Milton Park, one of Europe’s largest science and technology communities, has refreshed its brand values and identity.
This is to reflect the way in which the world has changed in 2020 due to coronavirus and enable it to continue to communicate its 2040 Vision, its pioneering masterplan for how the Park will sustainably grow from 9,000 people to 20,000 people.
The brand refresh has resulted in refining its values to four: ‘welcoming’, ‘dynamic’, ‘vibrant’ and ‘proud’, and a new brand identity and website.
Milton Park’s new identity has retained its signature blue as its primary colour and introduced a dynamic and fluid ‘M’ symbol to its logo which represents its focus on connectivity, science and technology. Its new strapline is “Where life and work connect.”
Philip Campbell, MEPC commercial director of Milton Park near Didcot, said: “We started this project in September 2019 carrying out workshops and research to look at our values and ambitions to match our 2040 Vision.
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“When lockdown started in March, we felt strongly that we should continue this project as now, more than ever, our customers need leadership and stability to know that we will continue to be there for them, whatever experience their staff and they have had this year.
“It’s been a challenging year on many levels, and we have been humbled by many of the amazing contributions from Milton Park occupiers in helping with the national effort.
“Our promise to our customers couldn’t be more important than now; our 35-year track record as stewards of Milton Park is about nurturing positive long-term relationships and delivering on our promises.
“Our primary responsibility is a duty to create a home for dynamic businesses, small or large, thanks to an inspiring landscape, unrivalled connectivity, and welcome humanity.”
The creative brief was for Milton Park’s new brand to reflect its values, its 2040 Vision, the initiatives that are being taken to facilitate a green recovery, and that it is a facilitator of life-changing discoveries and conversations between the business community, local and national government, research, academia, education, local residents and all relevant stakeholders.
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Mr Campbell added: “Our new identity has connectivity and fluidity at its heart, both important factors in an ever-changing world.
“We continue to manage our built environment and infrastructure in sustainable ways to ensure that this great place is enhanced, and flexibility is given for each company to realise its full potential.
“We are grateful to all those who kindly took the time to take part in our consultation surveys and we look forward to hearing what people think of our refreshed brand identity and continuing to support our customers in 2021.”
Milton Park’s brand launch campaign has focused on the discovery that its ‘what3words’ three-metre square at the front door of its Innovation Centre on Park Drive are scores, honey and ambitions.
Mr Campbell concluded: “What3words offers the simplest way to talk about place.
“This epitomises our place at the entrance to where small businesses start their journey with us and also those on the wider park.
“Scores represents the magnitude of research and development that takes place daily here and the competitive environment which spurs on our companies to find life changing discoveries, ‘honey’ for our colony of honeybees and two beehives and that the humble hardworking bee was chosen by our Milton Park team to best represent our spirit animal, and ‘ambitions’ encapsulates what our community has for their work and we have for our customers.
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“Thank you to the team which has worked hard to deliver this significant project.”
The brand refresh project was delivered by Georgina Taylor, marketing and communications manager at Milton Park along with Spacecraft Consulting, creative agency Sutton Young and digital company Delete. There are 250 companies and 9,000 employees at the business park and managers of the site have put measures in place to support staff so they can return to the workplace following Covid-19 lockdowns.
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Earlier this year when business leaders were asked how they planned to reconfigure their physical workspace as part of their return to work strategy, 24.53% said that they were considering making substantial changes, 49.06% said that they were considering making minor changes, 11.32% said they didn’t yet know and 15.09% said they will make no changes.
