Craig Thatcher was asked to lead a digital creative team to design and build a new website for Rapport that reflects the diversity of the people employed and the variety of workplace services provided by the company. It needed to clearly communicate what makes Rapport different as the market has changed significantly and the number of competitors has almost doubled since the company was originally launched in 2011. the story for two audiences or personas Craig interviewed sixteen people comprising Rapport employees or ambassadors as they are called, as well as clients and individuals from the senior management team to find out why they all love working with Rapport. He asked them what surprised them most about the company and why it is unlike any other they have experienced. Then he drafted the copy for the website, as if it was spoken by a Rapport ambassador chatting to and welcoming visitors. USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN Significant time was spent at the planning stage, creating engaging content and designing the user experience, long before the design and build of a new website started. The user experience must represent the brand promise as well as conveying the personality of the company and the people working there. So that visitors could build their trust.  WEBSITE DESIGN AND BUILD: welcoming visitors When visitors lands on the home page, a Rapport ambassador greets them by saying ‘Good Morning’, Good Afternoon or ‘Good Evening’, depending on the time of day wherever they are in the world. These words gently fade in and are encapsulated by the Rapport speech bubble followed by a short description of what the company does. responsively designed and EASY TO USE  Craig worked with Andrew Wicks to design the website to be easy to use on desktops, tablets and mobiles, with a mega-menu in the top navigation and a small number of long pages so visitors do’t have to jump about to find what they want. The website consists of a simple home page, then separate pages for two distinct audiences or personas - one for clients and another for prospective employees - because they both need to understand distinctly different things about the company.  balancing design and user experience Discover how Andrew and Craig perfectly balanced the design and user experience   whilst developing the new Rapport website and share some great tips at the same time. writing compelling copy The copy was written by Craig in blocks of text of about 50 - 100 words to make it easier to organise them into a coherent story for each persona. He drafted the copy so that visitors could skim read just large section headings, float across the sub-headings and if something caught their attention, quickly dive into a short paragraph of copy.  Still images or films were used to support the sub-headings. The latter playing on mute, so they would not be distracting, but easily turned on if necessary. animated ILLUSTRATIONS display key numbers Craig thought it would be interesting and fun to communicate Rapport in numbers and so Andrew created doodle illustrations to help articulate key figures, and the numbers can easily be updated by Rapport in the coming months and years. Engaging FILMS Rapport has asked Craig to produce many films over the years and he has always worked hand-in-hand with award-winning film director, Nic Cornwall . For the new website Craig recommended that some of these existing films should be used alongside newly commissioned ones. filming: A DAY IN THE LIFE Of SIX ambassadors As Rapport is in competition with many other companies for top talent it is important to articulate why people should join and why they should stay. What better way than by meeting some real Rapport ambassadors? Six were filmed for a day in their lives to showcase their exciting roles and personalities, and to encourage people to consider a new career with Rapport.  The art in creating compelling short films is to meticulously plan everything in advance. So Craig was most active in the pre-production stage, whilst developing the storyboards with Nic and drafting the questions for the on-screen interviews. THE THREE STAGES OF TO CREATING GREAT FILMS Discover the three stages to creating great films  as Nic and Craig discuss the process of making six Day in the Life films for the new Rapport website and share some great tips at the same time. PHOTOGRAPHY: 30+ new Still images created Once the overall structure of the website had been developed, along with the key messages and gaps in visual content identified, it was agreed that new still images were needed to show Rapport ambassadors in impressive contemporary buildings.  