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University's £160,000 logo change
11:54am Wednesday 13th February 2008
Comments (67)FOR nearly 20 years the distinctive diving dolphin has been the public face of the University of Southampton.
Now academics have unveiled a controversial new logo - at a cost of £160,000.
Marketing bosses have dropped the dolphin, chosen 17 years ago to represent friendliness and intelligence, and picked a simple black typeface designed by London agency Precedent Communications.
However, union leaders have condemned the logo's cost, which is the equivalent to four senior lecturer posts for a year and 160 bursaries for students from low incomes.
The cost of changing all the campus signs and ordering new stationery is expected to add tens of thousands to the final price.
David Wheatley, of the University and College Union, which represents about 1,000 academic staff, said too much money was being spent on a new logo while cuts were being made elsewhere.
University chiefs have also been criticised for plans to close the renowned Textile Conservation Centre in Winchester next year because it costs too much to run.
Its work on Henry VIII's football boots, the hood of the Elephant Man and the battle flag of HMS Victory, Admiral Nelson's flagship, has gained attention around the world.
Dr Wheatley, an archaeology lecturer said: "It seems the university is extravagantly spending money at a time when it says it hasn't got any.
"Staff have been asked to tighten their belts and posts are not being replaced while the pay rises of senior staff have significantly outstripped the modest gains from the last pay dispute."
More than 2,000 have signed an online petition to "Save the Southampton University Dolphin".
David Callen, a fourth year oceanography student said: "The new logo is quite dull and unimaginative. The dolphin was distinctive and could be customised by university clubs and societies."
He is also angry that students were not allowed to have their say on the consultation - an accusation denied by the university, which said it worked with the Students' Union and organised a touring exhibition.
Dozens have posted messages on the university's new-look website, describing the logo as "boring" and "clinical".
The university insists the logo needed to be more traditional to better reflect its status as one of the country's top 20 research universities belonging to The Russell Group - which includes Oxford and Cambridge.
Marketing bosses felt the dolphin was too similar to logos used by former polytechnics.
Senior deputy vice-chancellor Professor Adam Wheeler, who led the logo project said: "The University of Southampton is recognised internationally for the quality of its teaching and research and our name is our most important and enduring identifying factor.
"Not only is our name instantly recognisable but importantly, in the context of modern global communications and the Internet, it represents very clearly and unambiguously who we are, what we are, and where we are."
When asked why the university's arts department had not been asked to design a fresh logo, a spokesman said: "The new visual identity was developed as part of a much wider brand development project undertaken for the university last year.
"Precedent, the agency we employed, has years of experience in brand development and visual identity design, and a large part of its work on the project was to consult internally. We had significant input from staff and students throughout the process, including from academics at our School of Art."
Your Say YourThis is Hampshire
hmm, says...
9:19am Wed 13 Feb 08
Also it looks green to me, BLOCK TYPEFACE doesnt mean black in colour
Annoying, says...
9:22am Wed 13 Feb 08
But perhaps it didn't play well in the overseas market. The university needs to attract rich foreign students as part of its income, and the logo change could be aimed at them. If you want to get into stupidly simplistic numbers, you could say 8 students at 20 grand each will cover these fees. If you can get 16 students then you can have your lecturers as well ! Problem solved....Gah, the union isn't doing itself any favours with this kind of nonsense.
J, Soton says...
9:24am Wed 13 Feb 08
I'll do it for less, £100,000. Please find your new logo below:
university of
SOUTHAMPTON
An angry soton resident, says...
9:31am Wed 13 Feb 08
Where's the asterisk?, says...
10:06am Wed 13 Feb 08
boredoftheecho, Soton says...
10:18am Wed 13 Feb 08
a, Soton says...
10:28am Wed 13 Feb 08
Actually the Dolphin said a lot about the University. It showed the alliance between the pure sciences (a square) with the natural sciences (Dolphin). It shows that intelligence and friendliness are there, as well as an ability to learn and teach.
