Swifts Uniforms - Professional project (2017)
Full brand refresh
Project to refresh the branding of Swifts Uniforms
I joined Swifts in 2015 as a summer shop assistant, very quickly I saw the opportunity to help the brand grow by bringing it up to date. By 2016 I was made brand and marketing strategy advisor, where I pitched a concept that would build on the incredible customer service driven offering, giving customers an unrivalled experience in this area. There were many challenges along the way, a limited budget to start!
The Swifts story
J & R Swift Ltd was born making hosiery in the back room of it's founder's John and Rita's house
J & R Swift Ltd moved into it's own place (The current HQ is still in the same building!)
J & R Swift Ltd bought out a number of competitors, becoming the largest 60 denier hosiery supplier.
Declining hosiery demand meant a change was badly needed. School uniform became obvious with no local sellers.
First website launched to cater for increasing online demand. This website lasted until the 2017 refresh!
Increasing competition, declining market share and a dated image and online presence.
Time for a refresh!
Finding the Swifts brand truth
The core values
First rate service
Ease and convenience
Superior quality
Customer perceptions
“Colours and graphics are dated and unattractive”
"Helpful and honest advice"
“A family company”
"Helpful and honest advice"
“In person shop is convenient but online shop is confusing”
Here's to a bright future!
A bold colour palette to reflect the times
Accent colours
Background and text colours
Logo overload
Swifts was operating with four logo variations, each used on different touchpoints, these logos were also hand-drawn and scanned, looking scruffy as a result.
New modern, flexible logo
I created a new logo, to both reflect the past and also be flexible to a wide range of use cases. A special breast cancer support version is included, as this is a cause close to the Swifts family.
Shop in person or in your garden!
Shop wherever you want, whenever you want
A new simplified website
With the increase in competition within the local market, and an increasing amount of customers wanting to shop online, a new website was essential.
The website allows for customers to shop for all their school, team wear or corporate wear essentials. In contrast the old site only had certain products. The new website uses the Shopify platform to ensure easy management and inventory control.
It's all about the delivery (or collection!)
As part of the website redevelopment I introduced new delivery options, including a click and collect option for the first time, which is now proving the most popular.
Every penny counts, so we'll keep them safe!
In the research phase for the refresh, I found that some customers found the cost of uniform daunting, and so I introduced an option to save throughout the year to spread the outlay.
A number of parents who are separated found this service useful, allowing both partners to contribute in a quick and easy way. Schools also appreciated this service as it allowed them to pay for some student's uniforms without exchanging cash.
Retail rejuvenation
Delivering value to customers through service
Store refresh and systems overhaul
When I started, the shop was operating with a manual till and paper book based stock control, in line with the website this was upgraded to a digital system, enabling realtime stock monitoring and automatic ordering (a great help in the busy summer months!).
I also updated all the signs and decor in the shop to match the new brand system, including new staff hoodies (pictured) instead of polo shirts (of course T shirts are also available for when it gets warm).
Project challenges
A key challenge was the limited budget available and the requirement to update all touchpoints, in addition to launching new systems, processes and offerings. This helped me develop a number of skills such as graphic design, POS system management and also gave me knowledge of the Shopify platform.
I have continued to work with Swifts, advising on special projects and brand strategy.
Results
The brand refresh helped to regain the lost market share, resulting in a net increase. Online sales more than doubled as a result of the new website, with a large portion being new customers to the brand.
2020 Coronavirus strategy planning and implementation
The brief was simple, to create and implement a strategy to enable a safe environment for the team and customers to shop, whilst maintaining the level of service Swifts is known for.
Shopping online, hassle free
One of the main pain points in buying school uniform is selecting the correct size, and with trying on being unavailable this year, a range of shopping help options have been implemented, including size guides featuring 'how to measure' videos and a downloadable tape measure.
Great service, now with added convenience
Key to the swifts brand is the high levels of service and assistance offered to customers and with ramped up support options through the website, social channels and over the phone, this has been maintained, making choosing the right uniform in the correct sizes a breeze.
Shop, book and arrive
With a maximum of 5 customers safely in the shop at once, appointments have been introduced, these are bookable online and offer a convenient, hassle free way to visit the store safely. A new booking system was implemented to handle this and has been successful with over 20 appointments booked within the first week.
