A repositioning of a renowned bailiff office from Rotterdam is truly a challenge. Just like with all other assignments, we are not familiar with the subject matter, which makes it so interesting for us.
In recent years, Van Es Bailiffs & Collectors has rejuvenated its management team. Due to this rejuvenation, the majority of their processes have been automated in those same years. With new technologies comes a need for repositioning. A new name. The question that arose was, “We are essentially a fintech, but we don’t convey that. How can we do this differently?“
We are fintech, but we don’t convey that.
This is where we stepped in. With the ambition to become a leader in their industry, we worked together with the management team to find a positioning and a new name that they can build on for the next 10 years: LikiFin.
Van Es has been in operation for over 25 years and possesses a vast amount of data. With a fully automated assessment system, they can quickly recognize the situation of a debtor based on that data. This enables them to rapidly map the collectability of large numbers of claims.
In addition, they have fully automated process flows that allow them to use online payment requests, SMS messages, and QR codes. They are always able to reach the debtor through various channels
Because of all this, we searched for a short and catchy name—one that fits both the financial aspect and the recognition of a debtor’s situation, particularly regarding their liquidity. LikiFin is a phonetically written contraction of liquidity and finance.
Debt collection with a human touch.
It almost sounds like a paradox, collecting debts with a human touch. Of course, that’s also a tricky thing; it involves encouraging people to make payments. In the process of achieving a distinctive positioning, we made a distinction between:
- People who want to, but cannot pay.
- And people who can pay but do not want to.
To let the human element resonate in the concept, we have developed a few tools or revitalized existing ones:
- The BetaalRisico-scan, , where you as a debtor can see what to expect if you cannot or do not want to pay.
- The Incassokosten Calculator, with which you can calculate what collection costs you can expect or charge to the consumer.
- Three options for installment payments. You can choose to pay in full, in installments, or at a later date.
The design of LikiFin is also aimed at this. A cartoon style was deliberately chosen because people who have incurred a payment arrears generally want to remain anonymous. This also applies to the employees of LikiFin themselves.
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And the repositioning itself?
After thorough research into the market and competitors, we developed the positioning narrative, the name, and the pay-off. The beauty of LikiFin is that the word ‘Liki’ can be placed before many other words. This is eagerly built upon. Together with the pay-off ‘Your helping hand in case of payment arrears,’ a powerful and future-proof brand has been created.
After developing the theoretical aspect, we also guided the entire rebranding process. This included selecting an appropriate designer, web developer, and other parties, as well as involving the employees in this new narrative.
Design identity: Studio Ruig.
