The Co-operative Group - Marketing and Brands

Marketing and Brands

Originally the Co-operative Wholesale Society, the name was changed to Co-operative Group (CWS) Limited in 2001. CWS Retail was formed in 1933 and demerged in 1957 as CRS, to open shops in co-operative deserts and take over failing retail societies. The group merged with United Co-operatives, based in Yorkshire and northwest England, on 29 July 2007, reinforcing its position as the largest consumer co-operative in the world. The current name, Co-operative Group Limited, was adopted in December 2007.

The modern Co-operative Group was formed from a large range of different independent societies with separate brand identities which led to a lack of consistency giving an incoherent message to consumers.

In 2007, the group began a re-brand of its estate to create a unified identity. The four-leaf clover 'Co-op' brand, introduced in 1967 and adjusted in 1993, and those of most of its other businesses including Travelcare and Funeralcare, was phased out in favour of The co-operative strapline.

With more than 4,000 stores and branches to convert to the new identity the process has been cited as the "largest rebranding exercise in UK corporate history." The Co-operative Group launched its largest television advertising campaign in 2009. The two and a half minute advertisement aired for the first time during Coronation Street on ITV. The advertisement, created by McCann Erickson, features the Bob Dylan track "Blowin' in the Wind", a rare occasion that he has allowed his music to be used for commercial purposes.