Operating within a large parent network can inadvertently dilute a specialist firm’s elite market value. Formerly known as Network HR, this corporate functions recruitment specialist possessed undeniable senior-level expertise. But sitting alongside HSE Recruitment, Technical Network and Recruitment People, its unique offering and credibility had become diluted. The business was being overshadowed by the wider Executive Network Group (ENG) ecosystem.
Looking to protect their premium positioning and showcase their specific capabilities, this called for total strategic separation. Establishing a clear brand architecture, the result is a powerful, independent market identity capable of commanding standalone authority.
Middlemore became the answer.
Defining a different kind of recruitment
Recruitment traditionally forces corporate clients to choose between low-yield volume agencies or prohibitively expensive, rigid executive search firms. Middlemore operates in the space between, providing top-tier results with a more accessible, pragmatic model. Their approach is meticulous and evidence-based, yet grounded and human.
This precise market alignment directly solves the commercial friction of constrained corporate budgets and high-stakes placement turnover. Grounded in credibility and professionalism, Middlemore acts as a genuine business partner, providing rigorous, data-driven search with a calm, low-ego approach.
They’re the agency that provides top-tier results with mid-tier benefits.
A name with heritage
To signal their independence, the new name needed to be distinctive, memorable and future-proof. We deliberately avoided founder-led naming conventions and functional descriptors like ‘Recruitment’ or ‘HR’ that could limit future growth.
Their location was the solution. The agency is based in Westbourne Manor in Birmingham, which in 1393 came into the possession of the Middlemore family. By adopting the name Middlemore, we rooted the brand in centuries of stability and legacy while creating a sophisticated foundation for contemporary executive search.
Reimagining the crest
This historical narrative went on to directly inform the visual identity strategy. The original Middlemore family crest features the moorcock, a red grouse native to British heather moorlands with a distinctive bright orange eyebrow.
This bird became the foundation for the new identity, abstracting its silhouette into a refined, forward-looking emblem. The clean feather form subtly indicates forward momentum, acting as a stamp of corporate quality while reinforcing a sense of progress, precision and confidence.
Striking the balance
The custom logotype echoes the tension between professional rigour and human approachability, subverting standard corporate coldness. By slightly rounding the letters for a twist on a typical serif font, we softened the aesthetic to make it highly approachable. It’s a typeface that feels less safe and more confident, striking an immediate impact against core competitors.
A burst of energy
As for the colour palette, this plays a critical role in market disruption, particularly in a sector heavily dominated by generic greens and passive corporate blues.
Middlemore’s palette is grounded in sharp black and white with a vibrant burst of orange drawn directly from the Moorcock’s iconic orange eyebrow. This deliberate contrast preserves their premium professional alignment while cutting through with a vibrant, approachable energy that visually disrupts the space.
An empowering transformation
Middlemore now stands confidently on its own and commands its own distinct market share. Rooted in heritage but engineered for modern executive search, the new brand architecture insulates their senior-level expertise from group dilution. No longer just another option in a recruitment network, they are the definitive standard for corporate functions search.
