Force looks for equity in a growing market

Perth rugby union franchise the Western Force, which will debut in next year’s inaugural Super 14 competition, is much more than a name and a black swan, according to Market Equity’s Brent Stewart. It is the result of months of community consultation, interviews, workshops and research.

Founder, national chairman and chief executive of the business information consultancy, Mr Stewart said the firm was intimately involved with the submission, marketing plan and presentation that helped Rugby WA convince the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) that Perth was the right choice for the new Super 14 team.

Market Equity researched the Western Australian market to provide evidence that a Super 14 team could operate successfully in Perth, and compiled a marketing plan for Rugby WA to implement once the submission was successful. 

After the submission document had been provided to the ARU, Market Equity was required to develop a presentation for Rugby WA to make to the ARU in Sydney.

“We spent several months working on the submission, which included a business plan, playing facility, player conditions, training arrangements, marketing, sponsorship and membership,” Mr Stewart said.

“We had three people working on this full time. There were several key factors to the success of Rugby WA’s Super 14 bid.

“Two of these were the community’s involvement from day one, and Rugby WA taking an inclusive approach and wanting the team to be owned by all West Australians.”

Market Equity also needed to develop brand values, key messages, an identity, name, logo and colours for the new team.

Mr Stewart said there was a range of people to consider when deciding on a brand that stakeholders would have an affinity with.

“First was what the brand stood for and to find this out we held focus groups, interviews and workshops,” he said.

“‘Powerful’, ‘strong’, ‘energetic’ and ‘fresh’ were some of the things to come out of these.

“[Advertising agency] 303 then developed some icons around a shortlist of names we gave them so we could see how we could visually represent them.

“A single one emerged. It was put to Rugby WA and it was endorsed unanimously.”

Market Equity is continuing work with Rugby WA and Western Force in an advisory role.

Mr Stewart said the past five years have been both eventful and successful for Market Equity.

In 2000 the company was named ‘medium employer of the year’ in WA’s Training Excellence Awards for its investment in training and people development.

And in 2004 the company received the Telstra WA Small Business of the Year award.

Market Equity is considered among the top three research and strategy businesses in Australia.

Mr Stewart said the company started as a one-man-band in a home office in 1992. Now it is a national organisation, with offices in Darwin, Adelaide and Sydney.

“We will also be opening an office in Melbourne this year sometime,” he said. “We are looking at Asia now and somewhere like Singapore seems logical.”