Unlocking the power of a 70 year old icon

Today is the culmination of an incredible journey to reawaken one of the UK’s most unique and trusted brands. To relaunch a brand with enviable awareness, a near 70-year history, a not-for-profit with a mandate to champion the public. A brand that has played a role in every Brit’s life - from making seatbelts compulsory to changing the law to get scam compensation. The dream brief. 

Yet, despite its powerful foundations, Which? has been suffering from a lack of relevance with the public. A strategic overhaul was needed to help reach its full potential - shifting perceptions from 'white goods reviews' to a purpose-led powerhouse fighting for every consumer and a steadfast ally in a world of uncertainty.

Which? is an organisation with iconic status - most people immediately mention the magazine or recognise the black and red logo. The brand itself had long been a key enabler of Which?'s success. But we needed to make it the strategic driver.

As head of brand, I was conscious of the size of the shift required, internally and externally. It’s a narrow tightrope to walk  - not diluting our heritage and what makes us great, but knowing what to push to move us on.

Why now? The nation needs us!

The world has never moved faster, and being a consumer is hard.  An estimated £1.1bn is lost to scams every year, shrinkflation is out of control, and we can’t trust online marketplaces to deliver safe products. With companies often prioritising profit over people, it’s increasingly difficult to know who to trust or what to choose.

This is why a not-for-profit organisation like Which? is needed now more than ever: to give consumers the power to take control, challenge unfair practices, and make confident choices. Our team of experts has always fought for consumers, from standing up to the big guys to changing laws, investigating harmful practices, and protecting rights. I’ve never worked on a brand with so many reasons to believe!

Which? is a brand that cares deeply and always shows the bravery to stand up to authority. This is the fighting spirit consumers need right now. It had to take centre stage in our brand.

The internal rebrand: A strategic imperative

Before unveiling a new brand platform to the country, we needed an airtight brand strategy. We reassessed our purpose, strategic articulation and values in the current cultural context to get to the heart of what Which? could offer today. Empowerment had to be at the forefront.

A crucial learning from this process is that the internal rebrand is as important as the external. While a 2023 refresh helped modernise our look and shift perceptions towards our wider, often free, advice, this time around we focused more on embedding the strategy within Which? itself.

It’s our people that make us. Journalists, lawyers, mystery shoppers, product designers, testers, analysts, economists delivering invaluable work every day. Getting them excited was essential. The strategy was bought into from the top down, feeding directly into our updated values and aligning with our organisational strategy. 

A standout moment was a senior leadership workshop in June where I delivered the big sell-in. Someone said, “This has reminded me how amazing our work is. Everyone at Which? needs to hear the same thing”. And they did! Three months later, a three-day roadshow introduced every single colleague to the new brand. The response was phenomenal and reinvigorated the organisation. Now all teams are working to incorporate it into their day-to-day with passion and energy.

All in the craft: If you pour in love, it shows

Which? is an institution that demands deep thought and the utmost respect. It would be easy to go down a bland, generic route that didn’t offend existing audiences, embedding outdated views and blending into the ‘sea of sameness’. Or a brash route that gets us noticed but ruins all the hard-earned trust and impressive legacy we’ve built. Both would be a waste of our modest budget.

It was time to be more brave, human and active. We set out to create something that felt fresh, relatable and bold. But, most importantly, unequivocally people-first and worthy of our heritage. We have few but mighty brand assets. Our name! A question holding inherent power. It speaks to our role in society - asking the questions no one else will, challenging the status quo. 

As with the immense care and passion Which? puts into fighting for consumers, we wanted to do the same - a stylish, classic approach that celebrates the craft of advertising but feels unmistakably Which?. Every detail is considered and balanced to create work that feels special and fitting. Like a superb roast dinner, you can tell when a lot of love has gone in.

The Activation: 'The Power in You'

All that work led to our new brand platform: ‘The Power in You’. A powerful call to action for a nation in need. The message is clear. With Which? on your side, putting people before profit, you have the power to push back, take control and demand better choices. It brings much-needed emotion and energy to Which? that better reflects the brand today.

We’ve evolved our tone to add humanity and personality to deliver relevance and purpose. Our new creative is upbeat and witty, shining a light on difficult issues but making them feel easier to tackle, and delivering everyday charm to represent real life and its quirks. It’ll make you think twice the next time you buy a packet of crisps!

It’s been a year in the making, and we’re excited to see how people respond. It kicks off with our first TV ad in nearly a decade premiering on Channel 4 on 28th October, alongside social activation and radio. It’s going to be a special moment. 

Measuring Success: Relevance, Purpose, and Trust

True success is the positive impact we have on consumers’ lives. So, while we’ll measure return on investment, it’s really about shaping perceptions to empower people. We’ve focused on three core objectives measured through our brand tracker:

• Delivering Relevance: The key driver of consideration, enabling us to help more consumers.

• Landing Our Purpose: Ensuring the public understands what we stand for.

• Maintaining Trust: Preserving the brand's most valuable asset.

Internal culture and engagement surveys will help us make sure it’s landing within Which? and we’ll be keeping close tabs on consumers across a range of channels too, actively listening and engaging to ensure we’re delivering for them.

Over the next few years we’ll be looking at product innovation, audience work, and how to evolve alongside rapid technological advances such as the growth of AI. But we’re confident that our brand strategy gives a solid foundation to communicate what we do over the next five, or maybe the next 70, years!

A whole lot of energy, time, care and tenacity has gone into delivering this new brand strategy through the whole organisation. But it's an honour to lead it, be part of Which?’s illustrious history and reinvigorate the entire organisation around its incredible purpose - making life simpler, fairer, and safer for everyone.

Would I do it again? Abso-bloody-lutely…But after a couple of weeks laying on the sofa catching up with Married at First Sight!