Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
Future-proofing a 100-Year Brand with a Unified, User-Centred Umbraco Platform
Background
The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) partnered with Cantarus to deliver one of the most significant digital transformations in its history. As the world’s leading professional body for marketers, CIM set out to lead by example with a digital experience built on the Umbraco CMS that reflected the same standards of excellence it promotes across the profession.
CIM’s legacy platform had become difficult to manage and no longer reflected the organisation’s wider goals, brand direction, or increasingly international audience. Key user journeys – from joining as a member to exploring qualifications – were fragmented, and years of accumulated content had reduced clarity and discoverability.
CIM needed a modern, future-ready platform capable of uniting its diverse audience and supporting its renewed value proposition.
“Futureproofing CIM wasn’t a digital project – it was an organisational shift. Together with Cantarus, we redefined our purpose, platform, and proposition for the next generation of marketers. What set Cantarus apart was their ability to challenge, collaborate, and co-create with us at every stage – helping us deliver a digital experience that finally reflects the authority, integrity, and inspiration of our brand.”
- James Tayler, Director of Technology, Chartered Institute of Marketing
Solution
Cantarus partnered with CIM to reimagine its digital presence, combining user-centred design, content strategy, and technical delivery to bring CIM’s revitalised brand and purpose to life.
User-Centred Design
The previous site was structured around the organisation, not its users. Through discovery work and journey mapping, Cantarus redefined key user paths – including becoming a member, joining through qualifications, and registering for a free account. The new experience emphasises clarity and personalisation. A refreshed visual direction introduced a modern, accessible design system focused on “radical simplification”, reducing unnecessary pages and helping users reach their goals more quickly.
Content Audit, Strategy & Population
A full audit of CIM’s existing site – including analytics, search performance, and SEO data – identified duplication and inconsistent content added over the years. Cantarus created a refined content structure and unified CIM’s previously fragmented content hub into a single Articles section with improved taxonomy. Webinars and podcasts were integrated more effectively, with accessibility enhancements such as transcripts and translations. Cantarus collaborated closely with internal teams to rewrite and refine key pages, then supported site population using SEO and accessibility best practice.
Technical Advisory & Integrated Development
Cantarus worked in a joint delivery model with CIM’s internal development team from the outset. Operating in agile sprints, both teams collaborated through shared ceremonies and milestones. Cantarus led on complex implementation areas, providing architectural guidance and modern best practices. By pairing with CIM’s developers throughout the build, new skills and standards became embedded internally.
Impact
The result is a human-centred digital presence that reflects CIM’s authority, ambition, and global reach. The new Umbraco platform delivers:
A modern, scalable foundation for future innovation
Consistent UX and design across the digital estate
A simplified, accessible content experience
Greater internal efficiency and capability
Cantarus continues to support CIM through ongoing optimisation, ensuring the platform evolves alongside the marketing profession it represents.
