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Rad Sofronijevic: ‘Rebrand allows Co-op to assert independent identity’. Inset, the new logo, based on the logo of the International Co-operative Alliance


YOU NEED TO KNOW


at a glance


 The new Co-op Travel logo will be white and blue. It follows Midcounties Co-operative Travel’s decision to adopt the International Co-operative Alliance’s (ICA) logo.


 Midcounties chose the ICA- style logo (left) instead of the ‘clover leaf’ logo (below) of The Co-operative Group, the UK’s largest co-operative.


 Since 2013, Midcounties’ travel agency shops have carried a dark blue fascia and been branded ‘Co-operative Travel, part of The Midcounties Co-operative’.


Midcounties to rebrand all shops as Co-op Travel


Juliet Dennis juliet.dennis@travelweekly.co.uk


Midcounties Co-operative Travel is renaming all its high street shops Co-op Travel in a sweeping rebrand aimed at cementing its position as the leading travel co-operative in the country.


It will be the first time the


society’s shops have carried the Co-op Travel brand in a decade. The society-wide change will


see all Midcounties Co-operative’s divisions, which include 58 travel agencies and 160 homeworers in its Personal Travel Agents division, as well as more than 400 food stores, nurseries, funeral homes and pharmacies, rebranded at “significant cost. iner details have yet to be


confirmed but the rebrand – set for spring 201 – is due to involve “far-reaching change to bolster its position as a leading  travel agency and set it apart from other co-operative societies. In addition to new shop fascias, changes being discussed are new travel agency uniforms, window displays, mareting straplines and campaign messages. This could, for example, include straplines such as ‘our Co-op Travel’ and ‘wned By ou’. ew-loo shop fascia have been


trialled at Midcounties’ Solihull branch, but this could still change. The move follows the disappearance of The Co-operative Travel brand from the high street as a result of the end of the joint venture with Thomas Coo in ovember 2017. Coo too full


4travelweekly.co.uk15 November 2018


“It is a simpler brand and we can have our own identity and freedom”


ownership of The Co-operative Travel shop networ, rebranding or closing all branches. ad Sofronijevic, chief operating


officer of Midcounties’ travel group, said: “e are the largest co-operative travel group and see the rebrand as an opportunity to establish ourselves as the national co-op travel brand. It is a simpler and clearer brand and we can have our own identity and freedom. Sofronijevic said the society was


left with a challenge over whether to go with the national Co-op brand (light blue ‘clover leaf’)


 Previously the shops had a distinctive orange fascia, but this was changed to distinguish the stores from the national brand, The Co-operative Travel, which is now no longer on the high street.


or identify itself as a separate, independent society. “The big decision has been


taen to follow the International Co-operative Alliance branding, she said. “e wanted our own identity in the . “e have to wor out what


that will loo lie for our travel business. ur brands will all incorporate Co-op Travel, but we are woring through our whole brand strategy – it’s a big tas. She said the brand had benefited


from consumers believing it was part of the national Co-operative group, but it now wanted to assert its independent identity. “In our annual survey staff


satisfaction levels are up, which gives us confidence as we are doing this rebrand strategy on a very engaged base, she added.


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