SCI Members' News

Brand new SCI has embarked on a major rebranding exercise. Tony Ramgobin, SCI’s director of marketing and events, provides an outline of the project and the next steps to be taken

Over the last few years, SCI’s logo and theme ‘where science meets business’ have become well established and have added to the authority and visibility of the Society. The logo however, is looking tired and is in much need of modernisation. This project therefore seeks to refresh the brand, together with a visual expression that better aligns it with our business today and that of the future.

A review of SCI’s brand was agreed by senior trustee officers at the business planning strategy away day in August 2006 and this was formally endorsed at the trustee board meeting in December last year (including the agreement to designate project funds required to support this first phase of development). Chairs of all groups were also informed at that time.

SCI’s business plan provides the strategic direction and scope for the review. As you will be aware, over the next five years aims to: significantly grow a geographically diverse membership base; develop its international profile and presence in markets of significant economic importance; and to broaden its base of collaborative and strategic alliances to build the capability necessary to achieve sector leadership, and entry into new markets.

Achieving these aims requires a robust brand framework to accommodate the complex relationships and interactions SCI will be developing as it responds to both market opportunities and delivery of its plan. The rebranding project will seek to:

• Develop a brand that will transcend international boundaries and help raise SCI’s visibility and profile in India, China and Europe.
• Establish SCI as the principal brand (the ‘master brand’) and its position in relation to its sub-brand Chemistry & Industry.
• Refresh the design of SCI’s logo and develop our own brand expression.
• Provide guidance on the use of the brand when applied in conjunction with collaborators, sponsors and strategic partners.
• Provide clear guidance on the appropriate use of the brand to guide consistent application across the Society to include group communications, SCI activities such as its web site, conferences and events, publications, suppliers and all future collateral, which will be used to enhance our image and awareness.

Our plan over the next few weeks is to roll out an online survey to all members and to an external sample of non-member stakeholders, which will provide very valuable input and direction. We hope that as many members as possible will contribute to this survey and so help shape our thinking. Our membership will clearly play an important role in this as we will need to consult and engage with you through the use of regular communications.

Once we have conducted the main survey we will then consult further through focus groups, develop design concepts, which will lead to SCI’s final ‘brand expression’ and the production of ‘comprehensive’ brand guidelines required to manage and control implementation internally as well as externally.