Lavazza coffee shop is running abroad with the new format Espression - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

A design concept signed by Crea International supporting italian brand’s internationalization as told by Marco Valle, the Lavazza coffee shop director.

"Espression is a highly identification place of Lavazza brand, a combination of creativity and style in which the coffee expertise and the typical italian design concept are blended.

The layout’s aim is all italian and plays on design elements and on creativity which is expressed not only in an aesthetic way, but even in the products’ offer. Instead the retail design reflects our bands values. A modern design, rotating around photography’s world. Design innovation can be discovered even in small details, together with the use of technology, allowing great flexibility according to the contexts in which we operate. The physical layout is adaptable to every single necessity of the store”.

This is what Marco Valle said during an interview on the magazine “Retail & food”, focusing above all on demonstrating how the company objective aims not in a strong numerical development, but in presiding over specific areas, well representing the countries in which the company invests.

After first opening of the pilot coffee shop concept in Turin, the brand has started to spread in a trasversal way.

The store in Malpensa is one of the last ones, half in China, Belfast, Dublin and Budapest airports and a deal made with chinese partners which allowed to open in 10 months 18 shops between Shangai, Guangzhou and Beijing, with the aim to join more than 200 stores in the next five years.

“Espression” really aims in telling “Italy” in a new but absolutely truthful and current manner.

Old traditional stereotypes have to be put aside in order to bring to the surface a truer and more modern way of being Italian, communicating that originality, vitality, pluralism of languages and cultures, typical of italian culture and its “ecleticism”, offering the pleasure to drink a coffee in an amusing, emotional, innovative and different environment. In Italy Lavazza does not need to improve the brand awareness because the brand holds 48% in retail market, serving more than 10 thousand bars.

That’s why the attention of the the company is now focused in investing abroad.
Click here to find espression coffee shops worldwide.

Forte Bank – supporting your success, the last challenging project signed by Crea International - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

A new banking brand with the mission to be a step ahead on retail banking kazakh market, through a premium positioning

“Forte Bank” (Almaty – Kazakhistan) the new rebranded METROCOMBANK has just announced the launching of a new banking brand

A bank looking at the future and innovation but still keeping the own cultural and traditional roots. “ In mid 2010, we decided to rebrand the bank. There were a number of key reasons: the perception of METROCOMBANK as a retail bank offering express loans and its association with a Russian bank. The Bank has rapidly repositioned itself as the institution offering the highest quality banking services to the SME and corporate clients. We are now ready to demonstrate that the bank has changed not only the logo and name, but also the philosophy of customer service,''- said Guram Andronikashvili, CEO of “ForteBank” JSC.

A project where Crea International was involved in a multiprofile design,

ranging from new brand identity with the creation of a new logo to a new branch design concept and on product and fashion, to give the company a new repositioning on the market.“We create for Fortebank a unique identity that is a mix of international contemporary and Kazakhstan rooted mood, both in branding and in physical design for branches. Every single detail has been designed following this philosophy, from logo to visuals, from branches to people dress code. The results is a new bank image that is setting a new standard in banking sector in Kazakhstan. As for the new branches, we focus our design in creating a totally brand new customer experience, unseen so far in the country. The Fortebank branches have a customer service designed on some clear statements: simplicity in managing transaction, effectiveness in supporting customer's consultancy and learning needs, high quality in space experience. Fortebank will contribute to open a new way of doing banking in Kazakhstan and to communicate worldwide the New Kazakhstan business standards." Words that Massimo Fabbro, Ceo of the Physical Brand Design company proudly expressed, having been able of working and successfully complete such an articulated project. 

The Bank will continue to serve businesses in Kazakhstan, offering unique products and first class service.

The new brand is designed to strengthen the association with the chosen strategy and to enhance the reputation of the bank as a financial institution built exclusively for Kazakh businesses. The unique and personalized service model is designed putting customers as central fulcrum of all processes using newest banking technologies and completely different from the banking processes used by the traditional banks in Kazakhstan. Forte Bank first aim is to pay attention at its customers and keep beside them step by step along their business growth to establish a strong and longterm relationship well reputed and unmistakable, teaching them the techniques and procedures to improve their business strategies.

