FAQs on new brand
Why a new brand?
Developing a new market image was identified as a priority in the 2007 Sydney Institute
Results and Services Plan.
The Institute wanted to promote the ‘new’ TAFE and its services, improve our image to
schools and industry, and target key customer groups with marketing strategies.
We needed to create a brand that helps to position us for future success. But, we also
need our staff to embrace the values that the brand represents. If we haven't got these
values right, we need to keep working on it.
It is important that staff to feel they have permission to question how and why we do
things and to feel empowered to make the changes we need to deliver a better service
and outcomes to our students and customers.
The new brand will help us to do that.
What does the brand mean?
Sydney Institute’s brand is more than a logo. It is the platform for how we communicate
and the foundation on which our relationships with students, industry and the
community is based.
Our brand also embodies the vision for our organisational culture. It is aspirational and
represents the professional image that we wish to project to all our customers and
potential customers.
Our brand values represent what we stand for and what we aspire to. They help to set
us apart and to reposition Sydney Institute. In the public’s mind we want to move from
being known as a provider of vocational education to the preferred choice - the best
RTO!
Our brand values are:
Passionate
Influential
Professional
Capable
Brand essence:
At the centre of our brand is its essence – the single thought that captures what Sydney
Institute is all about.
Our brand essence is: “Progressive”
“Progressive” means favouring or advocating progress towards better conditions or new
ideas, policies or methods.
Sydney Institute should offer the most nimble and fast-embracing form of career-related
education. We must respond to changes in industry and the economy and provide
product and services that are needed.
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The brand essence influences everything we do – from how we do our daily jobs, our
customer service and courses, as well as setting the tone and approach for all Sydney
Institute communications.
Who developed the new brand?
In August 2006, Sydney Institute identified the need to undertake market research to
inform development of their overall business strategy for 2007 and beyond.
Marketing & Research Associates (mra), an independent research consultancy with
expertise in the human resources, employment and education sectors, was engaged in
October 2006.
Research undertaken built upon information already collected and initiatives already
undertaken by the Sydney Institute. Market intelligence was gathered from October
2006 to January 2007 - using a combination of secondary and primary research.
From this research, it was clear that to remain relevant and ensure our ongoing
success, Sydney Institute had to differentiate itself in the marketplace and
change the way we did business.
In May 2007, Frost* Design, who has a strong track record in working with
organisations to create powerful brands and communication programs, was engaged.
Frost* has been working with us to develop our new market image. The project includes
the development of a new visual identity and revision of marketing strategies.
What did Frost ask our customers and staff?
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Who would Sydney Institute be if it was a person?
What kind of car is Sydney Institute?
What 3 words would you use to sum up Sydney Institute?
Can you think of another brand that represents the same approach/ideas as
Sydney Institute?
How would you describe your product benefits for markets?
What typifies the marketplace and where do you stand out?
What’s the most compelling argument against TAFE?
What are the key challenges – practical and cultural?
Why do people choose to work at TAFE SI?
What do you think the TAFE SI brand position might be?
What is the main thing you want to get out of the TAFE SI branding project?
What did the research find?
TAFE SI benefits from the positive brand equity of TAFE NSW (big, established, and safe)
while at the same time suffers from the ingrained perceptions that TAFE in general is less
flexible, innovative and proactive than competitive (private) RTO’s.
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Of particular note are perceptions that TAFE in general (and by default TAFE SI) does not
have strong industry affiliations and expertise in many areas – meaning that those seeking a
specific employment or skill based outcome may choose an alternative provider that they
believe is better able to facilitate their objective.
mra recommended that we need to consider the following strategies:
 Aggressively promote ourselves in the marketplace
 Proactively address misperceptions about TAFE in general
 Work to differentiate Sydney Institute from TAFE NSW (promote key strengths of
TAFE SI – namely facilities, resources, specialties, corporate affiliations etc.)
Frost found the current market perception of Sydney Institute were:
Positive associations
 Equitable – especially multicultural
 Friendly – not intimidating
 Established – always been there
 Hands-on – learn by doing
 The place to learn a trade
 Value for money
Negative associations
 Daggy – not aspirational
 Easy – not challenging
 Behind the times – slow to change,
bureaucratic
 Hands not mind
 Blue collar
 Cheap – bottom of the barrel
Where is the gap?
 The “human” values of the brand are well-established eg accessible, diverse,
friendly
 TAFE owns trades, but actually means much more – need to focus on adding
new perceptions re skills on offer
 The brand is lacking aspirational values
 The brand is lacking prestige
How was it tested?
Frost undertook the project in four stages
Stage 1 - “brand discovery” - Product offer, Markets, Benefits, Rewards
This was about investigation (desktop analysis of existing research, current brand touch
points/publications, competitors) and used a range of workshops, interviews and focus
group discussions to establish some of the issues currently preventing SI from reaching
its full marketing potential.
