Fort's CEO, Graham McCormack, explains why now is the right time to update the business's Image.

Why a brand refresh?

In an era of rapid change and global challenges, we understand the pivotal role offshore fiduciary services play in shaping our clients’ success. The brand refresh is not just a visual update, but a reflection of Fort’s commitment to staying at the forefront of industry trends. Fort is reaffirming its position as a trusted partner of fiduciary services, embracing change and innovation while upholding the core values that have defined the company for over 50 years.

And what are those core values?

When I joined Fort as CEO last year, one of the first things I did was invest time with every staff member and one of my questions was – what are the core values of Fort? It was clear very quickly that the strength of Fort’s business lies in its independence, continuity of personalised service, and being a true people first business. This carries through the brand refresh – strength in progress; strength in independence; strength in connection; and strength in execution.

Why is the brand refresh being launched now?

Fort is celebrating its 50th anniversary and we have embarked on a new growth strategy and part of this plan is to develop Fort’s brand awareness. Our independence presents a significant opportunity to grow our client and staff base and stepping up our brand profile is helping ensure we achieve those growth ambitions.

Tell us about the design and messaging in Fort's new look brand

We partnered with Potting Shed and wanted the new look brand to be an evolution of the existing brand. The Fort logo represents stability and strength, but with the new cinema 4D visuals we have developed the values into the brand to show Fort is independent, dynamic and individual.

The core brand message is strength in progress – this statement encapsulates Fort’s overarching ethos of fostering and enduring growth and innovation. We also have three other key messages: strength in independence – this key message accentuates Fort’s autonomous, flexible approach to delivering tailored solutions amidst global challenges; strength in connection – this message underscores the importance of personalised services and strong interpersonal relationships in delivering quality services; and strength in execution – this message highlights Fort’s profound expertise and effective strategies that ensure tangible, valuable outcomes for clients.

Why is this investment important?

Digital presence provides marketing possibilities and that delivers brand visibility and growth opportunities. Fort has a great story to tell as a business and having a strong digital presence enhances the credibility and trust in Fort as a fiduciary services provider and employer. Potting Shed has brought our values to life in the presentation of our brand and this is now our platform for growth.

So what lies ahead in 2024?

Fort will be continuing its 50th anniversary celebrations and the brand refresh will be used to develop and drive many of our growth initiatives. We have invested significantly into new offices in Alderney and these will offer a modern and dynamic work place, with a fully kitted out gym being part of the offering. These offices went live at the end of January 2024. We are also investing in modernising our Guernsey office and together we will have modern offices that encapsulate our people first ethos –we want our people to work in the best possible environment as that fosters excellence in what we do as a business.

Our independence continues to be our strongest selling point and we are investing to capitalise on that. We continue to see a huge opportunity for independent fiduciary providers. We are also investing in our technology platform and operating model, and also our people. We want our people to have the best tools to do their job, to work in the best environment, but to also have the package, flexibility, development and support to ensure they are achieving their personal goals, which in turn ensures Fort is achieving its strategy.

The brand refresh is the kick start to our 2024 plans. We now have a brand that represents what we are, a forward thinking fiduciary services provider that is investing for the future and growing.

This article first appeared in Issue 33 of En Voyage.

Photo Credits: Guernsey Press