Devonia were looking to expand and grow. We helped them reframe their brand and increase their business value.
Devonia Spring Water had a model that worked. Since 2005, Neil Graham had built something remarkable: a profitable water business that washes and reuses glass bottles - saving 94% of the CO2 emissions and energy costs of recycling. Twenty years of proving the model, building loyal customers, and staying true to genuine sustainability credentials.
The foundations were solid. The problem was telling that story to the world.
When Fiona Graham stepped into leadership alongside her dad, she recognised the gap. "While a startup defines its mission and values on day one, Devonia had evolved over two decades," says Fiona. "Our external representation wasn't picking up the strong value system and mission we actually had."
The business had grown organically, and the branding had too - but in pieces:
- Logos and brand assets from different eras didn't fit together
- When PR companies asked for materials, Fiona was cobbling things together
- The website, bottles, vans, and Instagram each reflected different moments in Devonia's evolution
- Despite being the only reuse water business in the Southwest, they weren't communicating that clearly enough
Growth was ready to happen, but the brand couldn't carry it. Premium customers and high-end venues needed to understand quickly why Devonia was different from big brands like Evian - and intricate in-person conversations weren't scalable.
"I wanted a fresh start and solid foundations that didn't lose our history but created a more solid outlook for the world," Fiona explains.
What Upshot did
Starting with proof of concept
Fiona initially came asking for an infographic to explain the reuse process. We created one showing the simple wash-refill-deliver-collect cycle - and it changed everything.
"We acquired 30 new customers in the first three months just by telling that story," says Fiona. "We put the infographic on promotional materials, and suddenly the story clicked for people."
That success proved something crucial: when Devonia's audience understood their environmental impact, doors opened. Fiona was ready to invest in the full rebrand.
Strategy before aesthetics
Through brand strategy sessions, we helped Devonia step back from daily operations and articulate what they'd never had time to document properly: their value system, mission, and customer understanding.
"You asked questions about stories we told ourselves that we'd never thought about," says Fiona. "We came away with a much deeper understanding of ourselves and our customers."
The strategy work identified three core pillars: seriously personal (drivers who become known faces), environmentally respectful (20 years of genuine sustainability, not bandwagon-jumping), and pragmatically remarkable (doing something brilliantly simple that makes practical sense).
Complete visual system
With clarity on who Devonia is, we created a cohesive visual identity built around a cyclical motif (reflecting the reuse process), human touches with hand-drawn elements, and a clean, confident aesthetic that positioned them as premium without being pretentious.
Launched in early 2024, everything – labels, packaging, website, vans, staff materials - finally worked as one professional system. The digital presence matched the quality of the product: clean, distinctive, and unmistakably Devonia.
The transformation went beyond looking professional. It became the foundation for strategic growth and business evolution:
Immediate customer growth
The infographic alone brought 30 new customers in three months. The full rebrand opened doors to premium stockists, high-end venues across the Southwest, and PR coverage including the Plymouth Herald.
Brand as decision-making framework
When an opportunity arose to continue serving a high-end hospitality client with different aesthetic needs, the brand foundations proved their worth. Rather than compromise the core identity, Devonia used their clear values to develop a white label option for premium venues - launched May 2025.
"The brand really helped us recognise this wasn't diluting who we are," says Fiona. "It was expanding our reach while staying true to our value system."
Professional credibility
"Devonia now has a professional outfit that screams we know what we're up to," says Fiona. The rebrand demonstrated business maturity to investors, PR agencies, and premium clients.
The brand guidelines document gets referenced constantly - for PR decisions, Instagram strategy, new product development, and business expansion choices.
Foundation for investment and innovation
The professional brand supported Devonia's successful investment application in early 2026 for digitising and automating their ordering system (currently limited by spreadsheets). This will enable wholesale expansion and new delivery models, opening multiple income streams.
Beyond water delivery, Devonia is developing lifestyle products and merchandise with a Devon/outdoors feel - all anchored by the brand foundations that keep everything coherent as they expand.
Compounding returns
"It's like an investment you stare at for three days and feel disappointed because the spend is fresh in your mind," says Fiona. "But 12 months later you see the interest and think it's awesome."
The investment added tangible value to the business and year-on-year growth in customers and revenue continues as Devonia expands into new markets and product lines.
“Rethinking our brand went beyond just the label and website. We didn't expect that this process would give us a solid way to visually and verbally articulate a value system that has sustained us for twenty years and will help us thrive for another twenty."
Impact
Devonia's story speaks to two specific audiences: food and beverage businesses with genuine credentials struggling to communicate them, and established companies at a transition point.
When younger leadership steps in with bold ambitions and serious growth plans, the brand often needs to evolve too. Not because the previous generation built it wrong – Neil's 20 years of work created something genuinely valuable – but because scaling requires different tools. What works for organic growth often can't carry strategic expansion.
What worked for Devonia:
- Proof of concept before full commitment (infographic first)
- Strategy that articulated existing strengths, not invented new ones
- Brand system flexible enough to expand (white label, new products)
- Foundations that guide decisions AND look distinctive/gorgeous!
Getting crystal clear on your value system isn't cosmetic. It's strategic infrastructure that unlocks PR, premium clients, investment, and expansion opportunities. For businesses ready to scale with purpose, clarity comes first – growth follows.
Devonia in the news
Devonia is revolutionising hydration with reuse, not just recycle
Via Plymouth Herald
