A change of gears for a Formula One icon

The challenge

Formula One driver and all-round thrill-seeker James Hunt has a place in the hearts of sports fans of all ages. There is strong awareness of his exploits, particularly since the release of the movie Rush, which was based on his world championship-winning season of 1976.

The James Hunt Estate wish to reinvigorate the James Hunt brand, ahead of the 50th anniversary of James world championship. A brand strategy document was required, to refine and distill past positioning work, help clarify who the key target audiences are.

Sharp Sharp was commissioned to develop a new brand style guide through consultant Tim Collins, who is responsible for developing the brand’s commercial offering. Rights to the James Hunt brand are licensed by Global Trademark Licensing.

What we did

Sharp Sharp used the BrandSeed brand strategy process, which they have developed in house, to develop the brand strategy, value proposition and customer personas.

Working with information provided by Tim and some initial research of their own, Sharp Sharp developed a clear brand strategy, based around the brand purpose “Inject excitement into the everyday”. This provides clear creative direction for the style guide, and a distinction from other personality-based competitor brands.

The customer ‘proto personas’ provide useful insights into the three key customer segments, and provide key information in an easy to understand format (vital for retailers and marketeers who need to promote the brand).

The strategy includes a set of value propositions aimed at each of these segments, all based around inspiring people to live with the same freedom and flair which James did.

This project was carried out without having to extend the timeframe of the style guide, and working within the limited budget available to an early stage brand. Much of the raw information needed already existed and came out of conversations rather than formal questionnaires, and Sharp Sharp developed the strategy without requiring additional time from Tim or the James Hunt Estate.

Results

The first draft of the strategy required minimal revisions in order to finalise it. It has become a key document which Sharp Sharp are using to refer to and measure their work against. There is also potential for it to be used to develop tone of voice and messaging guidelines, which will provide useful groundwork for future marketing activity such as website development and social media campaigns.

Here's what Tim Collins, Sharp Sharp’s key contact regarding the brand, has to say about the process and the results:

“The strategy document has helped us to clarify what the James Hunt brand stands for today, and sparked useful conversations about who our audiences are. It is clear and concise, and needed minimal additional input from me beyond what I’d already provided to Sharp Sharp.”

Tim Collins
thebranddirector.com

We are currently working on a new James Hunt licensing style guide, which will be out on track soon.

About BrandSeed

BrandSeed brings the business benefits of a comprehensive brand strategy within reach of businesses of all sizes. The process is fast, easy for clients to grasp and economical. Most importantly it helps to ensure that the brand achieves the authenticity, consistency, differentiation and relevance required to deliver real impact for businesses. It achieves all of this through the intelligent use of AI, which is combined with expert human oversight.

To find out more, contact us to arrange a chat or you can start by completing our free five-minute brand healthcheck survey.

For enquiries about the James Hunt brand, please contact The Brand Director.