Discussion forums were hosted at all colleges plus some 1-1 interviews with a range of
staff and customers.
Ten major issues were identified.
This “discovery process” was also used as an opportunity to find out what staff needs
were in terms of marketing and promotional materials.
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Stage 2 - “brand definition" - Essence, Values, Story
Workshops were held with staff and external customers to gain additional insights.
This is where Frost presented recommendations for SI’s new position, brand essence
and brand stories.
This is when the brand pyramid was presented - see attached.
The brand pyramid was then tested with a range of staff.
Stage 3 – “brand expression" - Visual identity, Brand elements
Frost presented concepts for visual execution of the strategy, including the colour
palette.
These concepts were tested with focus groups with some staff and customers.
Stage 4 - "brand tactics" - Communications, Applications, Engagement
This is where we are now, the roll out phase.
To date there have been launches, the development of an initial DVD and promotional
banners.
Over the next few days staff training is taking place so that everyone can understand
the new visual identity and we can review the way we usually do things so that we
become more progressive in every aspect of our business and in every encounter with
our customers, staff, potential customers, industry association and the community.
Were staff involved?
Staff from across the Institute were involved in various stages of developing the brand
image (see above).
There was a Steering Group that oversaw the project; members included the Institute
Director, Design Centre Enmore Director, Head Teacher of Graphic Design from St
George College, Marketing Teacher from St George College, Training Consultant from
Ultimo, Aboriginal Development Manager, International Business Manager, Graphic
Designer from Promotions and Marketing.
How was the tagline ‘Ambition in action’ developed?
It is hard to summarise a complex business in a few words, but this is what a tagline is.
Our tagline needed to reflect our brand essence - ‘progressive’ as well as the brand values
of passionate, capable, influential, and professional.
We needed to get across the concept of being future-focused, constantly moving forward,
enterprising, continuous improvement, broad-minded.
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We also needed something that was aspirational. Something that reflected the positive
things that people are actually saying about Sydney Institute.
But most of all, something that would help shift perceptions of who we were and what we
did.
AMBITION IN ACTION
It is aspirational
It feels progressive and reflects the brand values
Using the word 'ambition' is better than using the word 'career' which is overused and really
it's not just about your career it's about changing your life.
'Ambition' also suggests our students can realise their dreams – and it doesn’t sound
cheesy.
'In action' feels dynamic. It also conveys a sense that TAFE training is up-to-the minute,
constantly moving with the times.
BUT that we also help propel our students forward into their chosen career.
What is our brand story?
The following is just a brief example of some of the feedback we received in the
discovery/strategy stage of the project:
— ‘Studying at TAFE connected me to the working world. The training was personalised, up
to date and relevant. I can now see my career’.
— ‘TAFE is life changing. TAFE gave me a second chance to get ahead’
— ‘TAFE S.I offers me experiences and real world connections outside the box of a regular
course – contributing to fashion week, Hollywood films, or a leading hotel chain are not
just possible but tangible’.
Student perspective:
I always thought of TAFE as a place that was for people who couldn’t make it in to Uni.
But now I realise that it’s become the place to go if you want to get ahead in a career.
You learn from passionate people who really know what’s happening at the leading
edge – so you are equipped for success the moment you walk out the door.
Their expert connections with the workplace mean they are really current and can tip
you into a career. And because of the small class sizes, they know who I am and what
I‘m trying to achieve so it’s easy for me to make progress.
They never rest in finding out what’s happening in the workplace and are constantly
updating their courses to stay relevant. They’re out there all the time influencing not only
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individuals, but how the community thinks about what a career can be and where the
opportunities lie. So I can be confident they really know what they’re talking about.
Sydney Institute is always moving forward, thinking about the future – it opens
my eyes to what a career is and what I can be.
Employer perspective:
I used to think of TAFE as being around forever, safe and reliable but not really keeping
pace with the times.
But now I realise that they are really progressive in their approach – always in touch
with what’s happening in my field and making sure they are equipping people to have
the right combination of education and experience to slot right in to a career.
They never rest. They are constantly finding out what’s happening in the workplace and
are updating their courses to stay relevant.
Their ability to partner and respond means they are very nimble in their approach – and
professional to a tee.
They are more than a vital resource for industry – they are taking a leading role in
describing where careers are heading and the future of work. So I know they
understand the bigger issues.
Sydney Institute is always moving forward, thinking about the future – and
responding to industry’s needs creating people who are really capable of making
a difference.
Can I create my own brochures and flyers?
Yes you can – there is a process to follow when developing any marketing materials
and will ensure that there is consistency across the Institute.
There are templates for a range of marketing materials including fliers, posters,
brochures, and newsletters.
If you want another type of template developed contact Promotions and Marketing
Services.
