When is a ship not a ship? 

Brand strategy
Naming
Membership strategy
Audience strategy

Answer: when it’s more.

There’s an ongoing debate about where brand strategy begins and ends and I’m continually told that that what I deliver isn’t ‘just brand strategy’. One example is a recent, really exciting project with SS Great Britain which has led to them reclaiming the Bristol Dockyards occupied by the ship – rather than just rebranding the SS Great Britain itself. To work on the world’s first Steam Ship was an absolute privilege – an iconic feat of engineering, the first transatlantic ship not to rely exclusively upon wind power. It transformed the world as we know it and is a loved part of Bristol’s heritage. The challenge: most Bristolians have been on a school trip and see no reason to return. And Bristol’s visitors don’t feel it’s for them, either. The SS Great Britain team had to make it feel more relevant, in order to survive.

SS Great Britain

I’ve worked with 9 museums – all face a tough generational change. As punters, we’re all more demanding. We want Museums to feel enjoyable, unmissable, relevant, exciting, engaging, whoever we are. It’s a lot. So, our research covered over 40 leading visitor attractions and museums globally, detailed scrutiny of visitor audiences and membership, conversations with local people and workshops with the whole SSGB team (including their amazing volunteers).

Inspiration actually came from the City of Bristol itself: what did Isambard Kingdom Brunel have in common with the place he called home? A Venn diagram of Bristol and Brunel threw up some interesting intersections: Innovation. Anarchic thinking. Making life better for people. Fairness. Creativity. Determination. Connection. This was the basis of a rich strategic route, that began with reclaiming and renaming Brunel’s overlooked site. Brunel’s SS Great Britain has become Bristol Dockyards, a vibrant hub for culture, education and innovation that’s home to the famous ship – but also to the world-acclaimed Brunel Institute, to the Young Brunels education programme, to the new Dockyard Museum and to the Being Brunel experience that shares Brunel’s life and influences. Far more than a ship. The team have immediately embraced their new lease of life with a vibrant activity programme – watch this space, especially if you live in Bristol. I loved this project.

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“Run Jump Fly took a wide-ranging brief against the backdrop of an organisation in transition and helped us find real clarity. The impact has been huge. Out of this work came a bold, rebellious visual identity, a newly refined vision and a five-year strategy that the whole organisation could get behind. It was a genuinely transformative piece of work that inspired new ways of thinking. We couldn't recommend them highly enough.”

Beth Meade

Director of Marketing and Experience, Bristol Dockyards