Reviewing and Redefining Brand Strategy
Reinvigorating a sense of purpose in an established architecture practice.
Kiran Curtis Associates (KCA) is an architecture practice based in London. Operating for 20 years across London and the South-east, KCA has delivered a range of successful projects including mixed-use developments, private and affordable housing, commercial developments, and master plans.
Junxion worked with the whole KCA team to articulate a new brand expression that will embody the company’s passion for making a positive difference for people and the planet through their work.
The Challenge
As Kiran Curtis Associates enters its third decade and continues to build on its track record of achievement, with a stable team and a solid client roster, founder Kiran Curtis undertook a strategic review of the business. As he contemplated the next stage of the company’s development, he concluded that he wanted to embed a stronger purpose into KCA—one that reflected his concern for the environmental challenges the world faces. This would help distinguish KCA from competitors, galvanise staff, and create a strong legacy of positive impact. To ensure they felt included in the company’s future direction. Kiran wanted to involve his whole team in working on this new purpose and brand articulation.
How We Helped
We took Kiran Curtis Associates through our proven, values-based branding process, which included research and interviews with staff and clients, and workshops with everyone on the KCA team. Infusing sustainability and social impact into the branding process, we were able to advise KCA on how it can bring together its work to date, its aspirations, and societal needs into a compelling, single idea.
Our approach defines brand as ‘the public face of strategy,’ so our approach also included reference to KCA’s strategic intent and capabilities. The final output is a new brand framework for Kiran Curtis Associates that includes a refreshed vision, mission and values, a new positioning statement and a rousing manifesto that ties all the elements together.
Measuring Success
Together we landed on a vision for Kiran Curtis Associates: ‘Healthy homes and thriving communities are commonplace in London and the South-east.’ This ‘north star’ for the business has unified the team; each member of staff more clearly understands and more fully supports the company’s central intent, and they feel a stronger connection to their work. The new positioning for the company—‘Designing brighter futures’—suggests the ambition KCA has to make that positive diff erence for both people and planet. In addition to the more engaged and motivated team, the process helped the founder Kiran to discern a number of workstreams that will bring the new brand to life and help take the business forward towards more success in the future.