The chosen name ForteBank (in different languages "Superior" "Fast", "built for the ages") reflects the concept of the new brand to communicate a cool, iconic and premium institution,

going through cross border dimension, focused on cultural Kazakhstan reinterpretation. The new bank's logo was created by a Kazakh ornament coming from bording country, a reinterpretation of traditional yurta ornamental motifs, acknowledging country’s origin. Logo is the first element of brand graphic dna: it expresses bank values and imagery in just one simple sign using a huge pattern tone on tone helping to make the brand be immediately recognizable and premium looking reassuring for the huge use of logotype. The font of logo is customized to give a tone of unicity to the bank. Colours are unique for Kazakh banking market, result of a study, managed by Crea International working team, on kazakhstan banking colour scenario, to find out new gradations never used by competitors which could express the national iconic colours, deeply rooted in local traditions: burgundy and sky blue color. An accurate choice to create a premium brand perception deriving from from the chromatich constrast of dark and light colours.

In the very near future, the bank will present its new Forte Bank branch in Almaty, fully projected by the retail design company.

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Physical-Brand-Design eclecticism showcased on the prestigious design magazine “Ottagono”: different projects, striking the balance between aesthetics and emotions - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

“Transforming the relationship model” : space to create value for the brand through service innovation, working on some strategic souls such as reputation and customer engagement

Four different projects, from different geographical areas and fields showcasing how Physical Brand Design translates the heart of the brand through design innovation, but adapting it even according to the culture and traditions of the country, without imposing its own style. Each project is handled by a multidisciplinary team of individuals of different ages and with widely diverse professional experiences with the goal to change the relationship between place, use and users creating a new service model and a new retail service design journey of the space.

Innovation is not necessarily synonymous with technology but Crea International often uses space to create innovation, not through material codes or colors, but just as tool to communicate emotions as in the case of Air Bank, the Czech bank which stepped out from traditional and old banking stereotypes. The space organized around a central “agora” surrounded by a stepped amphitheater and the assertive use of colors, make the branch iconic and recognizable and are making the success of the bank, which has opened 15 branches in less than one year.

Another interesting and out of the box project by the retail design company, published on the magazine is “1001 nights”, a concept restaurant in a big hub for Qatari people entertainment, offering a complete dining experience: different landscapes for a variety of different menus and dining room atmospheres.The access is conveyed by a magic pipe which takes people into the different areas of the building, living from the underground one through a set course, passing under a waterfall, to a very dark and scenographic lobby, where the most sophisticated technology leads people in choosing food. A place where it’s possible to choose food experience, if being serviced by attendants, or receiving food without seeing anybody, through innovative tricks. 

Once again space astonishes, surprises and offers a unique and memorable experience. In Tim retail stores instead, another important Physical Brand Design project space is focused to reinforce brand identity, reputation and positioning, maintaining the historical values of the company. The aim is to offer a “warm technology” to shift attention to products, services and communication, avoiding the invasive presence of technology and tempering the chilly appearance of plastic and telecom products with warm colors and materials with a modularity of the space. 

Last but not least in terms of innovation for Arab culture still anchored to its traditions, is Saudi Arabian Airlines, where a radical reorganization of the space focusing on the culture and everyday lifestyles in Saudi Arabia characterizes its branch offices around the world. The other side of the moon is the design metaphor of the entire space, from the craters in the floors to the round ceiling light units, to the graphic patterns to decorate the surfaces. A space focused on customer engagement for a total new experience within the space and values of the brand.

See also:

A store more than a bank: Air Bank branch invites people to go and live the bank - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

Numbers demonstrating how service design innovation has contributed to grow customer satisfaction

Physical Brand Design strategy has succeeded to reach the goal in creating a new retail banking design format, capable to attract customers, giving them an overall feeling of reassurance and freedom.

A community environment, based upon relationship and retail codes which has contributed in just 4 months to achieve 20 thousands customers who have around 9 billion CZK (360 mil. €) and to plan for the end of 2012 to have 60 – 70 thousands of customers. These results, besides obviously the commercial strategies of PPF company, have been even reached thanks to the retail service design strategy which has succeeded in creating a new experience inside the branch, helping to increase customer loyalty.

A fact also emphasized by the numerical statistics: more than 80 % customers choose Air Bank from the 5 biggest bank in Czech Republic, 60 % of new account requests are made through internet and 40 % in stores. But signed agreement are 60 % completed in stores and 40 % on internet (even if the full online sign-up is supported).

It means, that 20 % of all customers start filling the request form on internet but prefer to go to the store and finish the procedure. An important element, underlining how the customer feel reassured and loose in finalizing its operations within the branch. A success that will be discussed tomorrow in Paris at Efma conference “Branch of the future” by Air Bank marketing director Jakub Petrina.

 See the attached video with the interview to Martina Duskova, store manager in Air Bank branch in Prague explaining and confirming how physical brand design empowered customer’s loyalty.