HOME - :: One of Alex’s first clients was Yorkshire Water. This experience helped shape the way he thinks about both branding and the role brands should play in peoples’ lives. :: Yorkshire Water is one of the biggest companies in the region. But back in 2000, a wave of bad press, hosepipe bans and price rises meant that it wasn’t particularly well regarded by the people of Yorkshire. :: The answer lay in re-framing the company; from a utilities provider to a consumer product. And a great tasting, healthy one at that. But we knew that we wouldn’t be able to do this with another advertising campaign. Just like any other consumer good, we needed to brand the product itself. But how on earth do you brand the water that comes out of the tap? :: Cool Schools was the first campaign that brought this strategy to life. At a time when new research was showing the damaging effects of dehydration on children’s performance in schools, another study showed that 42% of children in Leeds didn’t have access to drinking water. And most of those that did had to get it from the toilet area. :: The Cool Schools scheme didn’t just put safe drinking water into these schools; it made it fun for children to drink the stuff. Funky bottles were designed to be used with the flash new water coolers, and 82% of children subsequently said they enjoyed drinking water from them. The initiative reached 250,000 children and the following year it was named in the Government’s Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools. :: All the while these activities were communicated to parents and Yorkshire Water consumers. Suddenly, they went from being the guys who cause traffic jams with their holes in the road, to the guys who improve the health of their children with their thoughtful approach. And just as importantly, it showed how Yorkshire Water’s main product tasted great and was blindingly good for you. :: This formative experience has inspired Alex’s work on brands ever since. Firstly, by instilling a rigorous desire to get to the bottom of the business problem. Because only then can you understand what the best way might be to tackle it; perhaps advertising, perhaps an event or perhaps even a water cooler. :: But just as importantly it showed that communications objectives can be met as a corollary of social, community or environmental objectives. A belief he continues to be a strong proponent of through his work on brands today. -

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:: One of Alex’s first clients was Yorkshire Water. This experience helped shape the way he thinks about both branding and the role brands should play in peoples’ lives.

:: Yorkshire Water is one of the biggest companies in the region. But back in 2000, a wave of bad press, hosepipe bans and price rises meant that it wasn’t particularly well regarded by the people of Yorkshire.

:: The answer lay in re-framing the company; from a utilities provider to a consumer product. And a great tasting, healthy one at that. But we knew that we wouldn’t be able to do this with another advertising campaign. Just like any other consumer good, we needed to brand the product itself. But how on earth do you brand the water that comes out of the tap?

:: Cool Schools was the first campaign that brought this strategy to life. At a time when new research was showing the damaging effects of dehydration on children’s performance in schools, another study showed that 42% of children in Leeds didn’t have access to drinking water. And most of those that did had to get it from the toilet area.

:: The Cool Schools scheme didn’t just put safe drinking water into these schools; it made it fun for children to drink the stuff. Funky bottles were designed to be used with the flash new water coolers, and 82% of children subsequently said they enjoyed drinking water from them. The initiative reached 250,000 children and the following year it was named in the Government’s Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools.

:: All the while these activities were communicated to parents and Yorkshire Water consumers. Suddenly, they went from being the guys who cause traffic jams with their holes in the road, to the guys who improve the health of their children with their thoughtful approach. And just as importantly, it showed how Yorkshire Water’s main product tasted great and was blindingly good for you.

:: This formative experience has inspired Alex’s work on brands ever since. Firstly, by instilling a rigorous desire to get to the bottom of the business problem. Because only then can you understand what the best way might be to tackle it; perhaps advertising, perhaps an event or perhaps even a water cooler.

:: But just as importantly it showed that communications objectives can be met as a corollary of social, community or environmental objectives. A belief he continues to be a strong proponent of through his work on brands today.

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