The best in corporate brand communications: Transform Awards Europe

The Transform Awards Europe announces 2015 shortlist and conference programme

When benchmarking brand communications, rebranding and brand development, standards take into account everything from effectiveness to design to KPIs and objectives. For the Transform Awards Europe, that means rebrands and brand development projects from every industry and size of company both comprise the shortlist of companies that have made it through the first round of judging.

The 2015 shortlist for the Transform Awards Europe exemplifies the development of the branding industry in Europe and the excellence that companies strive for when dealing with their brands and brand communications.

Andrew Thomas, publishing editor of Transform magazine, says, “The quality of entries we’ve seen this year shows that brand is being taken seriously. Companies realise the power brand can have on reputation, employee engagement, marketing and ultimately, the bottom line. We congratulate all the shortlisted companies at this year’s Transform Awards for their successes in brand development and rebranding.”

For an organisation like the Canary Wharf Group, sub-branding and stakeholder communications were key objectives, while the University of Reading sought to make an impact with a targeted audience and SAGE hoped to create a consumer-facing brand for a formerly invisible B2B company. Those, among many others, comprise the excellent shortlist for this year’s awards.

Transform, however, also focuses on comparisons within sectors which allows companies to measure their brand successes against that of their peers and, as a whole, displays the ways in which companies in that sector engage with their stakeholders through brand. The world of brand has never been confined to any one locality or sector. This year’s Transform Awards have seen more entries from outside the UK than in past years. Deutsche Telekom and Deutsche Bahn are shortlisted alongside Prima Dental, Saelen/TS Industrie, Mr Boho, Grupa Wirtualna Polska and many others. The strong entries from across the continent illustrate the high standard companies are holding themselves to in order to compete on a national and international scale.

Transform judge Sam Diamond, head of brand at Gumtree, says, “There were some stunning entries that stood head and shoulders above the rest, and left the judges visibly inspired. Everyone deserves credit for putting themselves forward, and we loved the challenge of picking the best of the best.”

The Transform Awards Europe will be accompanied by a conference this year to cover the issues most relevant to brand professionals and to examine what the future holds. Sessions include a look at the science of audio branding, a look at the relationship between brand and reputation and sensory perception and brand experience. The headline list of speakers includes communicators from Three UK, Gumtree, Eurostar and many more.

To book your place at the half-day conference, visit www.transformmagazine.net/conferences1. Single places are available for £180.

The Transform Awards Europe and conference will take place on 21 April at the Brewery in central London. More information about the awards can be found at www.transformmagazine.net/awards.

The full shortlist for the 2015 Transform Awards Europe is:

Content

Best use of a visual property
Antler and Mammal Ltd
Aston Careers and Placements and IE Design Consultancy
Baku and SomeOne
East Village and Small Back Room
Oryx Energies and Handsome Brands
RNLI and Missouri Creative
Wilfords and Ideas Factory

Best brand architecture solution
Canary Wharf Group and Sutton Young
Connect Group PLC and Creative Leap
IHTSDO and Nucleus
TT Electronics and Emperor

Best use of copy style/tone of voice
Aston University Careers and Placements and IE Design Consultancy
Lend Lease and Small Back Room
O2 and The Writer
One Feeds Two and The Clearing
Schillings and Goosebumps Brand Consultancy
The World’s Strongest Man and Brand & Deliver
Relish, UK Broadband and Turquoise Branding

Best brand experience
Cluttons and Industry
Design Management Institute and Lippincott
Duke St. Emporium, Jigsaw Group and Dalziel and Pow Design Consultants
Wellcome Collection and True North

Best use of packaging
Gallina Blanca and Branward
Monty BoJangles and Springetts Brand Design
OPPO and Landor Associates

Best use of audio branding
Burkhardtsmaier and why do birds
Deutsche Bahn AG and why do birds
Ehrmann AG and iV2
Nova Lund and Radja Sound Design Agency

Process

Best external relations during a brand development project
Bluewater and Rocket Content Marketing
International Association of Oil & Gas Producers and Bisqit
SAGE

Best implementation of a brand development project
Cancer Research UK and SomeOne
Capsticks and David Carroll & Co
Fitness First and The Clearing
intu and Landor Associates
SAGE
University of Reading and Bell Integrated Communications

