Shape Fulfilment
- IT & Tech
- Retail
Overview
Challenge
Fulfilment leaders 3PLUK processes in excess of 3.5 million units of stock each year from their network of distribution centres in the UK, Holland, and Australia. Despite continual YoY growth they were struggling to find real and memorable impact in a crowded market under the 3PLUK brand. As a result, they sought our expertise to address this issue.
Just like many in their sector, their existing brand felt antiquated and devoid of character. Consequently, the task was to formulate a new brand identity that better resonated with their business ethos, that spoke to their client’s needs more effectively, helping them to stand-out in a crowded market.
Strategy
A name built in spirit
Through a process of brand workshops with their leadership team, we helped to uncover and define the brand character, and personality. It was clear that 3PLUK put flexibility, value and the customer relationships above all else. This was their driver.
This was anchored through our name generation phase. We explored a wide net of options but kept returning to the simplicity of their ‘can-do’ spirit – a topic discussed at length through workshops; ‘we ship any shape’ and ‘Shape’ were the resounding choice, a memorable monocle and an authentic telling of their personality.
Shape Fulfilment
Strategy
Customer-centric
Derived from stacked shelves of ready-to-ship products in their distribution centres, the palette is used to create a warm tapestry of colour — a flexible, changeable and distinct system that becomes a primary brand tool. Whatever the complex e-commerce transportation, logistical, supply chain or storage problems, they’re there to help ship any shape.
The Visual Brand
Against a background of like-for-like players driven by cold technology and automation-led brands, Shape Fulfilment’s new name and vibrant brand places the customer’s product at the heart of their story. Built to relieve brand-owners’ headaches, it reflects the power and care of Shape’s people, service and innovation.
With the new name chosen, the logo builds an icon using an S wrapped around a negative space square — hinting at a box. The wider visual language takes a warm and vibrant colour palette, assembled in squares resembling stacked shelves, and wraps them over objects from industries they typically help. This creates a wonderfully busy and open language that once again talks to the customer’s needs. This ‘you not me’ language is critical in building an empathetic brand that fosters trust.
CREATING A SENSORY EXPERIENCE
From warehouse to doorstep, clients use Shape to seamlessly fulfill tens of thousands of orders every day. The website needed to reflect this efficiency and volume, to place trust and reliability at the fore.
Approach
Product first
Our primary objective was to create a digital experience that resonated with Shape’s colourful and dynamic brand persona, clearly differentiating the business from competitors. This was achieved by shifting our focus from the norms of IT and the technicalities of automation to a more personable, customer-centric, approach that showcases customer’s menagerie of products and their stories.
Content strategy
Order not clutter
A content strategy exercise determined the necessity of three distinct sections: an explanation of the fulfilment process, a showcase of the industries the company serves, and a digestable presentation of the technical integrations provided by Shape. Secondary pages complement these sections, and strategically placed calls-to-action (CTAs) on each page guide new leads through a simple sales funnel.
Delivering utility and personality
Rounded edges create a less dense and boxed-in visual environment, particularly with CTA buttons. Additional bespoke iconography represents Industries, Process, and Integrations.
On brand landing pages
In a highly competitive industry, considering search engine optimization (SEO) in the early stages of a website project can yield significant dividends. As part of the site architecture exercise, we developed a template for Industry landing pages. By employing easily editable content blocks and pre-determined colour sections, administrators have the capability to create essential landing pages tailored to both specific client types and search engines allowing quick, targeted campaigns.
Optimised for mobile
Challenge
Solution
Challenge / Solution
/01
Provide a ‘template-driven’ – easy to edit website – that remains on brand
By defining blocks and templates and extending standardised functionality we delivered a content-driven, fully extendable website. Via the CMS, Admin can tweak the site content for continued SEO optimisation safe in the knowledge that content styles remain on brand.
/02
Creating an immersive UI with the brand at the heart
Equipped with a fresh and comprehensive brand toolkit, the digital team confidently designed an industry-leading fulfilment website using robust UI graphics and subtle transitions that immerse the user in the world of Shape
/03
Scope for scaleability so the site can grow in size as required
Distinct landing pages can be made from a single template by employing different block colours, icons and imagery. A comprehensive asset library has been compiled in the CMS providing Admin with everything they need to easily expand the website.
