Who developed the brand - How-the-brand-was-developed - Devon Brand

Who developed the brand?

A steering group was put together to develop the brand. The group included representatives from Devon County Council, Devon and Cornwall Business Council, Devon Rural Network, Devon tourist attractions, Plymouth University, Devon Arts Culture and Weather World.

This group met regularly and reported quarterly to a wider working group made up of organisations representing businesses, tourism, charities and community groups from across the county.

To appoint an agency to develop the brand, a fair tendering process took place which assessed agencies on experience and value for money. The group appointed a branding agency called 23 Red based on their vast experience of destination branding.

23 Red are not based in Devon but did offer the best experience at the best price. Although Devon County Council award the majority of contracts to businesses within Devon, it was felt by the steering group that it would be beneficial for an agency who didn’t know the county to develop the brand. As outsiders, they would have to research a clear picture of what devon ‘is’ without relying on what they already know of the county.

The cost for developing the brand was £40,000. This paid for an 8 month process which involved 23 Red talking to people across the county to establish ‘what Devon is’, developing 4 ideas for a brand and testing these widely on people inside and outside Devon throughout August and, on the basis of this, developing a finished brand.