Partners’ Insight into HBOS division

The Partners is working to finalise the brand identity for Insight Investment, the newly renamed asset management arm of high street bank HBOS, as the brand gears up for a full-scale relaunch in the fourth quarter of the year.

The work, covering brand guidelines, a website and marketing materials, is due for completion by the end of August and is likely to be worth a six-figure fee to the consultancy, says Insight Investment marketing director David Norman.

The Partners consultant Julia Garnett says, ‘We’ve created the basic marque and are now looking at the supporting elements and how we reach different audiences. [The brand] has a large stretch to cope with from financial intermediaries and institution investors to, ultimately, consumers. We need to communicate effectively [with all parties].’

The brief was to create something that stood out from the competition in a market where there tends to be very little differentiation, she says.

Garnett adds, ‘Most brands [in the sector] use the platform of performance. We’ve created a strong performance basis, but also a more service-led feel.’

HBOS plans to inject £40m into the business over the next three years, which was borne of out the merging of Clerical Medical Investment Management and the fund management operation formerly owned by Equitable Life. Independent financial advisers are a key target initially, but HBOS branches are expected to become an important distribution channel.

The Partners was appointed after a six-way pitch in May and worked alongside strategy consultancy PFour, which helped Insight Investment to generate its value set and brand name. The Partners creative director Janet Neil is responsible for the design work.