As part of a £600m regeneration programme, Invest Thames Gateway last week launched a new brand and communications programme to attract businesses to the area. Corporate Edge was the agency behind the work.
Invest Thames Gateway was formed earlier this year as a partnership between the three Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) covering the area – those for London, the South East of England, and the East of England (LDA, SEEDA, and EDA*) – together with the Department for Communities and Local Government.
RDA Project Director Gareth John said that both the partnership and the development of the brand reflect the priority being given to the Thames Gateway’s regeneration. “The area’s prosperity is essential to the future growth and competitiveness of the UK as well as London’s status as a global city,” he said.
John also highlighted the challenges that had been overcome so far. “Trying to create a brand for a virtual area such as the Thames Gateway was a very difficult task, especially given the political focus upon the region and the vast array of differing stakeholder opinions that exist within the region.”
“Corporate Edge's approach was exemplary in how they established a vision for the project and worked with the partners to realise it. For the first time ever, the Thames Gateway now has a unified presence to take forward into the inward investment marketplace,” he said.
Corporate Edge Managing Partner Bridget Ruffell explained the significance of the brand to the regeneration programme: “The Thames Gateway has huge economic potential but this will only be fully realised if potential investors can see and ‘feel’ the benefits of living and working there. We have used our experience in location branding to develop a brand, website and other launch communications that persuasively convey these benefits”.
The Thames Gateway area stretches from Canary Wharf in East London to Southend on the north side of the Thames Estuary and Sittingbourne on the south side. Its regeneration, started in 2003, is the largest project of its kind in Western Europe.
For more information please visit the Invest Thames Gateway website