Knight Frank

Investment Management

Building a brand for an established B2B business

Knight Frank Investment Management (KFIM) is the specialist property investment arm of Knight Frank. The business operates independently but with the influence & scale of the world’s largest privately-owned property services business behind it.

Internal change, including a new CEO, and significant market evolution led an organisation with no track record of branding or marketing to seek a way to become more visible, distinctive, and memorable for existing clients - and new - to support the future growth of the business.

Across three phases, we:

  1. Defined what the brand could be - from naming to vision, mission, values, proposition and positioning

  2. Developed & Delivered the brand strategy - including a playbook for storytelling and messaging, a full set of new creative and content assets from logo to website redesign

  3. Deployed - rolling out across 2025, to include relaunch campaign strategy and content planning


Phase one: Define

Built on our knowledge of the sector from consultancy projects in the previous 2 years for Knight Frank

Added objectivity, by bringing in colleagues from our network, convening a team that combines deep branding experience and creativity

Applied our Blueprint model to ensure an integrated and holistic approach, leading to a brand strategy built on deep thinking that is practical in application too

Worked with the SLT at KFIM to define branding concepts with them, not for them, through a process designed specifically for a business, and individuals doing this for the first time

Testing and refining all the thinking through a rigorous programme of research with key clients and colleagues across the Knight Frank partnership, which helped to shape the final direction

Building Together is the result; a simple and singular promise that KFIM makes to its clients, and it’s grounded in the things clients say about the business

BUILDING = positive growth. successful outputs. forward momentum, positive impact

TOGETHER = Partnership with clients. confident & collaborative

Adding a revolving cast of direct objects between the two words adds further meaning, highlighting the diverse and growing list of benefits that clients can expect when they work with KFIM

Phase two: Develop

Next, we developed the visual identity, the brand story and guidelines for implementation.

Once again, we convened a team with the right experience, bringing to the table Jamal Merdassi and his team at MyDesignCo, with the relevant sector experience to add value to the project.

Together we developed a full set of deliverables inc. new website structure, UX, content and design, social media templates etc.

As per the previous stage we worked hand in hand with our client explaining the thinking behind recommendations and offering multiple routes to enable collaboration, and make the ultimate decision-making a smooth process.

Phase three: Deploy

Rollout has begun and we are as excited as the team at KFIM and Knight Frank to see the results out in the wild, and even more so to see the future impact on the business.

“At a key strategic time for our business, Volume helped us to shape our brand relaunch plans & created a new approach for our social activity, to raise awareness & deepen engagement, which we’re now implementing. They’ve been great to work with.”

Lindsey Baldwin, Head of Marketing, Defaqto

But what did we really do?

What did the Knight Frank team really get from working with us?

  • A simple, straightforward and thoughtful approach for a business new to branding and marketing

  • We brought the right team to the table at each stage

  • We managed a process that brought the whole business together to input to and ultimately own the brand strategy

  • We involved KFIM’s clients directly in the process to create a brand with meaning and relevance, built on a promise that’s true 

  • We worked in an agile, efficient way, adapting the timeline and deliverables in response to commercial priorities and client need