A digital transformation to enhance East Midlands businesses and communities
Over the past few years the Chamber has invested in a digital transformation project in support of their goal of enhancing East Midlands businesses and communities.
Six Degrees has lead on a strand of the investment strategy - ‘Project Kinder Scout’. As we aim to enhance the East Midlands a project name of Kinder Scout felt apt given it is the highest point in the East Midlands.
As Kinder Scout lead I partnered with both external support agencies and Chamber colleagues, focussing on all facets of the project, delivering:
1. Stakeholder focus groups, senior leader 1-1’s and competitor analysis
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Before putting ‘pen to paper’, and given the Chamber is membership based it was imperative that we consult with stakeholders to gather and consider their thoughts on a range of engagement factors including services, brand positioning, website user experience, content and overall marketing.
Four online group sessions were created, participants invited based on their responses to a recent customer satisfaction survey. This method allowed us to group together participants based on their overarching thoughts of the Chamber (Net Promoter scoring system).
In parallel we conducted 1-1’s with the Senior Leadership team to gather their thoughts on the above subjects.
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The segmentation of the group sessions worked fantastically, encouraging lively conversation and debate, whilst delivering key messages from each group based on their attitudinal behaviour towards the Chamber.
Chamber senior leaders were able to hear first-hand from stakeholders in a focussed and structured environment.
The senior leader 1-1s ensured all sides of the business were considered as we entered the recommendation phase.
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The intelligence gathered from phase one activities; focus groups, senior leader 1-1’s and competitor analysis were collated, dissected and presented to senior leaders and the board, with strategic recommendations.
2. Rebrand, including brand hierarchy development
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A key message from research in step one highlighted modernisation was important but so too is history. Focus group discussions also raised the topic of confusion around Chamber sub-brand connectivity.
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The selected rebrand took inspiration from the three county colours of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire (incorporated into the previous Chamber logo), ‘mixing’ the three together to produce a new brand foundation colour of purple.
Another tip of the hat to history sees a selection of the logo lettering reflect the Chamber’s previous leaf design.
In answer to confusion around sub-brand connection to the parent brand we created a visual brand strategy based on the branded house architecture approach. Sub-brands were redesigned, and updated with a brand pill-device illustrating ownership to East Midlands Chamber. The three county colours utilised for the sub-brands.
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With a brand structure in place, and armed with stakeholder considerations the scoping of the new website could begin. Further consultation was to be carried out with Chamber team members as the build would introduce an API (Application Programming Interface) connection between the website and CRM system.
3. Website rebuild, with a core UX focus
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The Chamber offer a vast number of services, both funded and commercial based. Given the nature of the Chamber’s activities the offering details can change frequently. The focus groups outlined the importance of the Chamber to the East Midlands, but there can be, on occasion, confusion as to what is available to aid businesses therefore our key goal was to construct a user-friendly journey governed by the earlier brand positioning work. This journey able to adapt as the offerings evolved.
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Phase one of the Kinder Scout project marked a turning point in shaping the Chamber’s new website and user journey. Through consultation, we identified a clear framework behind the Chamber’s offer to stakeholders: support for individuals as business owners or employees, support for their businesses, and support for those looking to make a difference in the local area.
To guide users through this, we introduced seven intuitive entry points: learn, connect, support, grow, engage, lead change, and give back. These act as flexible access routes into the Chamber’s services and content, ensuring a user journey that feels relevant and purposeful at every touchpoint.
Alongside this strategic structure, several key developments were introduced: improved governance for ongoing site updates via the marketing team, automation of event listings through API integration, clearer brand application across the site, enhanced search functionality, and the introduction of online membership applications—streamlining access and improving user experience across the board.
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Increase website visits through brand awareness campaign.
4. Campaign marketing:
Joining the Dots
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With the key elements of brand and website in place attention turned to enhancing awareness of Chamber offerings, utilising the stakeholder inspired ‘seven ways in’ as a campaign basis. Joining the Dots was selected as a campaign name, highlighting the need to raise awareness of the full offering and how they cross-connect for the benefit of businesses.
A number of associated objectives were identified:·
- Increased use of short-form video
- Implement and test enhanced analytical insight
- Creative asset uplift
- Introduce ‘fans’ marketing
- Trial segmented marketing
- Greater engagement levels through e-marketing and social media
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Joining the Dots placed member stories at the centre of the campaign, with seven organisations each representing one of the Chamber’s seven “ways in.” These businesses shared how collaboration with the Chamber supported their growth, forming the foundation of a content-rich, multi-channel strategy.
Creative assets were developed through a blend of internal and external teams, including short-form video, e-marketing, a dedicated campaign landing page, and bold social media design. Reuse of content was a key focus, helping stretch the budget further. The campaign delivered strong results, with e-newsletter engagement doubling and LinkedIn followers increasing by 35%.
A standout feature was the introduction of “fans marketing” — a branded platform that enabled members to record short videos about their experience with the Chamber, producing ready-to-use, co-branded content. Finally, the campaign prioritised meaningful data, implementing tools to capture actionable insights and track stakeholder journeys, informing future marketing efforts with a focus on value over vanity metrics.
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Event booking and payment system implementation.
5. Event booking and payment system implementation
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The Chamber event & training programme is a key offering to the East Midlands business community, with a vast programme each year. Progressing the user experience whilst assisting team members with automation and efficiency gains was paramount.
Prior to implementation online payments were not accepted, or multi-person/event bookings. This in-depth, multi-faceted project required meticulous user experience design as we strived to achieve a number of objectives.
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Following intensive stakeholder consultation, the user journey was carefully mapped and implemented to improve engagement with Chamber services and reduce administrative strain on internal teams. Key to this was the introduction of user accounts, forming the backbone of the experience and allowing for future integration with APIs and payment platforms planned for later phases. This strategic approach ensured the build was not only fit for current needs but also adaptable for future technology investments.
Enhanced functionality was also introduced to support deeper user interaction and smarter content delivery. Early data insight tools were integrated to inform ongoing optimisation, while revenue opportunities were expanded through features like ‘You May Also Like’ event listings, which appear during the booking process and in follow-up communications—boosting both visibility and cross-sell potential.
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Consideration of how the investment can further be utilised; member portal/membership online purchases.
