Archive for 2011
Name creation for TfL
Creating a name for a scheme that will change the way we think about moving around London.
Source London is a new London-wide electric vehicle charging network initiated by the Mayor of London with a view to promote the widespread use of electric vehicles (EV) throughout the capital. From Spring 2011 there will be a phased installation of 1,300 public charging points on residential streets and off-street locations such as car parks, supermarkets, shopping and leisure centres.
It is a very important initiative, designed to change the way we think about getting around London. We worked with Transport for London, one of the principal partners and the organisation that will run the scheme, to develop the new brand.
The challenge was to create a name that would apply not only to the network but also to the charging points themselves. Since the charging points would be located across London and in many public locations, the views of the London Boroughs and other organisations had to be taken into consideration in the naming process. Our usual naming process perfectly fitted the bill.
We held a naming workshop to which a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives of the London Boroughs, were invited. Those present at the workshop participated in a series of exercises designed to elicit the most favoured brand names already in use and to generate suggestions for name candidates and types of names that would be relevant for the scheme.
Such workshops do not always produce a suitable name but are invaluable in providing direction as to the type of name (common usage, made up name or hybrid), the meaning behind the name, sound of the name etc. Following the workshop we had a clear sense of direction and were able to generate a good number of name candidates for the long list. In due course the long list was whittled down to a short list which included the word Source.
Already there are more electric drivers in London than anywhere else in the UK and when the scheme is complete there will be twice as many charge points in London as there are petrol stations. Transport for London has offered the Source brand to other cities in the UK so we shall no doubt be hearing this name many more times in the future.
Naturally we are supporters of the initiative and personally some of us are looking into the possibility of changing our preferred form of transport to EV.
To find out more visit https://www.sourcelondon.net/
Artoil opens in Ufa
The second Artoil station has opened to much aclaim in the Urals city of Ufa. The first station in the wealthy Moscow suburb of Rublevka caused quite a stir but not as much as Ufa where retail is still a few years behind. Ufa customers were very pleasantly surprised that an oil company had finally decided to present its offer up to the standard and beyond of any other major shopping centre retailer. See russian tv story.
Minale Tattersfield head of retail David Davis comments that it was great to see that such a city as Ufa should benefit from outside investment dedicated to bringing some colour to a normally dreary and functional retail sector. It was also a personal milestone for owner Rishat Safin who is native to this region.
Photo and construction courtesy of Etalon.
Repsol Solar Water Heating Car Wash
Outside Barajas airport in Madrid can be seen solar panels on top of the Repsol jet wash bays. Look closer and it’s clear that these are not solar PV electricity generators which have appeared on petrol station canopies over recent years but water heaters for supplying warm water at the jet wash nozzle.
By using solar water heaters in this way Repsol will gain from offsetting the cost of either a gas fuelled heater or an electricity fuelled heater. Savings will be manifest not only as reduced energy bills but reduced maintenance costs for conventional heating apparatus.
...but why not communicate the environmental benefits more obviously?
Posts
