A rebrand to connect people with place - Historic Coventry Trust

Originally set up in 2011 to save one of Coventry’s most important buildings, today Historic Coventry Trust has started the largest transfer of public heritage assets to a charity in Europe. This change of scale prompted a growth in ambition, as the Trust looked to become more visitor, community and activity focussed, they asked rbl to help align their brand with this new, wider purpose. Insight Our initial research highlighted low community awareness of the Historic Coventry Trust. Those that were aware of the Trust thought of them as primarily a preservation organisation looking to ‘save’ buildings. As the Trust was looking to move on from pure preservation, we needed to find ways to demonstrate how they would bring new life to the City’s heritage. This raised an important question. What is heritage in a city of innovation? Coventry is a city that through revolution and regeneration has re-invented itself time after time. To reach out and make heritage not only relevant but influential in Coventry’s future we would need to create connections between people and place, and between the past and the present. Ideas As the focus for the organisation was shifting to becoming a more open and active part of the City we looked to mirror this by opening their brand up – creating a more transparent framework to be filled with life and culture. While retaining the key elements that had help build the Trust’s reputation as a key part of the city’s establishment, a trusted partner in historic building restoration and regeneration. Impact The result is a more flexible, legible and representative brand, with a wide range of tools and assets – from inspirational communications to clearer wayfinding – that can help the Trust to operate top-class visitor attractions and offer luxury accommodation; act as landlords to innovative businesses and hosts to engaging events; and play a vital, inclusive and influential part in the local community. “rbl have gone above and beyond at every stage of the process, from adding valuable insight to helping navigate the needs of complex stakeholders they’ve never lost sight of what matters and they’ve helped us create a clearer more inspirational vision for the organisation” - Graham Tait, Assistant Director, Historic Coventry Trust