The Made in Britain Campaign is a business and consumer campaign promoting British manufacturing in the UK and abroad. It was originally conceived by Prescot-based British cooker manufacturer Stoves in 2011, before evolving into an independent, not-for-profit organisation called the Made In Great Britain Campaign Ltd, which was officially established in June 2013.
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Background
In 2010, Stoves, a company committed to UK manufacture with 100% of its built-in ovens, hobs, freestanding and range cookers assembled at its Merseyside headquarters, believed that some brands were trading off their British heritage, despite now being manufactured overseas.
In January 2011, it commissioned independent market research among 1,000 British adults. The results showed that half (48%) of those surveyed admitted confusion about which brands could still claim to be made in Britain, with international takeovers and moves towards Far Eastern production all contributing to an increasingly puzzled landscape. Two-thirds (67%) wanted an official seal of approval to show products made in Britain, while half (52%) thought British brands should bring manufacturing back to the UK.
More than a third (37%) of those questioned stated they would buy British if it was easier to identify authentic made in Britain products. A separate poll by Which? in July 2011 asked "Would a Made in Britain logo help you buy British?" 84% (907 Votes) said ‘Yes it would’; 9% (92 Votes) said ‘No it wouldn't’; and 7% (78 Votes) said ‘I don't care about buying British’
The Stoves research showed that more than half (55%) said that supporting UK manufacturing and jobs is their main incentive to buy British and one third (36%) claim to buy British whenever they can.
Mistakenly, 40% thought HP Sauce (now manufactured in the Netherlands) is British-made; 43% thought Royal Doulton was British-made, however, although designed in the UK it is now manufactured in the Far East; 32% thought Dyson was a British brand despite production now taking place in Malaysia; 23% said Raleigh bikes were British-made, when in fact it shifted production to the Far East in 2003.
The research was released in April 2011, with reports appearing in UK newspapers including the Financial Times.
History
In May 2011, Gavin Williamson, Member of UK Parliament for South Staffordshire, raised a Country of Origin motion in the House of Commons, citing the Made in Britain research .
On the back of the research, Stoves launched a competition among students at British universities to design a Made in Britain logo. In May 2011, a panel of five judges, including Martin Allen-Smith, Managing Editor of Designer Magazine (now called Designer Kitchen & Bathroom) and Denver Hewlett, Chief Executive of Stoves, shortlisted 11 entries and chose the winner, which was designed by Cynthia Lee, a student designer from Nottingham University.
On 11 July 2011 the marque was unveiled and British businesses were invited to apply to use the logo.
On 6 March 2012, the campaign received support from the British Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband, who, speaking at the Engineer Employers Federation annual conference in London, said: "There should be a standard Made in Britain mark that is backed not just by industry but backed by government," describing the Made in Britain campaign as a "fantastic new initiative". He went on to promise: "The next Labour government will put British design, British invention, British manufacturing at the heart of our economic policy."
In October 2012, the 600th application was made to use the Made in Britain logo.
In October 2012 plans were unveiled to set up a Made in Britain committee to oversee the marque and assist with the ongoing promotion of the campaign. On 10 October, companies who had applied for the Made in Britain logo were sent an email inviting them to join. On 12 November 2012, MDs and CEOs from eight companies attended the first committee meeting in London. In subsequent meetings the committee was joined by members of other pro-UK manufacturing groups.
In May 2013, Campaign Director, Antony Wallis of Best of Britannia introduced The Partners, a London-based design and branding agency which was commissioned by the committee to design a new Made in Britain marque. The new design was finalised in June 2013 and the new, independent, non-profit organisation was officially launched in December 2013. Made in Great Britain Campaign Ltd (CRN 08566119) was incorporated on the 12th June 2013 by the founding directors Kate Hills and Adrian Walker.
The non-profit organisation is run by a committee of Directors from UK-based manufacturers as well as leaders of other groups which support British trade and industry. Central to the campaign is the new marque, which companies can, for an annual fee, apply to use to highlight the provenance of their UK-made products.
In April 2015, the Made in Britain Campaign employed a full-time Chief Executive Officer, John Pearce. John joined the Made in Britain Campaign from the GREAT Britain Campaign, the Government's overseas business, tourism and education initiative.
Applying for use
Businesses looking to apply to join the Made in Britain campaign and use its marque must do so via the application process. Membership fees are dependent upon the financial turnover of the organisation wishing to apply, and successful applicants agree to the usage terms and conditions. Members must self-certify their eligibility. In line with the consumer protection act, companies must be transparent in their claims and whenever possible display supporting information about their manufacturing process and policies – e.g. via a company website. Each application is checked by the Made in Britain campaign staff. At application, all members are asked to confirm where they make their products. Following application, where possible, representatives visit premises and speak to business owners to discuss how they will use the Made in Britain marque, so can check first-hand where products are made. The Made in Britain Campaign enters into a long-term dialogue with its members so it can ensure members continue to comply with the Campaign requirements. The application form and criteria can be found on the company website.
Awards and Accolades
The Made in Britain Campaign has received a number of awards and accolades:
2014 Clio Awards - Silver statue in the Design category
2014 Design Week Awards - Winner in the Brand Identity category
2014 D&AD Book - The Made in Britain marque features twice in the Branding Schemes and Logo sections
2014 Drum Design Awards - winner of the Identity category and Grand Prix
The original Stoves campaign received the following accolades:
2013 CIPR Excellence Awards - Finalist, consumer relations category
2012 CIPR PRide Awards - Winner, Best low budget campaign
2012 CIPR PRide Awards - Winner, Best Consumer relations