Best implementation of a brand development project across multiple markets
Bluewater and Rocket Content Marketing
HealthcareUK and Appetite Consultancy
Oettinger Davidoff Group and DewGibbons + Partners
Oryx Energies and Handsome Brands
Petainer and The House
SAGE

Strategy

Best creative strategy
Airbnb and DesignStudio
Murata and Living Group
Relish, UK Broadband and Turquoise Branding
SAGE
University of Reading and Bell Integrated Communications
Veyo and Industry

Best brand evolution
Cambridge Literary Festival and Fishburn
Fitness First and The Clearing
One Feeds Two and The Clearing
Pearson English and Goosebumps Brand Consultancy
RNLI and Missouri Creative
SAGE
Southwest Airlines and Lippincott

Best strategic/creative development of a new brand
Balfour Beatty WorkSmart and The Workroom
Halfords and Springetts Brand Design
Oettinger Davidoff Group and DewGibbons + Partners
Pearson English and Goosebumps Brand Consultancy
Rapport Guest Services and FRASERS
Relish, UK Broadband and Turquoise Branding
Veyo and Industry

Type

Best corporate rebrand following a merger or acquisition
Bluewater and Rocket Content Marketing
Connect Group PLC and Creative Leap
DNVGL and Landor Associates
Pearson English and Goosebumps Brand Consultancy
Simplyco and Studio North

Best brand development project to reflect changed mission/values/positioning
Butlin’s Firehouse and Mystery Ltd
Capsticks and David Carroll & Co
Cluttons and Industry
Fitness First and The Clearing
Pearson English and Goosebumps Brand Consultancy
YMCA and ArthurSteenHorneAdamson (ASHA)

Best brand consolidation
Blue Matrix and Living Group
Deutsche Telekom AG
Pearson English and Goosebumps Brand Consultancy
RNLI and Missouri Creative
TT Electronics and Emperor
WorldPay and SomeOne

Best rebrand of a digital property
1st Central
Design Management Institute and Lippincott
Fliks and Impero
Grupa Wirtualna Polska and BNA
SmartFocus and Lab

Sector

Best visual identity from a charity, NGO or NFP
Bury Council and Sport England and True North
NUS and Spencer du Bois
One Feeds Two and The Clearing
RNLI and Missouri Creative
The Children’s Society and SomeOne
University of Reading and Bell Integrated Communications
YMCA and ArthurSteenHorneAdamson (ASHA)

Best visual identity from the energy & extractives sector
International Association of Oil & Gas Producers and Bisqit
Suncor and Appetite Consultancy

Best visual identity from the financial services sector
Currencies Direct and The Allotment
ERS and ArthurSteenHorneAdamson (ASHA)
Scottish Widows and Rufus Leonard
Simplyco and Studio North
Wealth Horizon and Mytton Williams
Worldpay and SomeOne

Best visual identity from the healthcare sector
Bachem and Branders
Healthcare UK and Appetite Consultancy
Prima Dental and The House

Best visual identity from the industrial & basic materials sector
Petainer and The House
Saelen TS Industrie and Brand Brothers

Best visual identity from the professional services sector
Gün & Partners and Uffindell Group Limited
Marlin Hawk and The Allotment
Mitie and Luminous
Pearson English and Goosebumps Brand Consultancy
Ubeeqo and Brand Brothers
Veyo and Industry
Wilberforce Chambers and Studio Jo and Co

Best visual identity from the property sector

City Mills and L&Q
East Village and Small Back Room
Get Living London and Small Back Room
The Schoolyard and L&Q
Veyo and Industry
Wrenbridge + Legal & General and Ideas Factory

Best visual identity from the retail sector
Antler and Mammal Ltd
Apothecary 87 and Attract
Cordello Home and Living Group
intu and Landor Associates
Mr Boho and Baud

Best visual identity from the technology, media & telecommunications sector
Grupa Wirtualna Polska and BNA
Murata and Living Group
Relish, UK Broadband and Turquoise Branding
Texthelp and Fishburn
Veyo and Industry

Best visual identity from the travel & leisure sector
Airbnb and DesignStudio
Southwest Airlines and Lippincott