On reconnaissance Craig went to a few locations with a fantastic photographer, Tom Campbell . Then we reviewed our draft copy for the website before proposing shots of Rapport ambassadors in authentic scenarios. Before planning them out across two locations and art directing the shots with Tom and two assistants to ensure everything ran smoothly. Additional shots were also taken of ambassadors in other scenarios for use in bid and tender documents to win new contracts. more than 85 people contributed Over sixty Rapport ambassadors volunteered to take part in helping to create the content for the Rapport website over 5 days of filming and the 2 days photoshoot. All were enthusiastic and patient waiting to be called in front of the cameras. This is in addition to the original sixteen interviewees and the creative team of ten. SECRETS TO A SUCCESSFUL PHOTOSHOOT Discover how the art of good communication and creating a comfortable environment are just two of the secrets to a successful photoshoot . Tom and Craig share their insights having collaborated on this shoot for the new Rapport website. LIve CHaT integration with real people Craig proposed that a Live Chat function with real people should be added to the website, as this would help to create a unique experience for every visitor, inspired by Rapport's belief that 'Every Experience Should be Unique'. "First and foremost – I think the new website is brilliant! I like the story, the tone, the images, the videos and the feeling it creates. We have made an incredible step forwards, compared to our existing website. So, thank you! It is our ambassadors that make Rapport special and therefore it was only right for them to take ‘centre stage’. The website reflects our dedication to excellence and our never-ending efforts to better serve our clients and ambassadors alike." Dirk Talsma, Managing Director at Rapport and Restaurant Associates Venues “The distinctive personality of the brand bursts beautifully to life from the pages of the new website, with a Rapport ambassador welcoming visitors and talking about the company's inclusive culture. Designed to be easy and intuitive to use for the two primary audiences, with new navigate and clear messaging. The photography and films feature ambassadors in authentic scenarios in contemporary buildings. This was an outstanding project to be involved in and the team collaborated brilliantly to bring it all together.” Craig Thatcher, Creative Director & Founder of StrawberryFinch Be Yourself FILM Craig was instrumental in creating a Diversity and Inclusion film by award-winning film director Nic Cornwall. Called ‘Be Yourself’, Nic wrote the lyrics, whilst the soundtrack was created by music composer and sound designer Dom Jones, and the Rapport choir provided the vocals. You can discover why the film was made. Building the Rapport brand since 2012 Discover how we have helped to build the Rapport brand since the beginning. Services provided Craig acted as creative and art director, copywriter, film producer and led a small, experienced team of specialist professionals.  Creative & art direction, copywriting, film production & project lead - Craig Thatcher Website design & build - Andrew Wicks Photography - Tom Campbell Filming - Nic Cornwall Need a digital creative team your new website? Contact Craig today to learn more about how we can help you launch a new website that will bring your company or brand to life.

Craig Thatcher has made a significant behind-the-scenes contribution towards helping to launch and then to build Rapport into a market-leading, award-winning, global guest services brand. With locations throughout the UK & Ireland as well as the USA and ASIA. He has achieved this by working with the senior management team, which is now headed by Managing Director, Dirk Talsma. The company is positioned on the belief that “every guest experience should be unique”, and goes to extraordinary lengths to engage, excite and empower its people to personify the brand’s values and do whatever it takes to delight their clients and guests. The secret is making their people or Ambassadors as they’re called - ‘feel special’ and in turn they make their clients and guests feel the same way. THE NAME RApport Craig led the original creative team in 2012 that developed the name ‘Rapport’ and worked closely with Greg Mace, who was Managing Director at the time, on defining the ideal market positioning, the branding and communications. He also drafted the brand values, which remain just as relevant and unchanged to this day. PLANNING PHOTO SHOOTS Craig organised the original photoshoot to create the imagery for the launch website, with a parallax scroll emulating the seamless guest story and commissioned a unique sound track to go with the film that launched the brand. All before going on to support the launch Rapport in the USA in 2014. DESIGN AND BUILD OF THE WEBSITE Craig wrote the copy for and organised the design and build of the second and third generation Rapport websites . The latest one features a small number of Ambassadors and their stories of outstanding service. It drives home the market position, as well as presenting the company to prospective clients and employees. TWO INTERLOCKING BROCHURES Craig also drafted the copy and organised the design and production of two interlocking brochures. One describes what the company does and the other describes how it does it. Both fitting perfectly together inside a new folder. SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS As there is always something new going on, the news section of the website is the place to learn more. Over the years Craig has ghost written many articles and once approved, uploaded them with photos, then created social media campaigns comprising of articles for LinkedIn and tweets to drive traffic. VOLUMES OF INSPIRATIONAL STORIES Craig organised the design, illustration and publishing of three volumes of ‘Our Collection of Inspirational Stories', that celebrated the outstanding service provided by Rapport Ambassadors. SUPPORTING THE ANNUAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS Craig has supported the awards right from the start, and they are an excellent