Branding is one of the most challenging and fulfilling things that we do as a company; we totally immerse ourselves in what an organisation is all about and in the process we get quite attached to the client and the final brand, almost disinclined to hand it over to the client in some cases for fear that they might not look after our progeny.
Today I was in Lerwick for a meeting with Shetland Amenity Trust. They commissioned Sumo in 2005 to develop the brand for Shetland Museum & Archives and a series of trails to lead people around the many must see archeological and natural sites on the islands.
With Shetland’s oil starting to run out, it is more important than ever that the islands capitalise on the rich natural and cultural heritage which drive their tourist industry, and the Museum and trails are an important part of this strategy.
I took the chance whilst in Lerwick to visit the museum, which I last saw in 2007 when it was a few weeks away from opening. The venue is beautiful and well thought out and care and attention have been lavished on every aspect of the project.
The brand is still working brilliantly across the museum’s marketing with the team at Shetland Amenity Trust doing a great job of producing adverts, posters and newsletters with our guidelines, but I think it was the bear shown above the entrance and its friends in the shop which really grabbed my attention! One of the important things that we discussed at the start of the project was a total quality experience for visitors, and Shetland Amenity Trust has really taken that to heart, not only in the displays but also in merchandise like the specially commissioned Burra Bears (a local business success story). They have worked with craftspeople from across the islands to bring together a really high quality offer in the museum shop and similar efforts have gone in to the quality of the locally produced food in the cáfe.
The museum has received around 75,000 visitors annually since it opened, which is an impressive feat considering that the islands have a total population of about 23,000!
I left Lerwick (with a Burra Bear for my daughter) delighted that the brand was working so well for museum and really impressed with the continuing work that the Shetland Amenity Trust are doing to make the brand real.