The University of Birmingham is often involved with partnerships, collaborations and supportive activities with a wide range of organisations of all sizes.
This page is for partners and those working with partners to provide guidelines on the consistent use of the University of Birmingham brand alongside other external brands and/or logos.
Use of the logo for a partnership
A partner should only use University branding if a formal partnership agreement, sponsorship agreement, Memorandum of Understanding, or equivalent formal agreement exists.
Any materials that use the University logo must receive approval from your College Marketing and Communications team or the Brand Team to ensure that the guidelines have been followed.
Guidelines
The recommended logo to be used in all instances is the full colour version of the University logo. Branding should follow the University logo guidelines.
When we work with partners, the way we use our combined branding depends on the weight of balance of each entity’s involvement in the activity or project.
Lead partner
Where the University of Birmingham is the lead partner on a project, the University logo and branding should be the largest and most prominent. The University logo should always appear in the top left position above/before the logos of other partners.
Example 1
Equal partner
If the University is an equal partner, then it is important to ensure that the University logo appears with equal weight as other the partner logos in terms of size, placement, colour, etc.
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Multiple partner
Logos are placed left to right with the University of Birmingham logo always placed first whenever possible.
Space between logos is as indicated, logos are to be sized to create equality to all partner organisation.
When there is more than one internal unit on a given project e.g. a jointly hosted event, the University logo should be used. If each unit would like to be represented they should arrange for a double to triple lock up to be created through their College Marketing and Communications team.
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5
Minor partner
When the University of Birmingham is a minor partner, our logo should be clear and legible and should not be reproduced any smaller than 33mm with an exclusion zone as illustrated.
Example 1
Affiliations
Where the University of Birmingham has endorsed, sponsored, or given accreditation to another organisation, the logo may be used in combination with appropriately agreed wording that reflects the relationship.
Examples include:
- An initiative of
- In association with
- Sponsored by
- In partnership with
- A part of
The choice of wording should be agreed with your College Marketing and Communications Team or the Brand Team on a case-by-case basis.
‘In partnership with’ or equivalent text should be set at 8pt in Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ positioned at the half point of 4 ‘U’s above the logo ranged left.
Example 1
Example 2
Long term strategic partnerships
The University of Birmingham logo must be used for long term strategic partnerships, opposed to individual unit logos. The University unit involved in the collaboration can be communicated within the text, content and/or wider context of the communication.
Alternative logo, co-branding or umbrella branding arrangements should be developed with the brand team. The University of Birmingham logo must not be arranged with any other logo without approval from the Brand team.
Stamps/identity
On rare occasions (approved by the Brand Team), it is possible to create a visual identity to bring together various teams across the University that are working on one of the University’s strategic objectives. This is the case for the ‘stamp’ that has been created to progress the University’s sustainability and social responsibility (S&SR) agenda.
Sustainability at Heart identity
The Sustainability team has developed a look and feel for sustainability to enable the University to communicate that S&SR are at the core of what the University does, the decisions it makes, the research it produces etc. The look and feel consists of:
The Sustainability at Heart stamp
Please note that the stamp is not a logo, because creating an individual ‘brand’ for sustainability would be counterproductive when the aim of it is to enhance the University’s reputation by helping our work in this area stand out. It should not be used in any collateral media as a logo, it is instead a stamp that is a signifier that this work is part of a wider strategic initiative.
Examples
The Sustainability at Heart look and feel
This was developed because sometimes there are initiatives that exist for the sole purpose of being sustainable, and that the Sustainability at Heart stamp sometimes is not enough on its own or it would be beneficial to be even bolder in how we communicate sustainability. To provide an example, the new ‘look and feel’ has been used for the composting area on campus where sustainability is the entire purpose of an area, and it requires more than just a stamp to show its sustainability focus. There are different elements to the look and feel and icons that can be used, and we can develop more icons going forward as and when needed.
There is a toolkit for how to use this and the files can be shared with any designers within the University. If you would like access to this please email sustainability@contacts.bham.ac.uk and you can be added to a Communications Working-group ‘Team’ on sustainability that contains all the files and guidance.