Creativity and communications expertise part of the innovation behind ZeroFour

Crown Estate Scotland has been working with two talented North-east creative agencies as plans to deliver ZeroFour, the 123-acre innovation park at Montrose, are rolled out.

BIG Partnership, a fully integrated marketing communications agency with offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and FortyTwo Studio, an Aberdeen-based brand and digital agency, have been involved in ZeroFour from its early stages after winning tenders to provide branding, website development and marketing communications services.

Award-winning FortyTwo Studio was engaged to develop a brand identity for ZeroFour which would position the hub as a focal point for green economic growth, appeal to potential tenants and investors, while emphasising the opportunities inherent in the location and its nearby facilities.

It was also important that the branding should recognise and reflect the history of the site which takes its name from the original runway call sign, 04 22, and part of the brand image is inspired by the propellor of a plane.

In developing the branding, the agency carried out site visits to get a feel for the area and engaged in stakeholder engagement and discovery sessions.

The distinctive branding is now being widely deployed on visual material and will also be included in gateway signage and information boards at the location.

FortyTwo Studio was also commissioned to plan, prototype and design ZeroFour’s new website, working alongside BIG Partnership who developed the website and the content.

“We've thoroughly enjoyed our role in this project thus far and have developed a great working relationship with Crown Estate Scotland,” said Mark Kemp, managing director, “They have been so vital in our team's understanding of the opportunities offered and challenges faced by such a development as ZeroFour. They are always open to our ideas, are clear with their feedback and clearly value greatly the impact informed design offers.”

In addition to its role in developing and providing content for the ZeroFour website, BIG Partnership was engaged to develop and deliver a communications strategy which would attract potential investors and tenants to the hub. The strategy has focused on raising awareness of the development and its goals, positioning ZeroFour as an integral part of Crown Estate Scotland’s work to support sustainable growth in the blue economy, fuelling Scotland’s green recovery and its role in investing in and enabling enterprise.

The communications strategy aims to keep all relevant audiences up to date with activity and progress at the hub by building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders.

BIG Partnership worked alongside Crown Estate Scotland to identify and map stakeholders before embarking on the strategy to engage them with focused communications and community-orientated events that highlight the opportunities, including skills, training and job creation, which ZeroFour can bring to the Angus area.

Zoe Ogilvie, director of BIG Partnership said: “Working with Crown Estate Scotland on the promotion of an innovative project to help Scotland capitalise on the growing opportunities in the blue and green economies is exciting and rewarding. We’re very much part of their team and work collaboratively with all the organisations involved in supporting the delivery of what will be a highly attractive, innovation hub with a focus on clean enterprise in an energy efficient environment.”