annual event created to recognise and celebrate the outstanding levels of personalised service provided by the talented individuals employed by the company. The lapel pins given to the winners are based on the Rapport speech marque, inspired by the design of cuff links, that he commissioned a jeweller to make to celebrate the launch in 2011. STORYTELLING WITH SHORT FILMS Using film is a powerful way to tell stories or to record key events and Craig has produced several with an award-winning film director. Including one to help with recruitment, one to explain the TUPE process to new employees and another on the role of floor managers in running flexible office spaces for major clients. RAPPORT ACADEMY FOR BRILLIANT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES The Rapport Academy provides brilliant career development opportunities with a large number and variety of tailored training courses open to all. At the annual graduation event their achievements are celebrated with many receive promotions for their hard work and extra effort. WHY MY-RAPPORT? Over the years Craig has proposed many ideas, and one of the most important was MyRapport, which is an internal social media platform for Rapport Ambassadors. Because they all operate on client sites, he knew a form of ‘cultural glue’ was needed to keep them all together ‘virtually’. As it would be so easy to lose touch, not be aware of new ideas and not know what was going on without it. Launching CORPORATE RECEPTIONIST OF THE YEAR As a way of shining a spotlight on the very best front of house receptionists in the corporate world, Greg Mace developed the idea and founded a new competition called Corporate Receptionist of the Year. The only award for front of house receptionists working in the corporate sector. Craig supported the launch in 2019 and remains involved. Read more . SUCCESSFUL relationships TAKE YEARS TO BUILD Craig has a long-term relationship with Rapport who use his brand management tool, ‘Continuous Branding’ - to help lead their market, to inspire their people, to win awards and to grow in the UK and internationally. The early years of the Rapport journey appear in Craig’s book; ‘Continuous Branding’. RESULTS Up until the pandemic, Rapport grew by 20+% per annum and is the market-leader in the corporate front of house services industry and is in Europe, Asia and North America. Over the years, the company has won countless business awards and was Highly Commended for Best Strategic Development of a new Brand in 2012. NEED HELP? Craig has acted as an external Creative Director based on his knowledge of Rapport, its values and market position. If you would like help to build your new service-based company or need to refresh what you are doing, then get in contact now. KEY SERVICES PROVIDED Creative direction Naming, positioning and branding Commissioning a unique sound track to the launch film Brand values drafted Organising photo shoots at Canary Wharf and City of London Design of internal launch presentation Design and copy for three generations of websites Copywriting, design and publishing two corporate brochures Produced recruitment films and floor managers film Design, illustration and publishing of two volumes of Inspirational Stories Supported launch of Rapport in USA Design and copy for Rapport Concierge website Ghost writing news articles for website Social media campaigns

In 2025 the Corporate Guest Services Awards added a new award category for Leader of the Year and changed its name from the Corporate Receptionist of the Year Award to reflect this. It remains the only award for front of house receptionists and leaders working in the corporate sector. In 2019, as a way of shining a spotlight on the very best front of house receptionists in the corporate world, Greg Mace developed the idea and founded a new competition called Corporate Receptionist of the Year. The only award for front of house receptionists working in the corporate sector. Craig supported the launch in 2019 by leading the team that designed the brand identity, built the website whilst he provided digital marketing support and social media communications. Craig organised the design and production of the CROTY award as well as the application form, certificates and the PowerPoint template for the award ceremony. StrawberryFinch is creative partner Craig updates the website and helps to manage the key announcements to the trade press that in turn, provide coverage of the award. On the judging panel Craig is also on the judging panel and undertakes the face-to-face role play scenario that the ten finalists have to complete. The other parts of the assessment day include a face-to-face and phone role play scenario and a group task that tests their ability to work as part of a team. THE AWARD EVENT The winner is announced at the award event which coincides with International Receptionist Day and the main prize is a trip to New York. key sERVICES provided Creative direction Design, build and on-going management of website Design of the CROTY Award Design of application form Design of the Award PowerPoint presentation template Social media campaign management Judge on the panel RESULTS Since the launch, the award has gone from strength to strength and every year we try and make it better than before. NEED HELP? If you need help launching a new award, or breathing fresh life into an existing one, then get in contact with Craig now.

