Kudos

Kudos

brand case study

Helping a brand live up to its name

Brief

Kudos Hospitality provides high quality bespoke catering solutions and venue management, and is part of the Crown Group. The company was known as Crown Venue Catering until 2007, when it was rebranded as Kudos. However, the new brand name did not achieve the desired level of awareness, and caused confusion between the role of the parent and Kudos itself. Nucleus was commissioned to ensure clear brand positioning and to strengthen the brand image, giving it longevity and presence in a market that is increasingly dominated by multinational corporations.

Solution

Following a series of in-depth consultations with management and with key clients – including Kudos’ new food director – we made a number of recommendations including a completely new brand proposition, based on the concept of ‘Kudos know how’. This communicated their proven depth of expertise, drive and a well-appreciated ‘can-do’ attitude.

We completely redesigned the brand system to support the proposition. Straightforward, elegant and confident, it provides a set of brand assets that can be easily implemented, whilst presenting the company in a completely fresh and contemporary way – enabling Kudos to fulfil its potential.

Results

‘Know how’ was instantly accepted by management as a strong differentiator, and as a catalyst for building on the trust that has been established with clients for over 30 years. It also gives Kudos credibility against the generic offers and overclaims of many competitors. The proposition has also supported a new drive to train and retain employees, including an annual employee awards scheme.

Kudos has been named as the UK’s best food and beverage provider for the second successive year at the Meetings and Incentive Travel Industry Awards.

“We’re the equal of anyone in this business, but before starting this project we didn’t have the tools to tell our story in the right way – to either our external or our internal audiences. With ‘know how’ as our core proposition, we’re going to build our profile and reputation to the levels that we aspire to, and really fulfil the potential of our brand.”

Jon Pryce, Managing Director