Maldon Lettings Story

Discover

Makeover in Maldon

Sometimes clients come to us because they want a novel approach to an old design. That’s what happened to Claire Drake at Maldon Lettings, who’d been with an alternative company but following a change in ownership they seized the opportunity to find a new design agency.

A Brand Refresh

Claire explains: “We’d been working with them for a really long time and had been really pleased up until the takeover, so whoever we were going to choose had really big shoes to fill. Upon doing some initial research I particularly liked the fact that Right Angle provides a guarantee that they listen to you and they won’t stop until you’re happy.”

In this sort of situation where a company has a huge amount of brand recognition and in particular within an industry like residential property where instant recognition of a lettings board is vital, it’s important to build on the brand rather than entirely rework it.

Following a discussion about the direction that Maldon Lettings was taking, it seemed that not only were they about to celebrate a key business milestone but they were taking the opportunity to redecorate their premises, which in a bustling town like Maldon creates a big buzz.

It is key to Right Angle’s working practice that the consultation is a joint affair and a collaboration. Working closely with Claire they uncovered the history of the business and the meaning behind the sails of being a local business, close to the docks. This sparked a conversation around the potential design variations of the sails, to better represent Maldon Lettings when used independently and alongside with the typeface. The initial idea of earning a third sail to represent the extra decade in business and the sails creating an abstract “M” was approved and sketches/drafts were developed from there.

Design

Meeting the client’s brief

“We had high expectations from the website and they managed to exceed them. I loved that the Right Angle team had worked with such big brands. While initially, I was concerned that this would mean it wasn’t affordable, once we came down to the studio and went through everything, it was a seamless transition from our old agency. Other companies we’d spoken to would agree to things and then find problems e.g. “Oh no, that Pantone won’t be available.” But I was really impressed with Nick and the whole team who really wanted to get the job done to our satisfaction. And the fact that they were able to assist with difficult queries and recommend suppliers for items meant that it really felt like a one-stop shop.“

Maldon Lettings business stationery

Design layout and digital artwork for business cards, letterheads and compliment slips.

Deliver

The Solution

So what Right Angle came up with represents the experience and knowledge that the team at Maldon Lettings has earned in its decade in business. The sails provide an instantly recognisable motif that will ensure that the passerby will remember which agent they need to call when passing a “to let” board. Claire explains further “What I particularly liked was how amenable the team were – they wanted US to be happy. When we were looking at the lettings board, there was one part I wasn’t sure about, and what was key was that Nick pulled out of it exactly the parts that we did like and used that within the second design.”

“We’re really pleased with the final result. We have had a whole refresh on our headquarters – and it’s a dramatic change from traditional cream to a dark grey -it’s certainly made a big impact, It’s upmarket and sophisticated and that reflects us and our clients. We’ve always been leaders in what we do and this rebrand has helped move us even further forward.“

The result

Maldon Lettings now have a complete set of refreshed marketing materials, with their new branding having been rolled out consistently across their business cards, letterheads, ‘to let’ signs and shopfront. They have had a 20% increase in footfall due to the striking new shopfront, proudly displaying their refreshed logo front and centre and on sandblasted window decals. The tongue in cheek ‘to let’ boards have also helped to stir up a lot of interest making them instantly recognisable, putting Maldon Lettings on the map as being a local, professional but friendly letting agents.

So, if you’re looking for design advice, no matter where you are in your business journey, we can help. Get in touch.

If you would like to see the full Maldon Lettings design presentation, just let us know.