Case Study: Rebrand + Website for a leading civic & education practice
Global Franchise Expansion: How We Helped Papa John’s Strengthen Its Worldwide Growth Strategy.
Rebrand + Website for a leading civic
& education practice
Cronin Architects engaged us to modernise their identity and website for public-sector work. We built a flexible system—logo, typography and sector architecture—then a WCAG-aware site that clarifies expertise, showcases projects and improves pre-qual credibility.
Current trends + market dynamics in the global handbag & accessories market.
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The global travel bags market is experiencing substantial growth, with expectations to expand from $18.2 billion in 2023 to $29.9 billion by 2032, driven by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5% (IMARC). Key segments within the market include duffle bags, trolley bags, and backpacks, with duffle bags holding the largest market share due to their versatility and convenience for a range of travel types from short business trips to longer vacations (IMARC).
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The pandemic has accelerated ecommerce across all sectors, with a 43% increase in US ecommerce sales in 2020, rising from $571.2 billion in 2019 to $815.4 billion. This surge was partly due to shifts from in-store to online shopping amid lockdowns (Census.gov).
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Post-pandemic consumer trends include a notable shift towards digital-first shopping habits. Approximately 92% of consumers who experimented with online shopping during the onset of the pandemic have continued to do so. Ecommerce not only maintained its essential status but expanded as consumers demanded convenience in new categories
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Medium-priced travel bags represent the largest segment, appealing to consumers seeking a balance between quality and affordability. This segment typically includes bags with robust materials, ergonomic designs, and practical features (IMARC) (Future Insights). This information could help McWilliam Bags position their products within the right pricing bracket to maximize their appeal.
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The United States has seen substantial growth in ecommerce, with a remarkable annual increase of 42% from 2019 to 2020. While the growth rate moderated to 18% in 2021, it still indicates a strong shift towards online shopping relative to pre-pandemic levels (Influencer Marketing Hub). Additionally, there's been significant consumer adoption of ecommerce in traditionally tactile sectors like groceries, which experienced notable growth during the pandemic (McKinsey & Company).
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Specialty stores are the primary distribution channel for travel bags, preferred by consumers for their ability to offer a wide range of high-quality products and expert guidance (Allied Market Research). However, online sales are also significant, reflecting broader retail trends towards digitalization, especially post-pandemic (Future Insights).
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The Asia Pacific region is notable for its rapid market growth, fueled by increasing purchasing power and a growing preference for fashionable travel accessories (Allied Market Research). In North America and Europe, there is a steady demand driven by both business and leisure travel (MAXIMIZE MARKET RESEARCH).
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The market features a mix of established brands and new entrants, with key players like Samsonite, Tumi, and Delsey, among others, continuously innovating with features such as ergonomic designs and smart technologies like GPS tracking (GlobalMarketReports).
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The best channels for reaching ecommerce customers have evolved. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) websites and online marketplaces have seen increased traffic, benefiting from their ability to offer targeted marketing and personalized shopping experiences. Additionally, the use of real-time analytics has become critical for businesses to understand and react to consumer needs quickly (McKinsey & Company) (Influencer Marketing Hub).
The Opportunity
Papa John’s was in the midst of rolling out a refreshed global brand identity, aimed at highlighting the company’s evolution and solidifying its market positioning. While this new rebrand presented an exciting opportunity to modernize and unify the brand worldwide, it also brought unique complexities:
1. Interpreting & Applying the Rebrand
Urban Brand Creative needed to translate Papa John’s updated visual and messaging elements into cohesive franchise materials. This required aligning the new brand look, tone, and core principles with real-world operations—without losing sight of local market nuances.
2. Global Stakeholder Alignment
With stakeholders spanning Global HQ Legal teams, international marketing leads, and the Director of International Development, achieving consensus across multiple regions was essential. Each division had specific compliance needs, regional considerations, and strategic objectives that had to be reflected in the final handbook and commercial documentation.
3. Maintaining Consistency at Scale
Papa John’s operates in 50+ countries, each with distinct consumer preferences and regulatory environments. The challenge lay in ensuring one unified brand story—anchored by the newly introduced rebrand—while granting franchisees clear, relevant guidelines for their local markets.
Through close collaboration with Papa John’s corporate leadership and regional stakeholders, Urban Brand Creative set out to develop modular, globally adaptable franchise materials that would serve as a blueprint for ongoing expansion in EMEA, APAC, and LATAM alike.
