In 2020, the University of Derby relaunched its business support programme under revised branding, having worked with Koobr to reframe and strengthen the core identity so that it would better connect with target audiences. The scheme is now successfully helping SMEs across the region as they continue to rebuild in times of unprecedented difficulties.

Rebuilding for the better

The University of Derby’s DRIVEN programme is a fully-funded scheme, helping small and medium-sized businesses across the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire areas to plug essential skills gaps through the provision of recruitment and training support. However, it was strongly felt that the initial branding did not effectively communicate the values of this scheme, resulting in a disconnect with key audiences when it first launched.

Koobr was approached by the University of Derby to provide a fresh perspective, deconstructing the original brand identity and then reworking it into three alternative concepts — each built around a tightly focused theme in service of the programme’s core benefits.

For one of these concepts, it was agreed in the early stages of development that pressing concerns for the future of many local businesses (a result of the 2020 nationwide lockdown taking place at the time) would need to be the primary focus. Knowing that businesses would be looking for support with staffing and training after the lockdown, it was important to deliver that message clearly and optimistically.

This particular concept was developed around the theme of ‘rebuilding’ — providing businesses with a clear picture of how a longterm partnership with the university’s DRIVEN programme would help them to ‘Re-group, Recruit and Rebuild’ through it’s wide range of support initiatives.

New messaging, both headline and supportive, was developed alongside a new visual style that accurately portrait the key benefits mentioned throughout the text. Ultimately, this was the concept selected by the University of Derby, and DRIVEN was officially re-launched in September 2020.

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