A new font, that is actually difficult to read on a document say nothing at all!
Chris, Swaythling says...
10:46am Wed 13 Feb 08
boredoftheecho wrote:You're missing the point. The new logo may well be better for all sorts of commercial reasons but the perception is that it's £160,000 for something a primary school child could have designed. At a time when they are laying people off.
Surely this is about creating a strong brand for the University rather than simply changing a logo? As a former student I had no particular feelings one way or another for the dolphin, but it didn't represent the work that the University does and was really quite naff. The new brand seems more suited to the University and in a time of increasing competition in Higher Education a strong and appropriate brand is vital in order to stand out from the competition. If the Unviersity can create a strong identity it can build upon this to bring in the revenue to fund many more academic posts in the future.
The University should have ensured that a compelling explanation as to why they needed such expensive 3rd party help was provided alongside the launch of the new logo.
As it is, people will jump to conclusions and resentful posts will be put on this site.
Brands'r'us, In a trendy bar in silly glasses says...
10:53am Wed 13 Feb 08
GL, Hampshire says...
11:15am Wed 13 Feb 08
Recent re-brandings I can think of are Hampshire County Council, New Forest District Council and Oxfam.
How can councils justify spending similar amounts of money on new logo's when they are continuing to cut services?
And as for charities going through expensive re-branding ... shouldn't the money donated be used to support the less fortunate?
Claims that a "brand" helps a university stand out are unfounded ... I work in education and such claims are absolute rubbish.
When young people I'm advising look at universities, they are infludenced by name, reputation, results and quality of education.
I've never met a single 18/19 year old who chooses a university because of it's logo!!
Roger Van Dyck, Southampton says...
11:19am Wed 13 Feb 08
Adrian Smith, says...
11:20am Wed 13 Feb 08
J wrote:Now google the print of the 2012 Olympic logo and realise the University got a good deal.
Blimey, £160,000 for that??? I'll do it for less, £100,000. Please find your new logo below: university of SOUTHAMPTON
Christoff, says...
11:36am Wed 13 Feb 08
Roger Van Dyck wrote:you are absolutely right.
The University missed an outstanding opportunity to involve the local community by running a competition open to all schools and art colleges. Surely there must be a huge pool of local talent who could have come up with an award winning design. The winner could then have been offered a £50K cash prize. What a mised opportunity.
Ruth Carr Jones, says...
11:41am Wed 13 Feb 08
2nd man.. Southampton.
1st man.. Bloody hell thats a pity.
Paul, New Forest says...
11:44am Wed 13 Feb 08
Sparky, Southampton says...
12:35pm Wed 13 Feb 08
iain muir, hedgeend says...
12:37pm Wed 13 Feb 08
drag the decision makers out and put them in the stocks. ROTTEN FRUIT AND VEG will sort them out.
IT'S THE BUSINESS OF THE ECHO BECAUSE THEY ARE A N-E-W-S PAPER!!!!!!!!
Dolphin, All at sea says...
12:43pm Wed 13 Feb 08
MD, Southampton says...
12:53pm Wed 13 Feb 08
I think you'll find the whole rebranding project cost £160k, which includes more than just a logo.
older tax payer, west end says...
12:55pm Wed 13 Feb 08
iain muir wrote:N-e-w-s paper only half right
THIS IS TOTALLY OUTRAGEOUS ,what hypocrisy, the closing of the textiles faculty is a national crime considering the history atttached, and they say they have no money, after blowing it on a logo that didnt need updated is terrible, and what about a duty of care to students when loan debt is spinning out of control? drag the decision makers out and put them in the stocks. ROTTEN FRUIT AND VEG will sort them out. IT'S THE BUSINESS OF THE ECHO BECAUSE THEY ARE A N-E-W-S PAPER!!!!!!!!
Robert, says...
1:02pm Wed 13 Feb 08
>>to help poorer students to change its logo<< is ambiguous in the extreme.
uni bod, Southampton University, not the University of Southampton, or is it?? says...
