group is the UK’s largest redistributor of surplus food and household products. Each year the food and drink industries generate 140k+ tonnes of quality surplus suitable for redistribution. Only a small amount is currently being redistributed. The majority ends up as animal feed or waste for landfill. Company Shop Group is tackling this problem by championing intelligent surplus management as an asset for business, a benefit for the planet and a force for good in communities everywhere.  

Beth Pope, Founder and Brand Partner at Firehaus comments “In the wake of COP26 the time is never more right for businesses such as Company Shop Group. We’re delighted to be playing a part in how the brand builds much greater awareness around its incredible and innovative offering and the positive impact it has on both people and planet.” 

David Lennon, Deputy Managing Director at Company Shop Group adds “I’m really excited to be embarking on the next phase of the Group’s development plans with the skills, passion and commitment of the Firehaus team. From the outset Firehaus grasped both the complexities and opportunities that exist within such a unique organisation to play a bigger, broader role in tackling food waste and supporting vulnerable communities over the coming months and years.” 

Firehaus will also be working with UKRI to create branding and collateral for ‘Interact’, an exciting new research initiative within Made Smarter Innovation, the UK Government’s industrial innovation fund for digital manufacturing.  The initiative aims to make an important social science-focussed contribution to how the UK realises its ambition to become a global leader in industrial digitalisation by 2030. 

Meanwhile, Tickitto is an innovative business that is changing the way the world buys tickets. The start-up recently received £4.5m in investment and is in the process of rebranding.  

Nick Barthram, Founder and Strategy Partner at Firehaus adds “It’s great we can support a great business like Tickitto that is not only solving a global industry problem, but also opening up more people to exciting life experiences.” 

The trio of wins demonstrates Firehaus’ recent success and ongoing ambition to support organisations at a critical point in their growth journeys.