Our Strategic Solution
To unite Papa John’s refreshed global brand identity with its ambitious international growth plans, Urban Brand Creative designed a comprehensive, two-pronged approach:
Interpreting the New Brand Across Global Markets
We dissected Papa John’s updated visuals, messaging, and positioning guidelines to create regionally adaptable materials that stayed true to the rebrand’s spirit.
Each page—whether referencing brand tone, creative assets, or operational standards—was shaped to reflect local nuances without diluting the core brand identity.
Global Franchise Sales & Marketing Handbook (Public Document)
Unified Guidance: A master resource covering brand ethos, sales messaging, and high-level operational benchmarks, ensuring every franchise location could seamlessly implement the rebrand.
Scalable Framework: Built modularly, so Papa John’s regional leads could easily customize relevant sections for EMEA, APAC, and LATAM.
Key Stakeholder Alignment: Multiple feedback loops involving Global HQ Legal, the Director of International Development, and regional teams ensured that each chapter reflected both corporate standards and local regulatory compliance.
Supplemental Commercial Document (NDA-Protected)
High-Level Expansion Insights: Provided executive stakeholders with strategic growth models, market entry considerations, and forecasts for new franchise opportunities.
Financial & Operational Clarity: Detailed investment highlights and ROI frameworks in a secure format, allowing leadership to make informed decisions without jeopardizing sensitive data.
Legal & Regulatory Consistency: Addressed region-specific requirements, giving Papa John’s top brass the confidence to expand quickly while adhering to international standards.
By combining brand-driven content with confidential commercial insights, this two-document solution served as a blueprint for Papa John’s continued expansion—enabling faster market rollouts, consistent in-store experiences, and unified messaging across every country in which it operates.
Proven Results
Through a dynamic blend of brand-focused documentation and confidential commercial insights, Urban Brand Creative delivered a clear, actionable framework for Papa John’s continued international success. The outcomes include:
Global Consistency Across 50+ Countries
The Global Franchise Sales & Marketing Handbook quickly became the go-to resource, standardizing Papa John’s brand identity and messaging in stores spanning EMEA, APAC, and LATAM.
Franchisees and regional leads gained a single reference point—minimizing confusion and ensuring a cohesive customer experience worldwide.
Streamlined Franchise Onboarding & Compliance
New and existing franchisees now have immediate access to updated brand assets, operational guidelines, and region-specific compliance checkpoints—all within one comprehensive handbook.
This dramatically reduced onboarding time and clarified legal requirements, thanks to the collaboration with Global HQ Legal and the Director of International Development.
Executive-Level Commercial Confidence
By combining top-level strategic insights, ROI frameworks, and market entry considerations in the NDA-protected document, Papa John’s leadership can make data-driven decisions for ongoing expansion.
From evaluating new territories to supporting existing franchise partners, the Commercial Document ensures decisions are both informed and aligned with the company’s broader growth strategy.
Endorsement & Momentum
Papa John’s promotion of the Franchise Handbook on public channels (including their official LinkedIn) signaled corporate-wide confidence in the materials.
This public endorsement underscored Urban Brand Creative’s role in modernizing the brand’s global presentation and supporting future milestones for the #3 largest pizza company in the world.
Collectively, these results have reinforced Papa John’s standing as a leading QSR brand, while equipping regional teams with the strategic toolkit needed to thrive in diverse markets.
Client Testimonial – Papa John’s
“Collaborating with Keith and his team at Urban Brand Creative
has been a transformative experience for promoting and developing our international franchise opportunities. They brought a level of professionalism, creativity, enthusiasm, and dedication that surpassed our expectations.
Their art direction was visually compelling, copywriting engaging for our global audience, and they solved complex challenges of adapting global brand standards. I highly recommend Urban Brand Creative for their commitment to excellence, client satisfaction, and ability to deliver high-quality, impactful marketing materials.
Working with UBC is a fun and memorable experience—something we intend to repeat, and repeat we will!”
Urban Brecko | Director of International Development
(Asia, Australia, Middle East) | Papa John’s
A Glimpse of Our Work
Your Growth. Our Solutions
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![Full Digital Growth Solutions]()
Full Digital Growth Solutions
From Brand Activation to Investment Readiness—We Do It All.
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![Strategy & Business Consulting]()
Strategy & Business Consulting
Data-driven strategies to scale, optimize, and dominate your market.
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![Branding, Rebranding & Activation]()
Branding, Rebranding & Activation
Craft a high-impact brand that attracts, engages, and converts.
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![Social Media Campaigns]()
Social Media Campaigns
Targeted content and ads that engage, grow, and convert.
