The Sussex Brand
Find out about the brand of the University of Sussex and why it’s important.
Why we have a brand
Our brand exists to inform, engage and inspire our audiences. It:
- communicates Sussex’s vision and values
- defines our audience’s expectations of what we can offer them
- is crucial in differentiating us from our competitors.
Put simply, our brand tells people why Sussex is different from other universities.
Our brand is a promise to deliver a certain set of benefits, from academic excellence, research status, links with industry and employability to location, quality of life and an international community. It is the essence of who we are and what we stand for.
Although the visual identity of Sussex is a key part of our brand, it’s not just about logos, colours and typography – it’s the whole experience we offer.
Brand is everything, from how you’re treated when you phone up with a query and the way we interact with our students to the tone of voice we use in our writing and the style of our photography.
What our brand says about us
As our strategy explains, from the start Sussex was designed to be different.
We have challenged convention since the University’s foundation in 1961 – from our modernist campus architecture on the edge of a national park, to our progressive academics and creative professional services staff, to the inspiring students who learn and live here, to the very tone of the institution and the nature of its conversations, through to the expressions of radicalism, critical thinking and, at times, dissent.
Today, our staff, students and alumni continue these traditions, making their own extraordinary contributions locally, regionally, nationally and globally.
Our values
We have five core values that shape everything we say and do.
- Kindness
- Integrity
- Inclusion
- Collaboration
- Courage
Find out more about our values.
Keeping Sussex on brand
Maintaining a strong, coherent brand has enormous benefits for us.
If all our communications, both internal and external, are branded consistently as part of the ‘Sussex family’, everyone at Sussex gets the maximum benefit from their association with the University.
Through this we can:
- recruit and keep the best students and staff from around the world
- reduce our costs through co-ordinated activity (sub-brands only weaken our brand and waste precious resource)
- improve our regional presence
- inspire greater loyalty from staff and alumni.
A strong and consistent brand is a necessity, not a luxury. It ensures the co-ordinated and sustained growth of the University’s identity and reputation.
Our visual identity
Our visual identity is the visual manifestation of our brand, through which we convey who we are and what we have to offer.
The University of Sussex’s identity is much more than just a logo. We have developed a typographic style, approach to design, choice of colours, a tone of voice and photographic style. Together, these ensure all our communications, internal and external, have a consistent look and feel and support the growth of the University’s identity and reputation.
We want a strong, coherent and distinctive look, which encourages creativity and imagination – a look and feel for Sussex that helps us engage with our diverse and astute audiences.
Our visual identity is flexible and adaptable, ensures our communications look modern and memorable, and allows our brand values to shine through.