Swansea University Event Services Brand Refresh

An overview to tickle the tastebuds

As Swansea University Event Services looked to grow its presence and stand out in a competitive market, it commissioned jamjar to refresh its brand identity. The goal was to develop a distinctive, engaging brand that balanced the Swansea University brand with a fresh, differentiated visual and verbal identity for Event Services. Inspired by its offering, passion and sense of place, jamjar helped create a professional yet inviting brand that resonated with target audiences, from corporate event planners to sports associations.

Lifting the lid on the brief

Swansea University Event Services needed a brand refresh that evoked emotion and passion while maintaining professionalism. The department facilitates a variety of events, including conferences, exhibitions, gala dinners, and international sporting activities. With growing ambitions, the team sought to differentiate themselves from competitors by developing a brand identity that better reflected their unique offerings.

Our brief was to develop:

• A distinctive visual identity that complemented Swansea University’s core branding.
• A secondary colour palette and graphical elements to enhance brand differentiation.
• A refined tone of voice and tagline that positioned Event Services as approachable, passionate, and professional.
• A comprehensive set of brand guidelines to ensure consistency across marketing materials.

Our recipe for success

jamjar took a strategic approach to refining the Swansea University Event Services brand, ensuring it reflected the unique character of its two campuses while establishing a strong, independent identity:

• Site visit & research: To fully understand the client’s needs, the jamjar team visited Swansea University’s Singleton and Bay campuses, experiencing the event spaces firsthand. This helped ensure that the brand identity authentically reflected the diverse venues available.
• Brand identity development:
  • Created a balanced identity that worked within the existing Swansea University brand while introducing new elements to give Event Services a fresh, distinct feel.
  • Introduced two new fonts and established a new colour palette inspired by the university’s surroundings, including ‘Swansea Bay Blue,’ ‘Swansea University Navy,’ and ‘Singleton Park Green.’
  • Developed graphical devices, including organic shapes derived from campus architecture, to create a unique yet consistent look.
• Tone of voice & messaging:
  • Defined a tone of voice that was warm, professional, and welcoming, reflecting the team’s passion for delivering exceptional events.
  • Introduced clear key messages that emphasised Swansea’s blend of historic and modern venues, beachside location, and extensive event facilities.
• Bilingual tagline:
  • Crafted the tagline ‘Your vision. Our venue.’ ‘Eich gweledigaeth. Ein lleoliad.’ to be consistently used across all touchpoints.
• Brand Guidelines:
  • Developed comprehensive brand guidelines to manage the application of the new identity across print, digital, and social media platforms.
  • Created examples of collateral, including website mock-ups, social media posts, and printed materials, to demonstrate the brand’s real-world application.

Proof is in the pudding

Key results included:

• Brand differentiation: The new visual identity and tone of voice established Event Services as a unique proposition while maintaining alignment with the Swansea University brand.
• Enhanced visual appeal: The introduction of a fresh colour palette and graphic elements created a modern, sophisticated look that resonated with corporate and sporting event organisers.
• Clear & consistent communication: The bilingual tagline and refined messaging ensured clarity across all audience touchpoints, reinforcing Swansea University’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.
• Practical brand application: The brand guidelines provided a structured approach to using the new identity across various marketing channels, ensuring consistency in all communications.