Marc Cloosterman, CEO, VIM Group talks with Anaezi Modu about branding.

1. REBRAND Interviews Marc Cloosterman CEO VIM Group Brand Implementatio... pagina 1 van 3
Marc Cloosterman of VIM Group Interview
Marc Cloosterman, CEO, VIM Group talks with Anaezi Modu
VIM Group is a REBRAND Inner Circle™ member: vim-group.com
What is VIM Group?
Our group implements brands locally. “VIM” stands for “Visual Identity
Management.” We assist organizations in the management of the physical change of
all brand identity touchpoints. These vary from fleet, brand portals, signage, printed
matter, retail, wayfinding, and interiors to corporate wear. VIM Group has worked on
over 1,200 projects over the last two decades. Providing consulting and project
management services in this specific area of communications is our core expertise.
VIM Group is independent, with headquarters in Amsterdam and offices in London,
Amsterdam, Toronto, Los Angeles, Dubai, Melbourne, and Frankfurt.
What is brand implementation and don’t branding consultants already offer
that?
Brand implementation is the process of physically changing all brand identity
touchpoints. Mainly this is triggered by a merger, acquisition, or repositioning that
results in the corporate brand identity needing to be changed. For midsize and large
organizations this is a complex process. Many stakeholders are involved, internally as
well as externally. Internally, for example, the work concerns communications,
procurement, and facilities management; externally it involves suppliers, agencies,
etc.
Branding consultants don’t offer these services, which is natural. Their core
competence lies in strategic and creative work. The core competence needed for
management of implementation is a business administration and logistical one.
Which clients have you worked with?
So many! In fact over 1,200 companies in various countries. I'll just share a bit of
information about three: TNT, Dubai International Financial Center, and Randstad.
TNT
TNT NV is part of the global transportation and distribution industry, and is dedicated
to providing delivery solutions to its customers. TNT serves more than 200 countries
and employs around 151,000 people.
We managed the company’s global rebrand. TNT was a Dutch/Australian company,
where Dutch TPG took over TNT. TPG then decided to transform all brand assets to
the TNT brand, since it was a more publicly known and recognized brand. We helped
them to estimate the cost of the rebranding up front, including roll-out scenarios and
potential savings per region. Working for their corporate communications director, we
prepared the plans of approach per implementation stream, one for each brand identity
touchpoint. Subsequently we managed the global implementation locally by training
TNT staff locally, assisted by local VIM Group network members.
Dubai International Financial Center
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The Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) is an onshore capital market and a
financial “free zone” situated in the heart of the city, which was established as part of
a vision to create an environment for growth and economic development in the UAE.
We provided the signage and wayfinding components for the master plan together
with the tender documentation and construction supervision for The Gate building, six
surrounding buildings, and outdoor spaces and grounds.
Randstad
Randstad Holding NV is an international business service provider with subsidiaries
in Europe, North America, and Asia. In fact, with 5,700 branches, the Randstad
Group is one of the largest companies in the world in the field of flexible work. In
2008 Randstad acquired Vedior. To manage the quality of service during the
transition and beyond, Randstad strove for uniformity in its processes and a consistent
and powerful visual identity — throughout the world.
We implemented a global brand portal, which, according to Randstad, has enabled
annual savings of 70% of their allocated marketing budget. This is realized by
reduced creative costs and optimized consistency and fulfillment on all brand identity
touchpoints.
When in the branding process do you plan for the implementation phase?
This varies. In half of our assignments we’re involved straight at the beginning of the
branding process. Clients request support for estimating the cost of the potential brand
implementation, including roll-out scenarios and cost savings. For this purpose we’ve
developed our ImpactValuator tool, which generates these figures in short time with
85% accuracy. The other half of our assignments start during or after the design
process.
How do you collaborate with designers and brand strategists?
We always work alongside designers and brand consultants on projects. Either the
client brings us in, or a designer or brand consultant advises a client to hire us.
Together we’re able to really deliver the promise of branding in real life, properly
implemented throughout all brand identity touchpoints. Our technical expertise and
knowledge of the latest technologies and innovations are a special advantage,
enabling both designers and clients to realize the most practical solutions.
What is an example of an unexpected result a company experienced without
proper implementation planning?
In fact this happens very often, and the pain is then in the cost. In our experience the
ratio between the expenditures for branding consultants and design compared to the
cost for implementation is 1 to 20! So for every $100,000 you spend on strategy &
design, you’ll spend – on average – $2 million on implementation. If you don’t
consider the implementation cost and planning at the start of a rebrand, you’ll almost
always have to make concessions during implementation, because of budget
constraints. So budget and scope implementation first!
We knew the cost of implementation is tremendous, and it is rarely ever
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accurately budgeted for in rebrands. However, we didn't know it's quite as high
as a 1 to 20 ratio! Even possibly as high as 1 to 40 — definitely key reason to plan
ahead. Thank you Marc!
You are welcome.
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http://www.rebrand.com/interviews-marc-cloosterman 3-12-2012