SLQ Sports Leaders
In order to adapt to the changing external landscape, Sports Leaders UK needed an identity that reflected both the increasing demands of education professionals and an expanded range of courses and qualifications.
In order to adapt to the changing external landscape, Sports Leaders UK needed an identity that reflected both the increasing demands of education professionals and an expanded range of courses and qualifications.
The organisation has been intrinsically linked to ‘sport’ for over 35 years and the name ‘Sports Leaders’ was used for the organisation name, the name of the awarding body, the description of young people undertaking leadership courses and the name of a range of qualifications.
However, in recent years there has been increasing demands for non-sport related products from both within and outside of the UK. In short, the name Sports Leaders UK no longer reflected the breadth of products and the geographic reach offered by the organisation.
In the first instance, the name of the Awarding Body was changed to a more neutral ‘SLQ’ and following a strategic communications review undertaken by senior managers and Fourteen19®, it was agreed that SLQ Sports Leaders would become an umbrella brand, with traditional ‘sport’ related courses branded SLQ Sports Leaders and non-sport related qualifications and awards solely branded SLQ.
As part of the new branding a SLQ logo was produced and the previous Sport Leaders UK identity was brought in line with a refreshed identity. This included a redesign of all product branding, a new website design and a loss of its geographically restrictive ‘UK’.
The new branding was launched in February 2019 with the Q&A campaign. One of the organisation’s USPs is its customer relationships– particularly around the helpfulness and approachability of front-line staff. These frequently conversations involve ‘questions and answers’ (Q&A’s) which also neatly reflects the Qualifications & Awards and Quality Assurance it provides.
The campaign uses testimonials from young people to demonstrate the benefits they have received from undertaking a leadership qualification.
This concept was visually interpreted with illustrative line drawings that reflect the multiple #LearnerJourneys and career pathways that young people can undertake by completing one of the organisation’s leadership courses.
Since launching, the brand has been tremendously received by clients and staff alike and has set SLQ Sports Leaders up for the next exciting journey of its own.
