Metropolitan Police Service.
The Metropolitan Police Service is famed around the world and has a unique place in the history of policing. The Met covers an area of 620 square miles with a population of 7.2million and is the largest of the Police services employing 31,000 officers and 14,000 staff. We have had a successful partnership since 2002, helping to modernise the Met brand online and offline as well working on major campaigns ranging from recruitment to making London’s neighbourhoods a safer place to live in.
Police visibility up, crime down.
Branding doesn’t reduce crime on its own but it certainly helps.
Audience.
If you’re unfortunate enough to be the victim of crime you trust the police will help. 7.2 million Londoners turn to 49,000 Metropolitan Police officers to keep our streets safe and they demand trust in the brand.
Challenge.
However, when we were shown the hundreds of different versions of the Met’s identity and campaigns there was high impact evidence that public trust was being eroded. Our brief was to re-establish the Met brand with a clear and consistent image across every touch point of this famous public service.
Insight.
Our research proved that rationalising the many different messages into one single brand would build public confidence by increasing the visibility of officers on the beat, improving the impact of vehicles and reducing the number of unnecessary campaigns.
Result.
The Met now has one single brand. The refreshed branding projects a modern, open and citizen-focused force driven by new leadership and the success of the transformation is down to investment in induction and tools.
Changing with the times but keeping the tradition.
This is a model that many Police forces across America have followed along with our own armed forces.
Audience.
When it comes to crime fighting in the UK, one institution stands head and shoulders above the rest. New Scotland Yard – the bastion the nation’s elite police force, whose rotating sign outside its premises has been emblem for justice for many years. Times, however, change.
Challenge.
Due to circumstances, today, the truth is a little less seductive. Deemed a “spectacular” possible target for terrorist attacks, NSY is now the headquarters of the no-less important Metropolitan Police force, from which senior officers and support facilities conduct their operations. Nonetheless, such legacy could not be ignored, and the Met wanted to pursue ways in which they can gain from it.
Insight.
Harnessing our knowledge of effective branding, and following a review of the subject by the Met in 2006, we liaised with its staff team to understand how best we could use the NSY’s name to their own benefit. Rather than a commercial exercise, the Met decided that they wanted any financial gain to return to the Metropolitan Police charity.
Result.
Drawing upon models that many American police forces utilise, whereby their brands are licensed to appropriate business (toy manufacturers, clothing companies, etc), we encouraged the Met to consolidate NSY to build their own similar commercial brand, and are currently exploring other ways in which this great asset can be used with integrity and efficacy.