In Partnership With Close Brothers

Close Brothers Asset Management (CBAM) is a leading financial advice and investment management provider serving professionals, business owners, families and advisers. As part of Close Brothers Group plc, a FTSE 250 UK merchant banking group, CBAM offers lending, deposit-taking, wealth management and stocks and shares trading services.

In 2022, CBAM initiated a digital transformation to modernise its digital asset management processes, driven by rebranding efforts and the introduction of the new FCA Consumer Duty regulations.

The Challenge

CBAM's previous digital asset management system was created on proprietary software, with a separate internal system for certain parts of the process. This led to inefficiencies, such as duplicating job numbers for the same tasks. What was needed was a complete remapping of all the workflows to lay the groundwork for a single integrated system spanning the needs of the company.

A separate brand portal, built on SharePoint, was in use but lacked the functionality required for effective brand management across the organisation. Additionally, increasing regulatory scrutiny and internal demand for better brand governance highlighted the limitations of the current systems. The previous system had been seen as a stopgap measure, not designed to meet CBAM's long-term needs as a fast-growing, compliance-driven organisation.

Our Solution

Introducing MABLE

Going live just before Christmas 2022, CBAM partnered with bethebrand to develop MABLE (Marketing And Brand Literature Ecosystem), a fully integrated digital asset management system designed to address inefficiencies and disjointed workflows in their existing setup.

The bethebrand team was able to step in and take on the workflow mapping project for CBAM. This greatly accelerated the deployment timescale, allowing the CBAM project team to expertly manage the system deployment and identify specific system configurations while managing and dovetailing in its immediate major marketing projects.

One of the key differentiators of MABLE was its ability to handle compliance, user engagement and brand management within a unified system, a crucial improvement over CBAM's previous tools

The system delivered significant functionality in key areas:

Enhanced Workflow Mapping

MABLE unified previously scattered workflows into a single system, reducing the need for multiple job numbers and manual handovers between different tools. This allowed teams to manage projects more efficiently and collaborate seamlessly across departments.

Centralised Asset Storage

The system replaced various storage locations with one central repository, ensuring all digital assets could be accessed easily from a single location. This greatly improved the ability to find and use the correct, approved versions of assets, enhancing both speed and accuracy in marketing and communications.

Brand Portal

In 2024, the system expanded to include an enhanced brand portal system, reflecting CBAM's continued commitment to brand governance and consistency across all touchpoints. This new phase of development introduced several new features aimed at improving brand management and facilitating better engagement across the company:

Brand Asset Library

The portal is a repository for approved brand assets such as logos, images, and other visual elements. A critical function of the portal is to give employees confidence that the imagery and assets they use comply with CBAM's brand standards and licensing requirements. By offering on-brand assets that are unrestricted in use, the portal reduces the risk of using unlicensed or off-brand materials.

Brand Guidelines

The portal provides access to detailed brand guidelines that outline CBAM's branding standards, including the correct usage of logos, color palettes, typography, and other identity elements. While a centralised portal has always hosted these guidelines, bethebrand's solution now offers a more structured and accessible format that allows users to reference brand standards quickly and efficiently.

Brand Education

Another focus of the brand portal is brand education. The portal offers a streamlined overview of key brand elements, which is especially valuable for new staff members. By shifting brand education from workshops to an on-demand tool, the system has improved accessibility for new hires, giving them the knowledge they need to maintain consistent brand representation from the outset.

Efficiency and Accessibility

Designed to improve efficiency, the brand portal's centralised, searchable database allows users to find the assets and guidelines they need quickly. The system boosts productivity by reducing the time spent searching for materials and ensuring that only up-to-date, compliant resources are used.

The Results

Stage 1: Introduction of MABLE

Implementing MABLE, CBAM's new digital asset management system, was executed swiftly and efficiently. The system went from concept to full deployment in just one quarter, Q4 2022, meeting the urgent timeline necessitated by a company-wide rebrand and regulatory demands, including the FCA's new Consumer Duty legislation. The rapid rollout ensured CBAM's operations could continue seamlessly during significant organisational change.

One of the key improvements MABLE brought was workflow efficiency. CBAM had previously managed its projects with a fragmented system, often requiring two job numbers for the same task. MABLE's integrated solution streamlined these processes, allowing the company to consolidate all digital asset management into one cohesive system. This reduced redundancy and improved operational efficiency across teams by enabling a unified workflow from project initiation to completion.

Formal training sessions were supplemented by regular drop-in workshops in January 2023, giving users real-time support and accelerating the adoption of the new system. This hands-on training helped users incorporate MABLE into their daily routines faster. MABLE provided CBAM with an end-to-end solution to manage all digital assets and job numbers in a single system. This has simplified the company's digital asset management, offering a seamless and centralised way to handle all workflows and assets.

Stage 2: Brand Portal

Implementing the brand portal in 2024 has significantly improved efficiency for the design and marketing teams. With all approved assets in one place, the teams no longer have to search across multiple servers or systems, leading to time savings and a more streamlined creative process. The platform also integrates compliance and marketing functions within a familiar interface, allowing teams to collaborate more effectively.

The team has particularly appreciated bethebrand's ongoing support, with prompt responses to queries or technical issues. The efficiency of the support services has bolstered confidence in the system, ensuring that users feel well-supported and able to leverage the portal's capabilities fully.

MABLE's brand portal now combines compliance, marketing and branding processes into a seamless system. This has proven to be an invaluable tool for CBAM, enhancing internal operations and ensuring consistent external representation of the brand.

The brand portal is now regarded as a key asset within CBAM, with users expressing a strong commitment to continuing to develop the system. The successful implementation of Stage 2 has cemented MABLE's role as a critical component of CBAM's ongoing brand and asset management strategy.

As CBAM continues its digital transformation, MABLE's role is expected to expand further, driving greater efficiencies across the organisation. With the successful implementation of both Stage 1 and Stage 2, CBAM is well-positioned to meet the challenges of an evolving regulatory and brand landscape.