About our brand
Our brand is more than just our logo; it’s how we communicate our purpose, values and impact. It’s how we cut through the noise in a competitive market. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s how people feel and what they say about us.
As a vast institution with many different audiences, we need a cohesive brand to ensure each understands exactly who we are, what we stand for, and what to expect from us. To maintain trust and connection with our audiences, our communications must feel consistent, and distinctly ‘Herts’.
This toolkit exists to support staff to communicate who we are and what we’re all about with confidence and impact.
Who are we and how do we want to be seen?
The University exists to power people – our staff, students and society – to make an impact. Their impact is our impact. We are a modern, dynamic, enterprising university and an anchor institution in the region, supporting its growth as a top destination for a range of industries and professions.
We collaborate to drive great opportunities that lead to positive outcomes regionally, nationally, globally; from Herts to the world.
Herts. Beats Faster.
Our purpose
To power the potential and achievement of our people, businesses and communities, so that they can have an impact regionally, nationally and globally.
Our vision
Our vision is to set the standard for what a modern university should be. We aim to bring the best of Hertfordshire together, collaborating to create better ideas, opportunities and outcomes that make an impact regionally, nationally and globally. Our unique combination of dynamism, drive and expertise will be known and admired worldwide, boosting our reputation and strength as an enterprising university as a result.
2030 ambition
Our five-year ambition is to grow our reach and reputation regionally, nationally and globally as a modern, dynamic and enterprising university; to become experts at driving greater opportunities and outcomes for all, through our education, research and enterprise activity.
Our values
We are a values-led organisation. These values inform and sustain all our activities and reflect who we are as people. They tell everyone what is important to us and what drives us. We value:
| Friendliness | Ensuring we act in a respectful and inclusive manner |
|---|---|
| Ambition | Supporting those determined to achieve |
| Collaboration | Encouraging working together for positive, shared outcomes |
| Enterprise | Being impact led and placing enterprise at our core |
| Student success | Working in partnership with our students and empowering them to reach their potential. |
Our brand personality
When someone has a great personality, we are naturally drawn to them. When it comes to brand, personality works in the same way.
Our brand personality is what makes us unique. It's how we behave, how we present ourselves, and how we want the world to view us. Just as someone’s personality might influence their fashion or lifestyle choices, our brand personality informs our use of colour, type, imagery, subject matter and tone of voice.
Our personality should come across in everything we do to inform our strategic decisions, amplify our values and solidify our reputation.
Our personality traits and how we want to come across
| Drive | The Herts experience...delivers a feeling of momentum and progress, with a clear sense of focus and direction |
|---|---|
| Dynamism | The Herts experience...feels energetic, vibrant and unique, because we aren’t afraid to do things differently |
| Openness | The Herts experience...showcases our community’s warmth, passion and authenticity and acts as an invitation to others. |
Our narrative
Our narrative explains where we’ve come from, who we are and where we’re going. It can be used across a range of communications materials and channels including press releases, award entries, our website, and internal/external presentations.
Copy
Whether it’s through learning, teaching, or business and research partnerships, the University of Hertfordshire transforms bold ambition into impactful achievements.
For more than 70 years, Herts has been an innovative educational force. From our start in training aerospace engineers for Britain’s aviation industry to our extensive offering today, our focus has always been on understanding what employers want, and today, our vision remains unchanged.
We are a modern, dynamic, and enterprising university, and an anchor institution in the region, supporting its growth as a top destination for a range of industries and professions.
Our vibrant community of nearly 35,000 students from over 110 countries, benefit from high-quality teaching delivered by experts engaged in cutting-edge research. We offer more than 700 career-focused degrees, strong industry connections, industry standard facilities and opportunities to study at more than 170 universities worldwide, to prepare our students to succeed in a competitive global market.
We are a university that champions progress. We empower social mobility and cultivate the leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
Through partnerships with key employers, professional bodies, and government, we ensure our teaching and research responds to real-world challenges. We collaborate to drive great opportunities that lead to positive outcomes regionally, nationally, globally; from Herts to the world.
Herts. Beats Faster.
herts.ac.uk
Applying the narrative to different audiences
If you are engaging with a particular audience, you may want to use the following sub copy that is appropriate for each audience:
| Students | Your career of tomorrow is powered by your education at Herts today. You get a high-quality education that’s innovative, creative and unlocks opportunities for your career, all in an open, welcoming and dynamic environment. |
|---|---|
| Our people | Your work delivers a meaningful difference to the lives of others, helping to inspire and create the next generation of impact makers. You’ll be able to make your mark here. |
| Enterprise | A different kind of university partnership, our connections and expertise will have a meaningful and tangible impact on your business/organisation. |
| Research | Research at Herts is recognised for its impact and our work contributes to meaningful progress in tackling society’s biggest challenges. We deliver globally, inclusively and at pace; leading but also collaborating with excellent partners around the world. |
| Partners | Our aim is to deliver a meaningful difference for our local communities and our region. We are open and collaborative in our approach, while ambitious and driven in our push for a deep impact for our many partners. |
Boilerplate
Our boilerplate is a shorter version of our narrative and will be mostly used in PR material - it can also be used if a shorter summary of the university is required.
About the University of Hertfordshire
Whether it’s through learning, teaching, or business and research partnerships, the University of Hertfordshire transforms bold ambition into impactful achievements.
From our start in training aerospace engineers for Britain’s aviation industry to our extensive offering today, our focus has always been on understanding what employers want, and today, our vision remains unchanged. We are a modern, dynamic, and enterprising university, and an anchor institution in the region, supporting its growth as a top destination for a range of industries and professions.
For our thriving community of nearly 35,000 students from over 110 countries, that means high-quality teaching delivered by experts engaged in cutting-edge research. Access to 700 career-focused degrees, strong industry connections, industry standard facilities and opportunities to study at more than 170 universities worldwide.
Through partnerships with key employers, professional bodies, and government, we ensure our teaching and research respond to real-world challenges. We collaborate to drive great opportunities that lead to positive outcomes regionally, nationally, globally; from Herts to the world.
Herts. Beats Faster.
herts.ac.uk
Condensed boilerplate
Please use the condensed boilerplate where you have a limited number of words to use or you require one sentence to describe the University of Hertfordshire.
About the University of Hertfordshire
We are a modern, enterprising and dynamic university, making an impact regionally, nationally and globally.
Herts. Beats Faster.
herts.ac.uk
Related guidance
Get in touch
If you have any questions please contact a member of the team:
| Contact | |
|---|---|
| Corporate Brand and Campaigns team, Marketing and Communications | corporatecampaigns@herts.ac.uk |
| Marketing and Communications Business Support | marketinguh@herts.ac.uk |