Chichester College Group Case Study

We created a project plan that started with ‘going back to college’ – touring and visiting all seven sites in across cities, countryside and even in motorsport workshops on airfields. It allowed us to build a rich picture of life within each college and, importantly, to facilitate a series of Sprint Spark workshops with students at every site to hear their views and experiences first-hand.

A Full Spark workshop was also facilitated with the marketing team, a cross-functional executive team, plus over 40 Spot Spark interview sessions with individuals from the Group’s leadership team, Board, curriculum and teaching staff, external stakeholders, and external commercial and community customers.

Combined, these sessions surfaced critical qualitative insights into brand perception, the Group’s name, and what was working well (or not) across the brand experience.

We also conducted a desktop review of marketing materials and communications, naming conventions, and carried out a full sector-competitor landscape analysis to identify areas of market overlap and to pinpoint the unique levers that the Group and its colleges could potentially own and amplify.

Unearthing a wealth of opportunity

We discovered a world of positivity, where their values and purpose of ‘changing lives through learning’ were being powerfully realised.

Employees told us they felt heard, supported. Relationships with commercial partners and stakeholders were deep and productive, supported by their flexible and tailored approach. And students spoke of feeling empowered, supported to gain access to real-life and a wealth of opportunity.

It was, in short, an excellent report card.

But, while brilliant work was going on inside the Group and its colleges, much of it wasn’t being consistently communicated, or clearly understood, by the wider external communities they served. And too often, we heard from external stakeholders and partners: “I had no idea they did that.”

It pointed to a clear opportunity for the brand.

Names to be proud of

Our first strategic focus was to bring clarity to the brand name. We explored three options: keep the existing Chichester College Group name, adopt the commonly used acronym CCG, or introduce an entirely new name.

At the time, naming across the Group was inconsistent, particularly in commercial areas, where sub-brands like CCG:Training were adding confusion. Meanwhile, each college retained its original name after merger, rooted in location or long-standing local identity. This approach had worked well, building goodwill and reinforcing a strong emotional connection within local communities.

In contrast, the Group name often felt distant to those outside Chichester. Internally, it was seen more as a marker of scale and stability than something personally meaningful.

But, externally, we discovered that the Group name was highly valued. It was associated with a long reputational legacy of excellence, innovation and leadership at the sector and national level. It carried weight and meaning.

That distinction mattered. We strongly felt that internal reasons were not enough to justify a name change. The challenge wasn’t the name, it was its positioning. Overall, the name was a significant brand advantage, and our recommendation was for the name to remain, and be recognised for what is was: a strategic asset.

Insight showed us that individual college brands held greater meaning at the local level, while the Group played a broader role: a force for the greater good. In response, we developed a simplified and clearer endorsed brand framework.

This model enables the Group, its colleges, and commercial sub-brands to borrow and build on each other’s strengths, creating a more cohesive and authentic brand experience across the board.

A loosening of the visual branding and creation of more individualised assets  was also recommended to enable each college’s unique personality come through. This approach allows for stronger local relevance while still reflecting the unity and shared purpose of the Group.

Telling the whole story

Our final step was to define a brand positioning that would bring clarity, distinctiveness, and cohesion to the Group. It needed to align with the organisation’s goals, values, and powerful purpose: Changing Lives Through Learning; a phrase deeply embedded in the culture and genuinely resonant with the team.

However, we’d found that it was a sentiment widely used across the sector, with many saying the same. To ensure it remained meaningful, we saw the need to protect its integrity, letting it remain as the purpose rather than serve as a marketing line.

With multiple colleges, diverse courses, and a range of commercial activities under one umbrella, the challenge was to create a positioning that celebrated each college’s unique strengths while harnessing the collective power of the Group.

“Their insight and recommendations have laid the foundations for a brand strategy that will influence CCG for years to come. What stood out most was their ability to listen with empathy, challenge constructively, and guide us with clarity and purpose. Their partnership has been invaluable, and I’m incredibly grateful for the energy, expertise, and strategic counsel they brought to this work.”

Raichelle Weller, Senior Director, Marketing, The Chichester College Group

By working closely with everyone involved and really listening, the Group was able to get very clear on the brand. This has enabled them to validate several strategic outcomes: keeping the trusted Group name, simplifying its brand architecture, balancing Group strength with local college identity, and creating an insight-led brand platform they can action with confidence.

Plus, a motivated marketing team, equipped with the tools they need to step strategy into action, and to keep doing what they do best: bringing out the best in everyone.