Hermes GPE is an active investor in global private equity. For over 27 years, they have specialised in investing in what they consider to be the best and most relevant investment opportunities in global private equity. Their objective is to create sustainable returns for their investors, no matter what is happening on the global stage.

The challenge

Hermes GPE was looking for a partner agency to redevelop their website and revamp their brand. The old website was outdated and no longer reflected the business and its strategy. Redeveloping it was key to their objectives and would act as a catalyst for gradually revitalising their brand. The website, therefore, had to be a reliable and engaging source of information for potential clients and partners and also needed to energise internal stakeholders with a new and more ambitious brand direction.

Hermes needed an agency that could understand their evolving business requirements and translate those into a creative and practical solution for investors and prospects.

Our solution

By following our tried and tested methodology for developing digital solutions, we delved deeply into what Hermes GPE did, their ethos and their values to find out what they needed.

Because most visitors would already know who they are, we quickly established with Helen Walsh – Hermes GPE’s Head of Client Relations and Communications – that the website should mainly help visitors easily understand what they do, and how they make a difference for investors.

Through workshops with their London, New York and Singapore offices we identified the firm’s key business needs and created a strategy that would let them meet these at the right time. The website could adapt and evolve as required to follow both their new digital strategy and respond to the changing business environment. Wireframes were created and built into a working prototype to be easily shared with all stakeholders to collect constructive feedback.

From a brand perspective, we developed three design routes which gave Hermes GPE to consider to what extent they wanted the website to change. Helen and her team chose our most challenging route, which was met with high praise from the CEO and the rest of the leadership team.

The outcome

This project was a success not just because we created a good-looking website that works effortlessly. It was also a success because it was the result of a very close and trusting partnership that evolved between Fin’s and Hermes GPE’s teams. This collaborative partnership enabled us to work as one team and when potential problems arose, we overcame them with effective solutions that kept the project on track.

This trust meant they were confident that our strategic and creative propositions were right for Hermes GPE and we could push the boundaries of the project further than either of us had anticipated.

The project has ended but our partnership continues. We are now working with Hermes GPE to develop their collateral, content strategy and continue to work on the brand proposition as well as the ongoing development and improvement of the website.

We truly believe that the willingness of both the agency and client to trust each other and respect each other’s expertise resulted in one of our best website projects to date.

But the true proof of success can only be proof that it works. Only two weeks after the website was launched, Hermes GPE received its first ever enquiry from its website; Helen got in touch with us: “Finally – some acknowledgement that what we have created is a truly wondrous thing!”

See the Hermes GPE website at www.hermesgpe.com