Unifying three distinct global giants

Fusion

BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial and Morgan Sindall – all global players in their own right with distinct cultures – set up a formal joint venture (JV) in 2015 to bid for HS2 infrastructure works. This presented some major challenges. The three organisations had to define a joint proposition and joint way of working, and to convince their own people that a true joint venture was the best option.

Bell were tasked with developing a JV brand in 3 months from brief to delivery. Our process was anchored by a series of brand workshops involving senior players across three business cultures. They resulted in a brand proposition and shared set of values and enabled the three businesses to work as one. These were woven throughout the bid document. We created a website – www.fusion-jv.com – and a brand ethos booklet, to communicate to staff what was being done, how and why. Where initially there had been a sense of mistrust, now the feedback was of tangible excitement. Having implemented the brand on and offline, the Fusion JV won the lucrative HS2 central enabling works contract.

“Bell helped us overcome the practical challenges of setting up a joint venture. They ensured we focussed on the positive reactions for collaboration, and developed our behavioural, linguistic and cultural framework that has helped transform three distinct global brands into a powerful JV brand.”

Paul McCracken, Fusion