WDA were recently commissioned to take Longlife through a rebrand process as a key component of the Company’s broader growth plans.

Longlife are in a totally different market to most mainstream exhaust brands in that they work on a one-to-one basis with drivers to custom fabricate bespoke exhaust systems.

Customers generally fall into two groups; either drivers who have specific performance requirements which may not be catered for with standard systems; or owners of rare, modified or unusual vehicles. The basic kit components alone can give over 1400 different silencer combinations, before the engineer even begins fabrication. This custom build approach enables Longlife to better control the quality of each individual system produced, which is the foundation of a reputation for exhausts ‘built to last’, and was the inspiration for the ‘Longlife’ brand name. Longlife have now quietly been at the forefront of custom build exhausts for over 30 years and today the company is so confident of build quality that each system uniquely comes with a fully transferable lifetime guarantee.

‘Bringing the Drive Alive’

“Lots of exhaust brands already produce great off the shelf systems which drivers looking for a ‘bolt on’ upgrade can choose from” says Longlife Marketing Manager Jason Freeman. “Our brief to WDA was to differentiate Longlife away from those brands and better target the niche customer base our products are created for.
WDA have positioned Longlife as a no-nonesense, almost utilitarian brand which creates products of the very highest caliber. The military inspiration hints at both the Aerospace industry processes and materials employed by Longlife, but also the shared approach of creating products which are designed to ‘get the job done’ and critically are entirely dependable in extreme conditions. The ‘Bring the Drive Alive’ positioning underlines the promise of a product designed to be experienced rather than looked at. We wanted the visual identity to be strong, bold, confidence inspiring, and to convey a premium feel. We are very happy with the results and believe WDA have succeeded in transforming Longlife from a great product into a brilliant brand!”

Strong branding the key to long-term survival and success

“As confidence begins to return to the automotive market the timing is arguably right for Longlife to invest in its brand and push for growth” says WDA’s Lee Waterhouse. “A rebrand can be undertaken for a variety of reasons. Often we talk to clients whose aim is to be able to charge a premium price for goods or services. Sometimes its a defensive action against competitor attack. Often it’s simply a case of good housekeeping where a tired brand needs refreshing to stimulate renewed interest amongst consumers, and boost staff morale.
Whatever the reason, in today’s automotive market strong brands are key to a company’s long term survival and success. Increasing brand equity has a very direct impact on a company’s book value. In fact, the book value of many stock market companies is increasingly determined more by the value of such intangible assets; sometimes accounting for upwards of 75% of total value.

A good rebrand is about more than just creating a striking visual identity. Controlling how the brand is represented across all touch points and media channels is necessary to ensure consistency. As a full service agency WDA are perfectly positioned to deliver this and look forward to rolling out a host of marketing collateral for Longlife, beginning with a new advertising campaign which is set to launch very soon.”

Check out the new website  www.longlife.co.uk

For a brief chat to discuss your own requirements please call Sally Parkin on +44 (0) 1332 372728 or email sally@wda-automotive.com