Established in 1884, Arco recorded annual sales of £214 million in 2008 but then the recession arrived. Arco’s customers struggled and performance flatlined.
The distributor of safety equipment, workwear and factory equipment needed to refocus the brand on what they stood for and what made them special, with the brief concentrated on delivering sustainable sales and profit growth.
Clarifying Arco’s purpose was the central aim and by creating new images and a change in behaviour rather than a change in logo, the brand strategy identified them as ‘Experts in Safety’.
The transformation from distributor to safety expert has resulted in remarkable success. Profit has increased by 158%, sales have increased by 25% and there has been an investment return of 270 times the design budget. They are
now sponsors of the Bloodhound and Yorkshire Air Ambulance and delivered their biggest ever order for the London 2012 games makers’ uniforms.