1:04pm Wed 13 Feb 08
can i have a big pay rise too mr chancellor???
and yes the new rebranding is SH**TE! bring back the dolphin - and all new new logs for templates are crap too - this is the 2nd re branding process i wonder how much was wasted the last time!!! imagine all that uselss letter headed paper and stationary - great to see the publics money and the student fees are being well spent!
Gaylord, says...
1:14pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Stephen, says...
1:16pm Wed 13 Feb 08
battlewagon, southampton says...
1:18pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Dolphin wrote:will the people being made redundant at the winchester faculty share the same view, i doubt it, what abouthte history and pedigree attached to the textiles dept.and its people like you who are helping the history of this country go unnoticed, but then we will all me muslim and run by immigrants if it was up to politically correct trumpets (and accountants if the balance sheet looks better year on year)
£160,000 is a small price to pay to remove any way of differentiating between the university and the neighbouring Solent University. In a couple of years the merger between the two will go almost unnoticed.
steve, says...
1:24pm Wed 13 Feb 08
what, what says...
1:27pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Thats good, seen as it is not actually a real Dolphin!
libby martin, southampton says...
1:28pm Wed 13 Feb 08
uni bod, soton uni says...
1:29pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Russ, at my desk says...
1:34pm Wed 13 Feb 08
If only he could put his words to music and shout his wisdom to the world!
gorf, soton says...
1:50pm Wed 13 Feb 08
J, says...
2:00pm Wed 13 Feb 08
beck, soton says...
2:20pm Wed 13 Feb 08
aram, zoo says...
2:38pm Wed 13 Feb 08
beck wrote:Liontailed Macaque, Tonkean Macaque, Howler monkey, Douroucouli which type do you think or if you put them in a room with computers and by the end of time they will have written Shakespeare or are you being flipent
a bunch of blind monkeys could of been more creative.
Wouldn't you like to know, Southampton says...
2:42pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Paramjit Bahia, Southampton says...
3:03pm Wed 13 Feb 08
There is a school in the flower estate; any of the kids there could have knocked it off the computer for free
But somebodys pocket was obviously empty so had to be looked after after all this is a Christian country ., although Archbishop of Canterbury may wish it to be something else so that he could chop few hands off and stone some others to death
Students join the university because of its reputation not because of logos on the letter heads.
it's great ere innit, says...
3:25pm Wed 13 Feb 08
the chancellor, says...
3:40pm Wed 13 Feb 08
ha haaa... Pappas got a brand new bag....
Cyn ikall, southampton says...
4:02pm Wed 13 Feb 08
how do they think these up?
brilliant, so much better than the last one!
never understood the porpoise of the dolphin? its not like we're near the water of anything, is it?
i wish i was clever like these artistic people!
Cynic, Southampton says...
4:21pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Keith Oftergrass, says...
4:21pm Wed 13 Feb 08
However, union leaders have condemned the logo's cost, which is the equivalent to four senior lecturer posts for a year and 160 bursaries for students from low incomes.
Well, frankly I'd prefer a new logo to 160 chavvy, scum students infesting the town. Don't we have enough already ?
J, Soton says...
4:35pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Keith Oftergrass wrote:I'd rather have 160 students than 160 chavvy single parents claiming money off the state and clawing for council houses and free living.
However, union leaders have condemned the logo\'s cost, which is the equivalent to four senior lecturer posts for a year and 160 bursaries for students from low incomes.Well, frankly I\'d prefer a new logo to 160 chavvy, scum students infesting the town. Don\'t we have enough already ?
bemused onlooker, Southampton says...
4:42pm Wed 13 Feb 08
beck wrote:The bunch of blind monkeys were creative. Though £160000 buys an awful lot of bananas.
a bunch of blind monkeys could of been more creative.
Harry remmington, New Forest says...
4:54pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Adrian Smith, says...
5:03pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Harry remmington wrote:I could tell you - but the Echo would only censor my comment!
Where was Lee Peck when he was needed ?
