As part of our 20 years celebrations, we’re looking back on past projects we’re really proud of and it’s safe to say our brand positioning project for Bright Horizons is truly one of them. Juggling kids with work can be a balancing act as many of us know at 438, so having a project that allowed us to bring our own experiences and enthusiasm was really special.
Bright Horizons has been around for 30 years and has over 300 nurseries in the UK and hundreds more worldwide. Their proposition and target customer differs globally and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic changing the world of work, their brand in the UK needed a refresh to better connect with their audience and present their points of difference.
Rebranding for a new future
With flexible childcare options, enhanced communications, and programmes to prioritise parents’ mental health and work-life balance, Bright Horizons had so much positivity to surface, so they enlisted us to help create a new brand position and identity to communicate this. It needed to reflect Bright Horizon’s history and future vision and distinguish it from competitors for B2C and B2B audiences.
With many parents on the team to draw experience from and bounce ideas off, we proposed the brand positioning; ‘We Look Forward’. This showed a positive outlook for Bright Horizons’ employees, customers, parents, and children. It made the company stand out from other providers, focusing on their empathy, expertise, and innovation.
Crafting the ‘We Look Forward’ brand positioning
The phrase ‘We Look Forward’ has two key meanings. First, it shows a positive eagerness to engage with the audience. Second, it represents progress and momentum. Recognising the daily challenges caregivers, employers, and employees face, we highlighted Bright Horizons’ commitment to finding new solutions that support the changing needs of working families and create a better future for everyone.
We explored propositions for each of the audiences, together with tone of voice for each and the brand as a whole.
The lasting change on 438
The six months we spent repositioning the brand transformed its marketing strategy. It also made us reflect on 438’s offerings for working parents. Being a parent at 438 is all about flexibility, kindness, and inclusivity. Being able to get to sports day, assemblies, pick-up and school trips is an absolute priority. We’re committed to creating a supportive and genuine environment where everyone feels valued, and we promote a guilt-free work-life balance.
Immersing ourselves in this world highlighted that our approach is more important and appreciated than ever. The pandemic, coupled with our work with Bright Horizons, also encouraged us to move to a hybrid working week which has truly benefited all colleagues, especially parents. And we continue to find solutions that make life better for working parents, including enhancing our parental packages for our new parents.
Our Planning Director, Christie, reflects on how the Bright Horizons positioning offered a profound understanding of the challenges faced by working parents, especially in the post-pandemic world.
She shares: “The project opened my eyes to the challenges of childcare and the delicate balancing act it requires. Now, as a new mother to my daughter, I realise just how valuable that insight has become in influencing my priorities when finding childcare for her.”
Christie wasn’t the only one reevaluating options for working parents. Andy, our Head of Creative, worked on all the creative for the Bright Horizons rebrand and is currently on his second block of shared parental leave. He says: “If your employers are forward-thinking enough to offer a good paternity package, do it! I can’t recommend it highly enough. Thanks to 438, I’ve been to my daughter’s first splash in a swimming pool, a baby-friendly cinema screening and been the only dad at a baby massage class. All ‘firsts’ a lot of dads might normally miss out on.”
Looking to elevate your brand?
We couldn’t be prouder to have supported Bright Horizons in their ‘We Look Forward’ initiative and its knock-on effects on the agency. But, managing a complex and dynamic educational brand can be challenging. If you want to make your brand stand out, attract new audiences, sell available spaces, and improve your return on investment, we can help. We have direct experience in the education sector and know how to explain complex information clearly and engagingly. We’ll lighten your workload and create consistent communications that deliver your message. Why not say hello!