Northampton College
building a powerful local brand.
1 identity
built on research-led values, and strong enough to accommodate a merger.
the context
Further education colleges are too often seen as ‘second best’ to sixth forms. Northampton College was committed to opening up opportunities for people the system had failed, and ambitious enough to take a failing college under its wing.
the challenge
To improve local perceptions against strong sixth forms and specialist colleges, position the college as progressive despite ageing buildings, grow student recruitment to drive investment, and lift self-esteem inside the college.
what we did
We ran interviews and workshops with the whole college corporation, plus academic and support staff workshops, high street surveys in two towns and an online survey on proposed identities. We presented jointly at the staff conference, followed by cascade briefings run by facilitators we trained.
the results.
- values agreed, and written into the college strategy
- merger the name proved strong enough to accommodate one
- hub an identity reflecting the college’s hub-and-spoke reach
In the years that followed, the college secured significant investment in its buildings, improved Ofsted reports and better student satisfaction.
We needed to make an impact because our educational partnership is a unique idea and complicated to communicate. The input we gained from Glued’s strategic involvement in building the brand gave us excellent stand-out at a critical time and the design capability they displayed translated extremely well across the disciplines.
Susan Lewis, Director of Marketing, Northampton College
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