Crafting a Visionary Brand for One of London’s Most Ambitious Placemaking Developments
BARKING RIVERSIDE
Barking Riverside is one of Europe’s most ambitious urban regeneration projects, transforming 443 acres of Thames-side land in London into a dynamic mixed-use development. Once home to the Barking Power Station, the site is being reimagined to house over 50,000 residents, incorporating sustainable infrastructure, green spaces, schools, shops and a vibrant town centre.
More than a typical development, Barking Riverside is setting a new standard for urban living – one that goes beyond bricks and mortar to cultivate a thriving environment for living, working and growing. Spinach Branding was brought in to capture this bold vision, build a brand that resonates with future residents, and foster emotional connections with everyone who engages with the development.
Developing a Brand for a Multifaceted Urban Vision
Barking Riverside faced a unique challenge: crafting a brand that could unite its large-scale ambition with the lived, human experience. It wasn’t just about building homes – it was about creating a place where people could truly belong. With over 20,000 homes, a new overground station, green spaces and an entire community in the making, the project needed a coherent narrative to bring it all together.
The challenge required:
- A flexible brand architecture fit for a placemaking brand, one that could balance the needs of a corporate entity like Barking Riverside Ltd (BRL) with the growing community and key stakeholders.
- A brand that could evolve alongside the development, adapting as new aspects of the project were introduced, from transport to residential and commercial spaces.
- A balance between emotional and functional messaging, ensuring the brand spoke to both residents and investors while keeping the larger development vision intact.
Our goal was to create a brand that would capture the complexity and scope of placemaking while fostering a deep connection with those who would call Barking Riverside home.
Building a Foundation for Growth and Belonging
Spinach Branding began by working closely with Barking Riverside Ltd (BRL), the Mayor of London’s office, L&Q, and Bellway Homes to define the core strategy for the brand. Through a series of collaborative workshops, we identified the key needs of stakeholders, including future residents, corporate partners and the local government.
Our strategy focused on:
- Positioning Barking Riverside as an innovative urban development with a clear vision for the future.
- Ensuring the brand’s adaptability, allowing it to grow alongside the development as new infrastructures – schools, transport links, and retail spaces – came to life.
- Communicating the emotional resonance of the project, ensuring the brand reflected the long-term vision of a place where people could establish roots, thrive and grow.
This strategic foundation set the stage for the brand’s architecture, visual identity and messaging platform.
Clarifying Place and Corporate Identity
A crucial part of our approach was developing a brand architecture that could provide clarity between Barking Riverside as a place and Barking Riverside Ltd (BRL) as the corporate delivery entity. This architecture needed to support the development’s complexity, allowing for flexible communication across multiple audiences.
Spinach Branding designed an architecture that:
- Distinguished the place from the corporate entity, ensuring clear communication channels for residents, stakeholders and investors.
- Offers flexibility, allowing the brand to grow and adapt as new phases of the development were introduced.
- Unified the diverse aspects of the development, ensuring consistency across residential, commercial, public spaces and transport infrastructure.
This structure ensures that Barking Riverside can continue to communicate effectively with different audiences while maintaining a unified, coherent identity.
Building on Deep Understanding
To ensure the brand was rooted in strong foundations, we conducted extensive research into market trends, competitor landscapes, and resident needs. Through workshops with stakeholders and future residents, we uncovered key insights that informed the development of the brand.
The core insight was clear: Barking Riverside is more than a place to live – it is a place to be, become, and belong.
This insight formed the cornerstone of the brand proposition, reflecting both the immediate functionality of the development and the long-term emotional investment that residents would make.
This understanding reinforced the importance of community without overstating it. Instead, it positioned Barking Riverside as a place where people can grow and thrive within a forward-thinking, sustainable environment.
A Place to Be, Become and Belong
At the heart of the Barking Riverside brand is its core proposition: “A place to be, become, and belong”. It speaks to the multifaceted experience that residents, businesses and visitors will have within the development.