Garth, Soton says...
5:41pm Wed 13 Feb 08
£160000 was hardly going to save the TCC and it was not all spent on a logo.
In order that more people dont lose their jobs in future the rebranding has been completed to give it a more corperate image and attract more investment.
Is it really the job of a union rep to comment on a logo, I suggest he should focus on the actual job instead of complaining about difficult business decisions.
I sympathise with those losing their jobs, but does the new branding really effect them in the long run. I doubt it.
Automan, Southampton says...
5:49pm Wed 13 Feb 08
P Mathieson, Southampton says...
6:04pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Not only that who pays £160k on something that anyone could have done on a computer.
Anon, Sunny Southampton says...
6:26pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Chris wrote:and how much did Solents logo change cost them? surely that is more like a child's work? and a blatant attempt at piggy backing off THE Universitys success. Bring on the clear separation between them I say. At least the grade boundaries show which is a real Uni!
boredoftheecho wrote:You're missing the point. The new logo may well be better for all sorts of commercial reasons but the perception is that it's £160,000 for something a primary school child could have designed. At a time when they are laying people off.
Surely this is about creating a strong brand for the University rather than simply changing a logo? As a former student I had no particular feelings one way or another for the dolphin, but it didn't represent the work that the University does and was really quite naff. The new brand seems more suited to the University and in a time of increasing competition in Higher Education a strong and appropriate brand is vital in order to stand out from the competition. If the Unviersity can create a strong identity it can build upon this to bring in the revenue to fund many more academic posts in the future.
The University should have ensured that a compelling explanation as to why they needed such expensive 3rd party help was provided alongside the launch of the new logo.
As it is, people will jump to conclusions and resentful posts will be put on this site.
The prof, Southampton says...
6:28pm Wed 13 Feb 08
libby martin wrote:Did you really complete a university education and not learn how to spell, punctuate or write a coherent sentence? Or did you just play roller hockey?
i went to southampton university and the dolphin logo is a good logo. why change it? espically to something that i think is dull and boring and means nothing. there are alot more important things to get done then the logo. the old sports hall needs the floor redoing as i play roller hockey in there and a friend of mine last year fell over a metal bump in the floor and dislocated her ankle and shattered both her leg bones, and that floor would not cost anywhere near as much. anyways if they can afford to change the logo for that much why are they charging is high for tution fees?
Robbie, Soton says...
7:59pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Who is the joke on?
Robbie, Soton says...
8:18pm Wed 13 Feb 08
Who is the joke on?
Apologies for the spelling error in my original posting, cheap keyboard.
Bertie, Totton says...
11:16pm Wed 13 Feb 08
PR man, gosport says...
6:01am Thu 14 Feb 08
(Mugs R U would seem appropiate)a PC and a £5 computer CD rom from Lidl,s or similar and wait for the money to roll in from gullible council, university and charity bosses.Whilst on the subject the aforementioned store group have had the same logo for about 15 years, doesn,t seem to have done them any harm.
Boo-hoo Chavver, says...
8:38am Thu 14 Feb 08
Automan wrote:More inclusive? Like welcoming the thugs and burglars which plague the campus every year, particularly preying on young people away from home?
Who cares what an elitest institution, who constantly rub their excess in the face of the poor residents living adjacent, does with OUR money? Perhaps if they were more inclusive people wouldn\'t rescent it so much.
PJ, says...
9:18am Thu 14 Feb 08
anne nonny-mouse, soton says...
9:41am Thu 14 Feb 08
Adolf, Uni says...
9:46am Thu 14 Feb 08
it's great ere innit wrote:I'm not completely gone, yet...
The university is getting rid of loads of hard working support staff and trying to reduce their salaries with it's 'MSA review'. Perhaps they could of saved some money by getting the in-house marketing team to design the logo and saved a few jobs. Oh well I'm sure the wonderful academics in charge know best. God bless them.
But after the purge, think night of of long knives, I will be but a distant memory here.
