Nationwide Portman Rebrand

The 2006 merger of Nationwide and Portman Building Societies brought about the need for all Portman branches to be rebranded under the Nationwide guise in time for the official day of merger. Mace Retail's commission to deliver rebranded stores involved the removal of all customer facing Portman signage, including external fascias of all branches.

In order to reduce risk, Mace carried out these works within a six-week period prior to the mergers final launch. New signage was covered and unveiled immediately before the weekend of which the merger officially took effect, giving the team sufficient time to rectify any snagging issues before the set deadline.

Modifications to counters and new marketing and IT enabling works were also conducted in a similar manner. One challenge facing the team was that of the iconic Portman House building in Bournemouth, of which had external signage displayed on the tenth floor of the building, with high visibility within the surrounding area.

Mace achieved an overall saving of 10% against the allocated budget and achieved high customer satisfaction without disrupting the normal business activities of the client. The successful project also resulted in the lead project manager receiving a special PRIDE award for his contribution.

The Nationwide award summation said the following of the Mace team:

•    “Exceptional in services delivered”
•    “Meticulously planned”
•    “Achievement over and above their everyday jobs”
•    “Rose to the challenge and responded magnificently”