RAF drafts in COI to evaluate brand

The Royal Air Force is undergoing a major repositioning exercise likely to end in a re-evaluation of the organisation’s brand, Design Week can exclusively reveal.

Working with the Central Office of Information Communications, the RAF is seeking to clarify perceptions of its brand among young people as it bids to drive up recruitment levels.

According to COI Communications strategic consultant Nigel Symington, COI is currently undertaking strategic research, which may lead to creative work.

‘We are working on background strategic, rather than creative, research in the area of recruitment,’ he says.

The research is ‘rolling work’ and Symington would not confirm when it will be complete, saying it is an ‘on-going programme’ and that if creative work takes place, COI Communications will make recommendations to the RAF.

‘We’re gaining insight into the brand, but there’s nothing concrete [to say] yet,’ he adds.

But RAF museum marketing manager Rachel Burns says she is awaiting results of COI Communications’ ‘brand essence’ work and hopes to have access to it next month. Rebranding work for the RAF Museum by Agenda has been put on hold until the research is completed.

Agenda was appointed earlier this year to evaluate the museum’s brand – which includes visual language, logo and signage – and broaden its appeal.

‘The museum currently has no established brand,’ Burns says. ‘There is a misconception that we only display aircraft, but we are much more than that.

Agenda was briefed to bring ‘visual coherence’ to the museum’s two key sites at Hendon and Cosford, says Agenda project manager Stephen King. It won the project following a four-way credentials pitch last November.