Blame not the academics, for its not they who slayed me, blame the accountants and professional managers who're out to kill me.
Not unexpected in the education business, the Uni's just another branch of "The University of Bum's on Seats" after all said and done....
Slashed, says...
11:19am Thu 14 Feb 08
Adolf wrote:The transition from flabby civil service culture to a value-for-money business environment is indeed painful for those trimmed off the edges.
it's great ere innit wrote:I'm not completely gone, yet...
The university is getting rid of loads of hard working support staff and trying to reduce their salaries with it's 'MSA review'. Perhaps they could of saved some money by getting the in-house marketing team to design the logo and saved a few jobs. Oh well I'm sure the wonderful academics in charge know best. God bless them.
But after the purge, think night of of long knives, I will be but a distant memory here.
Blame not the academics, for its not they who slayed me, blame the accountants and professional managers who're out to kill me.
Not unexpected in the education business, the Uni's just another branch of "The University of Bum's on Seats" after all said and done....
Jenny, Edinburgh says...
11:31pm Thu 14 Feb 08
b, Southampton says...
10:31am Fri 15 Feb 08
So it is not surprising that the University needs to make £15M of 'efficiency ' savings especially when they are spending millions on new buildings.
Cor, Blimey says...
2:23pm Fri 15 Feb 08
James Souttar, London says...
2:59pm Fri 15 Feb 08
First a brand does not just consist of a logo. The work that we did consisted of an extensive consultation (and, yes, we did work with the Student Union), the development of a distinctive brand proposition, the creation of a visual language for literature and digital media including choice of images, colour, typefaces, design of layouts etc.), the definition of a 'tone of voice' for written materials and much more. Many thousands of person/hours were spent on this project, which the University managed assertively to get the most from its budget.
Secondly, the logo did not take 'ten minutes'. As anyone who has worked in the visual field will know, achieving something that seems 'simple' is far from a simple process. Hundreds of versions were considered, developed, discarded and short-listed before the final result was chosen. And it was chosen by a large group of critical, objective decision makers within the University's senior management and governing Council because they could see how it met the University's strategy and objectives.
Job losses are always painful, but it is sad that the Union cannot see that developing an effective brand for the University will protect many, many more jobs in the future. Higher Education is entering a very competitive era, particularly with an impending recession and a much tougher climate for funding and student recruitment over the next few years.
Other sectors well understand the value of brand in ensuring the success - indeed, the survival - of organisations. Amongst some academics, however, there is still some resistance to understanding that Universities have become complex businesses - and need to follow communicate themselves in a business-like way. I can't imagine anyone from a retail chain, a bank or even a charity arguing that their organisation shouldn't invest in branding: they know that their future with the organisation depends on the success of the brand. In the contemporary world academia is not excepted from the same logic.
anonymous, Southampton says...
6:51pm Fri 15 Feb 08
Dave C, says...
9:51pm Tue 26 Feb 08
The following appears on page 27 of the new edition of Private Eye (no. 1204):
-
So. Farewell then to the University of Southamptons jolly dolphin logo, which has been ditched after a £160,000 branding exercise.
Announcing the change, the university said that the attributes of friendliness and intelligence as represented by the dolphin are still core to the universitys identity, but that the 15-year-old logo was too dated. So the obvious solution was to spend a fortune on the universitys new dolphin-free visual identity, er, the words University of Southampton. Dolphin signs on university buildings have already been removed.
-
Beneath this is the old dolphin, labelled Boring old logo, and the new monstrosity, labelled Thrusting new logo.
turns out its not just the students who find this new logo dull
Grippe, UK says...
7:30pm Sun 10 Aug 08
Doesn't look like it from the new logo. Any GCSE Design student could have created that logo.
£160,000? Guess endless meetings about a logo can be rather tiring.
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Gozza, Southampton says...
9:15am Wed 13 Feb 08
It's good to see the Echo doing its bit for international relations by employing non-English-speaking journos. But when a newspaper can't even get printing terminology right, that's going a bit far.