Founded 35 years ago—and trusted by over 50,000 businesses—Fuel Card Services had built a successful business: giving every fleet operator an effective way to manage their fuel payments.

As industry requirements shifted (and climate concerns became more pressing) there was a need to move away from fuel as the primary revenue source. The existing name and brand were dated and restricted expansion into fleet management and tech products. Change was needed. To strengthen its offer, another company, Cubo (specialists in fleet tech) was recently acquired.

A new strategic direction, name and brand was required to redefine and unite both businesses as a single entity. Edna worked at C-suite level to help navigate this complex shift.

Twelve months of hard work later: the new strategy, positioning, name, and dynamic brand identity were ready to launch. This transformational rebrand gave Motia the tools to stand out in a typically B2B sea of sameness. In a rapidly evolving logistics industry, Motia is better prepared to move towards net-zero.

Detailed market research, stakeholder interviews, workshops and trend analysis were all conducted. Working closely with the C-suite, we developed the core strategic foundations to provide differentiation in a crowded market. A much-needed north star for the business was shaped.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The diversity of Motia’s product offer meant the name had to work across nine different trademark categories. Future-proofing for potential product innovations was also a must. Relevance had to be balanced with ownability: in naming, both are difficult to achieve in such a densely populated sector.

From the outset, the client was clear: they don’t believe that B2B has to be boring (at Edna, we couldn’t agree more!). The brand identity needed to reference key elements of “movement” and “progress”. But it also needed to feel distinct and ownable. We set ourselves a creative challenge: our baseline wasn't Motia’s immediate competitors, but the successful consumer technology and fintech brands that also vie for customers’ attention.

Our online brand guidelines provide an in-depth (always up-to-date) reference point for internal teams and partners. It ensures everyone has the latest guidance and brand assets at their fingertips.

Employee engagement was a high priority for the internal brand launch. Each team member received branded merch. The brand identity has been applied on a larger scale, with environmental graphics across all five Motia offices, and to its fleet of vans. Motia’s dynamic brand identity allows the teams to dial up the expressive aspects of the brand where appropriate, and deliver focused, brutally simple communications when called for. It’s essential for brands to have this flexibility.

“We’ve made some pretty significant changes to our brand and business over the last year, and EDNA has supported us amazingly throughout. The structure they brought to the rebrand process enabled the whole business to be taken on the journey, which was really important for us. The quality of the strategic and creative outputs have given us great foundations for us to build on.”

— Tim Matthews, Head of Marketing Motia