The Co-Operative Rebrand Scoops Plaudits at the First Transform Awards

LONDON, March 3, 2010 - The Co-operative was the big winner at last night's inaugural Transform
Awards, the UK's only dedicated celebration of rebranding, brand
transformation and reputational change.

At a ceremony at The Tabernacle, Notting Hill, the mutual society walked
off with the top prize, the Grand Prix for Excellence in Rebranding, in
recognition of its GBP10 million, two-year rebranding project.

In a ceremony hosted by the BBC's arts editor Will Gompertz, the Co-op
won a further three gold awards - for best brand architecture, best
evaluation process, and best national rebrand - as well as a silver award in
the best campaign to advertise a rebrand category, behind the night's other
big winner, insurance group Aviva.

As well as collecting gold for a GBP9 million campaign featuring
celebrities such as Bruce Willis and Ringo Starr, Aviva won gold awards for
best internal communication of a rebrand and best rebrand in the insurance
sector, as well as a silver award (Best national rebrand) and a bronze award
(Best corporate rebrand to reflect changed mission, values or positioning).

Judged by a panel of branding experts, communications practitioners and
academics, the awards programme also saw gongs handed out for best overall
visual identity (DirectGov); best copy style or tone of voice (Parasol); best
implementation of a rebrand (RSA); greatest likely business impact of a
rebrand (Holiday Inn); and best rebrand from the public sector (King's Health
Partners).

The Transform Awards were established by Communicate magazine, the UK's
leading magazine for corporate communications and stakeholder relations.

Communicate's publisher Andrew Thomas said: "The buzz around last night's
awards goes to show how important it is that we benchmark and recognise the
practice of rebranding. With brand so integral to an organisation's
reputation, professionals who often achieve outstanding results deserve to be
acknowledged. Our congratulations go out to all of last night's winners and
we look forward to seeing even greater creativity and strategic thinking next
year."

    The full list of winners:

    Grand Prix for excellence in                   The Co-operative
    rebranding

    Best overall visual identity         Gold      Directgov
                                         Silver    Akzo Nobel
                                         Silver    Reckitt Benckiser

    Best brand architecture              Gold      The Co-operative

    Best copy style/tone of voice        Gold      Parasol
                                         Bronze    Action for Children

    Best use of web/digital              Silver    BCS

    Best campaign to advertise a         Gold      Aviva
    corporate rebrand
                                         Silver    The Co-operative
                                         Bronze    Action for Children

    Best internal communication of a     Gold      Aviva
    rebrand                              Silver    Reckitt Benckiser
                                         Bronze    Action for Children

    Best implementation of a rebrand     Gold      RSA
                                         Silver    Grant Thornton
                                         Bronze    Ponti's

    Greatest likely business impact of a
    rebrand                              Gold      Holiday Inn
                                         Silver    Morrisons

    Best evaluation process              Gold      The Co-operative
                                         Silver    Grant Thornton
                                         Bronze    Action for Children

    Best corporate rebrand following a
    merger or acquisition                Gold      Akzo Nobel
                                         Silver    Thomson Reuters

    Best corporate rebrand to reflect
    changed mission, values or
    positioning                          Gold      Citroën
                                         Silver    Parasol
                                         Bronze    Aviva

    Best corporate rebrand for a         Gold      International Islamic
    spin-off or new company                        Trade Finance
                                                   Corporation

    Best rebrand of a service            Bronze    Cinven

    Best rebrand from a not-for-profit
    organisation                         Gold      International Islamic
                                                   Trade Finance Corporation
                                         Silver    Breast Cancer Care
                                         Bronze    Breakthrough Breast Cancer
                                         Bronze    Peace Direct

    Best rebrand from the public sector  Gold      King's Health Partners
                                         Silver    Petroc

    Best national rebrand                Gold      The Co-operative
                                         Silver    Aviva
                                         Bronze    Access Self Storage

    Best regional rebrand                Silver    Petroc

    Best in sector - Chemicals           Gold      Akzo Nobel

    Best in sector - Insurance           Gold      Aviva

    Best in sector - Retail              Silver    DSGi - Currys

    Best in sector - Financial services  Gold      Grant Thornton
                                         Silver    Parasol
                                         Bronze    Rothschild Private
                                                   Banking & Trust

    Best in sector - Household goods     Gold      Reckitt Benckiser

www.transformawards.com

Andrew Thomas is available for comment: +44-20-7498-7008,
andrew.thomas@communicatemagazine.co.uk

Andrew Thomas is available for comment: +44-20-7498-7008, andrew.thomas at communicatemagazine.co.uk