No job too small or too large
Kaplan Inc of America bought out the UK’s FTC (Financial Training Company), combining the two companies bricks and mortar estates of over 40 locations.
In 2007 a chance introduction led to Blue Strawberry Elephant taking the lead in rolling out new branding, displays and signage for Kaplan UK.
Kaplan Inc + FTC = Kaplan UK
Approach
While the new branding designs originally came out of New York, the facilities department in the UK was not fully together – so it fell to us to collaborate with the embryonic team, location managers and regions, adding to the research and collation of all the training centres, how many rooms, entrances, corridors and hallways at each – and then pricing all options in up to 5 different manufactured compositions.
To Architects floor plans and elevations we added schematics of our wallpaper, displays and signage as part of full installation packs – which included space by space fitting instructions, notes and measurements from our on site surveys.
Process
This meant, not only adapting NY‘s artwork for the British building formats, but creating appropriate displays for British tastes.
Experimental iterations came out of New York, it was our job to make them work or develop the designs into something that would work in real life.
At Reading we created solutions for reception areas, at Leeds a whole new design and treatment for a calming exam waiting experience. At each new location the concept of lecture rooms having a local street name as well as a number – we provided. The whole collaboration with Kaplan over almost two decades – kept us quite busy.
What we did
As the Facilities Management team changed and grew we were retained as Kaplan UK’s Brand Partner – with their in house teams handling websites, publications, print collateral and marketing – we added the specialist resource needed for the heavy lifting of creative design, consultancy and installation at the training centres.
Over the following years we created:
- Wayfinding and Directories
- Full corridor wall papers
- Classroom, Break out Area and Staff Room Displays…
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- Advised on what would work from both a design and manufacturing angle
- Full Location Branding Schedules
- 3D Walk arounds, Floor Plan Indicators
- Print ready Artwork
- Sign / Print Manufacturer Collaborations
- Co-ordinated manufacturing and install
- Produced Video and Animation Presentations for staff and students
- Took over from the NY studio to Create new Designs and concepts
- Collaborated with the UK Facilities Managers, Marketing Director, Student Experience team to create agreed outcomes.
- Collaborated, Coordinated and advised architects to ascertain the view of the Brand Story students would actually experience as they entered and used each centre.
We worked for, usually at, every location from the Stately Home at Caer Rhun Hall to London Borough High Street and Bristol. From Single Signs and Student Engagement QR Codes to 8 floors of Wallpaper, Displays, Door Signs (including toilets) and Kaplan Online Live Stream Backdrops.
At Bristol, Norwich, London Moorgate and Borough High Street we helped Student Experience and Marketing Departments to smooth the transition to new premises.
Taking the staff with you is an essential part of physical media – this is where they are going to spend a lot of time – so we produced pre move videos and animations to give them a taster.
Not one location failed to impress – as slick and awesome as the videos were – nothing compared to the impact of first sight of every site.
Outcome
Kaplan Financial Locations touched by Harry’s Trunk.
Aberdeen, Birmingham Baskerville House, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Caer Rhun Hall, Chelmsford, Chester, Coventry, Crawley, Exeter, Glasgow, Gloucester, Grimsby, Hull, Inverness, Ipswich, Isle of Man, Kaplan Live Online, Leeds, Leicester…
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Liverpool, London Borough High Street, London Bridge, London City / Holborn, London Islington, London Moorgate, Luton, Maidstone / Ashford, Manchester, Manchester John St, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Plymouth, Preston, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and the separate operation of Kaplan International Language School London.
Further changes at Kaplan UK – a reduction in the size of the estate and differing opinions higher up the ladder – have left us as the occasional supplier of QR code signs and Classroom Sign replacements.
So that frees up capacity and a whole lot of hard won and unique experience and expertise – for anyone who would like that kind of unstinting support.
Want to get us on board?
Working with the Facilities Team, Marketing, Student Experience and Architects we advised and planned the placement of every message throughout the physical spaces – ensuring the students journey was warm and welcoming as well as inspiring.
“Are you Ready to Fly”