Landor
Careers at Landor
Mission
Landor’s mission is to build the world’s most agile brands - brands that thrive on change.
History
In 1941 German immigrant Walter Landor, along with his wife Josephine, founded the branding firm Landor in San Francisco. Walter’s goal was to design “everyday products” that would make consumers’ lives “more pleasant and more beautiful.” Specifically, the company focused on designing packaging and other marketing components for consumer packaged goods (CPG).
Landor utilized a client-driven approach that relied heavily on their input in design. It also incorporated significant consumer feedback – the company was one of the earliest firms to apply findings from shoppers to package design. It largely obtained this information through real-life situations, collecting in-store opinions from consumers on topics such as label appearance.
Landor’s initial work involved beer company bottles and logo designs. Its campaigns gained much notice and won many prestigious awards, generating additional business. The company’s customer base expanded beyond the CPG sector to many other industries, and it greatly diversified its services. In 1989 it was acquired by ad agency Young & Rubicam, becoming part of WPP Group.
Business model of Landor
Customer Segments
Landor has a mass market business model, with no significant differentiation between customer segments. The company targets its offering at firms across industries and sizes.
Value Proposition
Landor offers three primary value propositions: accessibility, performance, and brand/status.
The company creates accessibility by offering a wide variety of options. Since its founding, it has expanded its portfolio to provide a wide range of services. These services are divided into the following categories: insights & analytics, strategy & positioning, brand architecture, naming & verbal identity, innovation, identity & design, experiences & environments, brand engagement, and interactive & media design. Landor is also available in numerous locations – it operates 27 offices in 21 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
The company has demonstrated strong performance through tangible results. High-profile examples of positive outcomes for clients include the following:
- Marks & Spencer used Landor’s services to develop a brand campaign for its partnership with global charity Oxfam, resulting in 64% ad awareness, compared to 30% for a typical M&S ad
- Citroën used Landor’s services to carry out a complete brand transformation, resulting in an 8% increase in sales within a year and 69% of French citizens naming it their top auto brand
- Indonesian airline Garuda used Landor’s services to create a new visual identity system (impacting airport and airplane interiors), resulting in an increase in premium passengers
The company has established a strong brand due to its success. It pioneered several of the research, consulting, and design methods that are now considered standard in the branding industry. In 1994 the National Museum of American History, part of the famed Smithsonian Institution, established the Walter Landor/Landor Associates Collection. It features the founder’s personal papers and business records. Landor has many prominent clients, including numerous members of the Fortune 500, such as Barclays, BMW, FedEx, General Electric, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Samsung. Lastly, it has won a number of honors, including five Lion awards at the Cannes Lions International Festival (2015), Gold International Design Awards, Gold Pentawards, and Bronze CLIO Awards.
Channels
Landor’s main channel is its business development team. The company promotes its offering through its social media pages and participation in conferences.
Customer Relationships
Landor’s customer relationship is primarily of a dedicated personal assistance nature. It works closely with clients in order to develop branding strategy and campaigns. That said, there is a self-service component. The company’s website features a “Thinking” section that includes articles, reports, and and blog posts on the industry. It also provides access to an e-mail newsletter with updates.
Key Activities
Landor’s business model entails designing and developing services for its clients.
Key Partners
Landor does not maintain any formal partnership programs.
Key Resources
Landor’s main resources are its human resources, who include creative professionals such as writers, artists, designers, and marketers.
Cost Structure
Landor has a value-driven structure, aiming to provide a premium proposition through significant personal service and frequent service enhancements. Its biggest cost driver is likely cost of services, a variable expense. Other major drivers are in the areas of sales/marketing and customer support/operations, both fixed costs.
Revenue Streams
Landor has one revenue stream: revenues it generates from the fees it charges its clients for access to its range of branding services.
Our team
info: Lois Jacobs previously served as Worldwide CEO of Fitch, a global retail and brand consultancy that is a subsidiary of WPP. She also served as President International of Jack Morton Worldwide and as Chairman/Managing Director of HP:ICM.
info: Peter Knapp earned a Bachelor of Arts in Three-Dimensional Design at Middlesex University. He previously served as an Associate at Addison, Michael Peters/XMPR, and Davies Design, as well as a Senior Designer at McColl and a Designer at Conran.
info: James Bruce earned a Bachelor’s degree at Durham University. He previously served as a Chief Financial Officer at Fitch and Interbrand, Controller of the EMEA region at DDB, and as the European Finance Accountant at Diversified Agency Services.
info: Thomas Ordahl earned a B.A. in History at the University of Maine and an M.A. in Liberal Arts at St. John’s College. He previously served as the Senior Director of Corporate Brand Strategy at Avid Technology and as a Partner/Owner at Group 1066.
