B2C

Engine Room

Bringing a new fitness proposition to market by building a strong name, brand and website

Overview

Chris Heron has passion and professionalism which has put him at the forefront of fitness in London for over 10 years. Facing a saturated market, he approached Valiant to help him bring his unique indoor rowing proposition to life. We delivered a powerful brand strategy, a new name, an inspiring identity and a dynamic booking website. The result? The Engine Room has made a big splash in the London fitness scene, and has been featured in The Evening Standard, The Sunday Times and Women’s Health.

Chris saw the opportunity to develop a technology driven fitness business utilising smart, interactive and personalised data to achieve the very best results for individuals. Rowing has often been overlooked as one of the single best sports for all round fitness. Chris recognised this and worked with Olympic rowers to research and develop the first interactive rowing studio in the UK using state of the art ‘Technogym’ equipment. His brilliant concept was being brought to life in the Grade II listed church he is based in by the talented Bergman Interiors. However, a powerful vision needs a name, brand strategy, identity and website to match; that’s where we come in.

Key objectives

  • Help give this dynamic new venture a name that would match its ambitions
  • Create and drive a brand strategy to underpin all following activity
  • A new brand identity, visual asset library and social media style
  • Design and develop a powerful, engaging website that would introduce the concept and allow online booking
  • Work alongside Bergman to develop the physical application of the new brand in the interior design

Actions

Our Discover process immersed us in Chris’s new fitness proposition. The health and fitness industry is ever evolving so it was vital for us to understand the current landscape as well as everything he had planned for the future. We learnt about the Engine Room’s team and their experience, Chris’s background and his many achievements, then drilled down into their values – all of which explained how they had built such a respected reputation. His new and unique rowing proposition was really exciting; health and fitness based entirely on science, technology and results. This was a leading-edge business which needed a name and brand to match.

The name came first. Of the names we presented, The Engine Room was the one that stood out; it refers to the powerful middle rowers in a crew – perfect for the business. Next the Valiant team designed the brand identity – presenting three choices all inspired by the values, proposition and audience. The final choice is contemporary, confident, simple and sharp – it uses well-balanced typography intersected by angles inspired by the inclination of oars in the water. This brings movement and purpose. Its simplicity is emphasised in its application across beautiful quality materials and its incorporation to the stunning interiors created by Bergman Interiors.

The most important part of The Engine Room’s brand transformation was the creation of their website. Valiant designed and built a website that is bold, bright and captivating. It integrates seamlessly with their online systems making the process of booking classes simple for users. This allows The Engine Room team time to focus on enriching the face-to-face experience of the members at the gym, rather than admin. The Engine Room was launched with the help of a stylish Instagram teaser campaign, partnerships with local Lululemon and strategic PR activity.

Results

The Engine Room has an incredibly strong brand which is helping position them as innovative leaders in their industry. Featured in key publications from the Sunday Times, GQ, through to Vogue, the new mantra #thoseWhoKnowRow quickly gained traction and inspired healthier lifestyles in London. The stunning interior and Instagram worthy immersive classes are attracting a broader, bigger audience. The brand is looking strong in all its applications from door handles to headers and sports vest to smoothies.

"The resource and the team within Valiant is great. They listen to the brief, interpreted that and gave it back with bells and whistles on. They're an exciting bunch to work with and I'm really pleased, they have surprised me! I'd 100% recommend them."

Chris Heron - Owner, Engine Room

Deliverables

  • Discover
  • Research
  • Competitor analysis
  • Brand strategy
  • Brand positioning
  • Web strategy
  • Values
  • Key messaging
  • Employee engagement strategy
  • Design
  • Naming
  • Tone of voice
  • Brand development
  • Website design
  • Marketing communications
  • Launch campaign
  • Launch materials
  • Packaging
  • Prototypes
  • Develop
  • Brand guidelines
  • Brand application
  • Website
  • Deliver
  • Animations
  • Brand guidelines
  • Brand application
  • Website
  • E-marketing
  • Sales proposals
  • Marketing communications
  • Industry report
  • Employee engagement
  • Social media
  • Photography
  • Video

We've got a reputation...

Award

Reviews

International B2B Marketing Awards: Brand Initiative

Clutch: No.1 Branding Agency

World Gin Awards: World’s Best Gin Bottle Design

Clutch: Top 5 Web Agency (UK)

Marcom Awards: Gold Award

Clutch: Top 5 Packaging Agency (UK)

Awwwards: 6x Honorable Mentions

The Manifest: Top 5 Branding Agency (UK)

Hermes Creative Awards: Gold Award

The Manifest: Top 5 Wordpress Agency (UK)