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![Website & eCommerce]()
Website & eCommerce
UX-focused websites and eCommerce built to convert and scale.
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![Marketing & Growth]()
Marketing & Growth
SEO, ads, and campaigns that drive traffic, leads, and sales.
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![Content & Visual Production]()
Content & Visual Production
Photography, video, and design that sell your brand story.
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![Public Relations & Thought Leadership]()
Public Relations & Thought Leadership
Media, PR, and influencer strategies that build brand authority.
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![Valuation & Investor Growth]()
Valuation & Investor Growth
Position your business for funding, scaling, and exit success.
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![Franchise & Business Expansion]()
Franchise & Business Expansion
Franchise models and rollout strategies for scalable growth.
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![Performance Marketing & Lead Gen]()
Performance Marketing & Lead Gen
Dominate your market with high-converting ad campaigns, and strategic funnels,
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![Sales & Marketing Assets]()
Sales & Marketing Assets
Pitch decks and sales materials designed to close more deals.
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![Branding & Design]()
Branding & Design
Visual identities that attract, engage, and convert.
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![Creative Services]()
Creative Services
High-impact design, content, and campaigns that sell.
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![Training & Ongoing Support]()
Training & Ongoing Support
Workshops and mentoring to upskill teams fast.
Our Work in Action
We Don’t Just Talk About Growth - We Make It Happen.
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Enchant Beauty
Industry: Beauty & Fashion
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Industry: Agri-Butchers
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Fitzers Catering
Industry: Institutional Catering
Delivered a full-service brand evolution, with a new website, dynamic videos, engaging photoshoots, corporate magazine, brochures, and strategic campaigns, driving tender wins and market leadership. -
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Herbstreet
Industry: Restaurant
An award-winning Dublin favourite—Herbstreet’s brand refresh, eCommerce, strategy drove 3.5x traffic and 20% sales growth. Bespoke menu design, online reviews, boosted engagement and strengthened customer loyalty. -
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2 Portland Place
Industry: Luxury AirBNB Property Rental
We transformed 2 Portland Place into a premium digital brand—launching luxury eCommerce, enhancing bookings by 5x, integrating gated resources, and redefining their market presence with targeted digital strategy. -
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ARETE - UCD
Industry: Education + Augmented Reality
Launched a vibrant, engaging new brand identity for UCD / ARETE, blending design simplicity, multi-lingual appeal, and playful visual messaging to connect across borders and clearly resonate with young learners. -
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Joe Greene Menswear
Industry: Fashion
Elevated Joe Greene Menswear into the premium sector with multi-currency eCommerce, targeted digital growth, and strategic branding—achieving a 3.5x sales boost, 10x social reach, and redefining market leadership. -
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Industry: Communications
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Esquires Coffee
Industry: Coffeehouse Chain
Boosted Esquires Coffee's presence with engaging in-house POS marketing, compelling menu designs, and professional photography—driving higher footfall, customer spend, and enhancing brand visibility. -
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MagGrow
Industry: Agri-Tech
Delivered a full digital growth solution, from multilingual web design and partner portal creation to targeted sales campaigns—boosting global visibility, qualified leads, and successful Series A funding (€18m). -
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Veltig
Industry: Technology SaaS | Veltig
Delivered strategic brand evolution, digital transformation, and targeted Salesforce marketing campaigns, doubling digital sales in 90 days and achieving full project ROI within just 120 days. -
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BodyWhys
Industry: Education + Mental Health
Executed intuitive, user-focused website refresh and targeted educational resource creation, significantly boosting engagement, driving 8x traffic growth, and delivering over 10,000 educational downloads. -
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Cana Consultancy
Industry: Fast Moving Consumer Goods
Built a distinguished solo brand identity, compelling digital presence, and targeted B2B marketing assets, resulting in immediate market credibility, increased visibility, and accelerated client growth. -
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86 Software
Industry: SaaS/Tech
Full digital Growth solutions for an ambitious Tech Startup: from sales decks to product sheets and everything in between. -
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Auxilia Consultants
Industry: Supply Chain & Business Consultancy
Crafted a strategic brand identity, compelling corporate website, and targeted B2B marketing assets. Drove double-digit sales growth, quick market validation, and clear differentiation within 90 days. -
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Papa Johns Pizza
Industry: Quick-Service Restaurants (QSR)
Crafted strategic global franchise handbooks and confidential commercial resources, accelerating Papa John’s growth across APAC, EMEA & LATAM, ensuring seamless international market positioning.