More than a tagline, the proposition became a guiding principle – shaping everything from visual identity to messaging. It reflects the long-term vision of creating a place where people can not only live but also grow, evolve and connect with their environment.
This idea drives every aspect of the brand, positioning Barking Riverside as a future-proof, sustainable development where people can build their lives and careers.
Defining Values, Personality, and Promise
In collaboration with stakeholders, Spinach Branding captured the Barking Riverside brand DNA through workshops and strategic sessions. We defined Barking Riverside’s essence, personality and values, which would inform the brand’s tone of voice, visual identity and messaging.
Key elements of the brand DNA include:
- Progressive and inclusive: Reflecting the development’s commitment to modern urban living and sustainability.
- Flexible and scalable: Ensuring the brand could evolve alongside the development as new infrastructure is built and new residents arrive.
- Visionary yet grounded: Balancing long-term ambition with practical, day-to-day living experiences.
This DNA formed the blueprint for everything that followed, helping to articulate Barking Riverside’s unique place in the market.
Designing a Visual Identity That Reflects Placemaking and Progress
The visual identity for Barking Riverside needed to reflect both the geographical distinctiveness of the location and the forward-thinking ethos of the development. Spinach Branding crafted an identity that feels both warm and progressive, signalling the project’s role as a placemaking leader in modern urban living.
The heptagon logo captures the site’s geographical form, ensuring long-term distinctiveness. A colour palette inspired by the natural landscape balances earthy tones with vibrant accents – a reflection of the area’s heritage and contemporary outlook.
Crucially, the identity was designed to be adaptable, supporting the full spectrum of the development – from residential housing to public infrastructure and commercial spaces.
Clear, Confident and Engaging
Barking Riverside’s messaging platform was designed to communicate with different audiences – from residents to corporate stakeholders – with a consistent tone that reflects the development’s scope and ambition.
The tone of voice combines confidence, clarity and empathy to ensure that all communications, whether formal or conversational, resonate with the brand’s key audiences.
Messaging pillars include:
- Growth and Opportunity: Highlighting the development’s long-term potential.
- Sustainability and Innovation: Emphasising Barking Riverside’s eco-friendly principles and cutting-edge infrastructure.
- Connection and Accessibility: Positioning the development as a hub for transport, education, and commercial activity.
This messaging reflects the brand’s core proposition “A place to be, become, and belong” without overemphasising community at the expense of the broader placemaking vision.
From Internal Engagement to Public Launch
Spinach Branding ensured consistent rollout across every touchpoint once the brand’s identity and messaging were finalised.
Key activities included:
- Internal Branding: We engaged the BRL team through workshops and training to ensure full understanding and internal adoption of the brand.
- Public Realm and Signage: The visual identity was applied to signage, wayfinding and public spaces, ensuring a cohesive experience for visitors and residents alike.
- Digital Strategy: We developed a robust online presence that reflected the brand’s values, ensuring consistency across websites, social media and other digital platforms.
- Brand Hub: We created a centralised repository for brand assets, enabling key stakeholders to maintain consistency in communication and visual representation.
A Model for Future Urban Developments
Since its launch, Barking Riverside has gained recognition as a model for modern urban living. The brand has not only helped position the development as an innovative and attractive destination, but has also driven tangible outcomes, including:
- Increased visibility and engagement from prospective residents, businesses and investors.
- Award-winning recognition for its visual identity and brand architecture.
- Enhanced partnerships, including the launch of a new London Overground station and collaborations with Thames Clipper boats.
A Brand for the Future
Barking Riverside is more than just a development – it’s a blueprint for future placemaking projects. By creating a brand that resonates on both a functional and emotional level, Spinach Branding has helped position Barking Riverside as a leader in modern urban living, ensuring the brand will continue to evolve as the development grows.
This is more than just branding – it’s the foundation for a place to be, become and belong.
Barking Riverside is more than just a development – it’s a blueprint for future placemaking projects. By creating a brand that resonates on both a functional and emotional level, Spinach Branding has helped position Barking Riverside as a leader in modern urban living, ensuring the brand will continue to evolve as the development grows.
