Brief
Laing Homes was a division of John Laing plc, a leading house builder in the UK. Their management wanted to transform the business from a volume house builder into a premium brand, targeting upmarket customers. This required a strategic move away from an existing ‘middle market’ positioning.
Solution
Nucleus was commissioned to develop and implement a new brand experience for Laing Homes, across all media – online and offline. The key objective was to change customer perceptions and create a market leading premium housebuilder brand. We also supported an internal communications strategy to ensure that employees were galvanised into delivering a new vision for the brand.
At the heart of the brand identity, a pineapple symbol (historically used to signify hospitality) embodied the Laing Homes proposition: individuality, quality and modernity with a sense of tradition.
Results
The new brand supported higher margins and greatly increased profits. The property portfolio quickly expanded to include top end prices of well over £1 million, operating profits climbed 73% over one year (achieving an immediate ROI on the entire brand programme, 12 times over) and customer satisfaction was measured at over 85%.
Laing Homes soon achieved a premium market position which outperformed the entire sector and was sold to Wimpey for £297 million to become the only acquired brand to be retained by that company, as their premium housebuilder brand.
“Nucleus provided the strategic understanding of our business that enabled us to build a new brand that will carry forward our business for years to come.”
Steve Lidgate, Chairman, Laing Homes Group