Co-op eyes community image in group rebrand

by James Quilter, Marketing 24-May-06, 08:10

LONDON - The Co-op has approved plans to rebrand all its businesses and stores as The co-operative, following a nine-month trial.

The Co-op group consists of several sub-brands, including The Co-operative Bank, Funeralcare, Pharmacy and Co-op Welcome, all of which use the Co-op cloverleaf motif as a unifying identity.

These will now operate under the banner of The co-operative, accompanied by a one-word description of the store; the cloverleaf logo is to be scrapped.

Zoe Morgan, Co-op group marketing director, said one of the main aims of the rebrand was to boost awareness of its positioning as a community retailer.

Morgan was responsible for instigating the trial last September, which ran across 40 stores and five regional societies. It was backed by an ad campaign using the strapline "The co-operative. Where everyone profits", which was intended to highlight the stores' community and fair-trade credentials.

She is now drawing up a schedule for the roll-out of the rebrand, which will be put to the board for final approval in July. The submission is likely to include plans for advertising, which is handled by McCann-Erickson.

"This is the biggest project of its kind undertaken by the group for more than 30 years. It will involve a plethora of activity, including bringing the identity to more than 3400 outlets," said Morgan.

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