Our image, reflected in our publications, events and all our activities, is an important
tool. It can be used to enhance our standing and position in the minds of our key publics
such as government bodies, the local community, customers and industry.
But it has to be used right so that it enhances our reputation and does not detract from
our professionalism.
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Will our students be allowed to create posters for our College
promoting their exhibitions and parades?
Yes they can – the most important thing is to remember the placement and size of our
logo on any of the materials. Please refer to the logo guidelines and if in doubt ask Promotions and Marketing Services.
Does this mean we can’t use our TAFE logo?
NO. TAFE is still very much our parent brand and we are proud of that. It is a very
important part of our image. The brand guidelines give a lot of flexibility for colleges to
customise promotional material for their local environment and there are lock-ups that
have TAFE, Institute and college logos.
Please refer to the logo guidelines and if in doubt ask - Promotions and Marketing
Services
Does this mean everything will look the same?
All the marketing materials will have a consistent look and should follow the visual style
guide – but there is a broad degree of flexibility to ensure the right look and feel
appropriate to the right target audience.
Consistency is important as it builds brand awareness. The new visual identity allows
for a range of images and a variety of applications – portrait, landscape, various size
headings etc – and there are separate colour-ways for each college as well as an
Institute colour-way.
There will be workshops that will go into the creation of publications and materials but
generally, it is very simple to use.
Text heading size is dictated by the length of the words you want to have in the heading
and the photo and the Sydney Institute grid (key elements of our branding) can be
manipulated in a particular way.
What if we don’t like the images?
Currently we are building the image library. Within the deadline we were working to, it
has been a challenge to get a range of images in the quality and style we needed.
However, work has continued and we are building an image library that has a range of
'real' student images reflective of gender, ethnicity, age, disability etc etc.
What do I do with old material?
We are not automatically re-branding everything – this gives us an opportunity to review
all materials to think about not only the language but what outcomes were achieved
initially from the marketing material.
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For example: What feedback was received? Did we achieve our objective? Did the
implementation strategies work? Can the information be communicated or promoted in
a more effective/efficient way?
When will I receive new business cards and a name badge?
There is a transition period, we don’t expect to throw away or destroy the existing
business cards and name tags. Wait until you run out of cards or it’s the end of the year.
However, if there is an important industry event you are attending or some other
opportunity where you need to present your best face and have the best materials – talk
to Promotions and Marketing Services.
Are there any plans to develop a digital strategy and guidelines for
use?
One of our goals this year is to review our marketing strategy and develop more
aggressive and progressive marketing campaigns.
We will review how we do things and assess if there are ways we can communicate
more effectively or efficiently.
One of the areas that we will be developing to achieve this will be a digital strategy –
looking at the website, SMS-based messages, email campaigns, linking with partners’
websites, cross-promotions, database marketing and more…
Are there plans for more stories to be on the Internet?
With the new design, the college web pages are being reviewed and will include college
what’s on and news. Profiles of graduates and teachers will also become part of the
site.
This is just the beginning…a website should be dynamic and regularly updated so there
are plans for industry/career area pages that highlight not only the courses we offer, but
provide information on our graduate success stories and testimonials from employers.
We will also use our industry associations to provide potential students with accurate
and current information on the skills that employers are looking for in each industry
area.
Who is on the ‘Living the Brand’ working group?
The ‘Living the Brand’ working group is led by Institute Director - Pam Christie and
includes: Claire O’Conor, Suzie Haddock; Maggie Connors; Di Craven; Ross Petersen;
Greg Drayton; Jean Burns; Cathy Bahari, Tessa Bachmayer, Fran Cane, Pinyo
Fordham; Maria Frangeskou and Julia Gauci.
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Are there plan for more information based DVDs to support students
for a range of market segments?
Yes there are plans for more DVDs – it is an issue of time and budget. However the
next one in production will be specifically for international students with the talent and
content designed to suit the international market.
What does any of this mean to me?
At its basic level – we need to do this to stay in the game. It is an increasingly
competitive market and there are some very serious threats to our business.
We all need to work together to protect our reputation, build awareness about who we
are and what we can do and attract more students.
We need to:
 Live the Sydney Institute brand, ‘story’ and key messages. Not just promote it but
ensure this is what our customers and potential customers experience in their
dealings with us.
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Be smart in our use of the TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute brands and make sure
people know who we are and what we can do for them
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Allow for a consistency of style, but work together to come up with a customised
approach for particular audiences and programs if needed.
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Communicate with each other and work together.
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Have everybody aware of the new marketing materials and how to use them and
HOW TO GET HELP in using them.
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Ensurie we maintain a set standard for the quality of our publications and our
communications.
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Meet the needs of a large complex organisation which provides more than 800
training programs with many stakeholders and target audiences and work to protect
our business and increase our enrolments.
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