JWDK develops new brand for British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai

Creative agency JWDK have launched the new corporate brand and website for the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai (BritCham Shanghai), opening a greater opportunity for British business in this region of the world.

As a nonprofit organisation, BritCham Shanghai serves the needs of its fee-paying members from large multi-national corporations to small businesses. After conducting a series of in-depth focus groups with members, JWDK’s research revealed that the Chamber needed to radically modernise its brand from the inside-out.

According to Kristen Johnston, founder and CEO of JWDK, the main problem was that BritCham Shanghai was failing to communicate effectively to its stakeholders.

“So many people simply didn’t know what the Chamber did, nor what it stood for. We knew at this point that the rebrand needed more than just an evolutionary refresh — rather the members were seeking something more modern, dynamic, youthful and in keeping with the digital age,” she says.

One of the most significant strategic advancements for the brand was to commercialise its offer. JWDK helped the Chamber repackage its breadth of services into a range of products under three distinct ‘value-streams’- advocacy, knowledge and community. The new three-part logo represents the three value streams, connecting them as a star. The name expands and contracts to fit any space and aims to be a vehicle for speaking about the key benefits of the Chamber.

The essence and purpose of the brand is to make ‘connections’. From this JWDK created the strapline, ‘Let’s Connect.’ The agency also designed the mobile-friendly and bilingual website, which facilitates the products and activities of the Chamber. The website also serves to inform members of latest events and social get- togethers and even includes even smallest details such as post-Covid iconography.

“The new brand marks a new age of modernity, diversity and inclusion for the Chamber. The value that we bring has truly been solidified,” says James Dunn, executive creative director at BritCham Shanghai.