Discover the key points from chapter 4 Think of a brand as a person of Continuous Branding book. Key points from the chapter Think of a brand as a person People relate to service brands like their other personal relationships, using all their senses to set their expectation before actually experiencing the service itself. People with the right attitude and approach will personify your brand. Give them authority and discretion to flex their appearance, behaviour and communication depending on the particular situation in hand. If you have more than one service brand within your portfolio, make sure that the skills, experience and personalities enable each of them to compete strongly in their respective markets, and not with each other. Proactively manage the relationship between your service brand or brands and the personal brands of the key people that work for them. Previous chapter Next chapter All chapters Branding tool Order ebook, audiobook or paperback. From £7.95 inc VAT. Buy now

Discover the key points from chapter 1 Why branding is vital of Continuous Branding book. Key points from the chapter Why branding is vital Service-based organisations have to overcome issues that manufacturers of products do not – the intangibility of their services, market differentiation, adding value to their offers rather than cutting costs and engaging people in new ways. There is a fundamental relationship between branding and design to be exploited by those that recognise the existence and relevance of it. Continuous Branding is a strategic tool to be used by service-based organisations to grow consistently, sustainably and to communicate clearly. Measure the impact of branding against your organisation’s key objectives and link it strategically to your brand’s performance. This encourages continuous innovation and renewal with more consistent growth. Previous chapter Next chapter All chapters Branding tool Order ebook, audiobook or paperback. From £7.95 inc VAT. Buy now

Discover the Top Ten tips for your Continuous Branding project TOP 10 TIPS for a successful branding project Here are our top ten tips to help prepare for a successful branding project. It doesn’t matter where you start your journey. Its where you go that’s important. Nobody seems to explain what the stages of branding are or how to prepare, because it demands so many different skill sets to complete successfully. It can also be confusing if you listen to some practitioners who like to make it appear more complicated. It isn’t. Discover some of the many marketing and business challenges that our brand tool can help you to overcome. Appoint a specialist Select the right branding consultant or agency partner because you’re going to need specialist expertise to guide you on your journey. Make sure they have the relevant skills and experience. Do they have a tried and tested creative process? Do you think they have the ability to challenge you, guide you and listen to you when needed? Are they able to work collaboratively with you? You’ll achieve a better, more robust result with this type of relationship because it will complement the skills and experience of the individuals you’ve enlisted internally. This is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make because the difference in the results you can expect from working with the best people - and the rest - could be the difference between success and failure. Write a clear brief Provide all the relevant background information to your market, competitors (including any research findings), the project objectives, an indication of budget, any constraints, the timeframe, the approval process and when a response is required. Set your target for success What are the deliverables? This should correspond with what you need the project to do for your organisation. How are you going to measure whether you’ve been successful? You can use numbers, or specific qualitative targets or goals. Share these with your agency so they’re clear about what the objectives are, and they’ll rise to the challenge with their proposed creative solution, giving you something solid to judge it against. Engage decision makers Engage all key people throughout the entire process. This is especially important when agreeing the positioning for your brand. If everyone is not in agreement with the new proposed position, you’ll never agree on the creative solution to achieve it. You’ll also need their support and a united front when you introduce your brand to others in your organisation. I appreciate that it isn’t possible to include everybody all of the time and you’ll have to decide when and how to involve them. Ensure all on board Make sure everyone is ‘on board’ at the right time in your timeframe. The people in your organisation can make or break your brand so this is an important point. You need to let them know precisely how to personify your brand and any other ways you expect them to help you. Fix date for launch Organise a launch event to celebrate and communicate your new or refreshed brand. Set a date and stick to it. The event doesn’t need to be large but do organise a venue that reflects your brand’s personality - and send out invitations. Having a date ‘set in stone’ helps focus minds on a point in time and reduces procrastination and indecision. Do what you say Do what you say you’re going to - when you say you’re going to do it. It can be difficult to get everyone on board, to get decisions and feedback on time and to gain consensus, especially with a large group of people. But it’s essential to keep the process on schedule as procrastination can seriously disrupt the whole process. Make sure you factor in reasonable time for discussion and debate as this will give you a chance to iron out any differences in the time available. Clear prompt feedback Be clear, prompt and honest with feedback to your agency partner. Everyone in the team needs to be clear on what they’re doing, when they need to do it and to provide prompt feedback within the agreed timeframe. Otherwise you’ll be at risk of going round in ever decreasing circles which burns up time and money very quickly. Be brave to be different The Bible says that the meek shall inherit the earth, but in my experience meek brands are never successful. You have to be brave to be different - to stand out and be noticed. When I say brave, I don’t mean reckless. If you work in a large organisation you may be thinking this is easier said than done. Well it is - but it shouldn’t stop you doing it. Too many organisations find it easier and safer to blend in with their competitors because they feel clients are all looking for the same sort of service provider. This is a flawed strategy because their clients will find it difficult to pick them out. Differentiation is what they need. Launching is not the end Keep your brand moving forward on a continuous basis after the launch. Remember the launch date is a significant milestone on your journey, not the end of the branding process. It’s tempting to launch, then sit back and congratulate yourself, but this is dangerous territory. Once you’ve introduced your brand to your own people and clients you need to develop and commit to a plan that keeps your brand in front of them on a continuous basis.