Branding specialists, ORB Creative, have helped bring a new
library and history centre to life following a series of brand and
naming sessions. The agency developed the branding behind The Hive,
working with Worcestershire County Council and The University of
Worcester.
The Hive is the name for Worcester's new flagship library and
history centre, revealed in a 'Topping Out' ceremony last week. ORB
won a competitive tender to work alongside the project team and
facilitate the branding process for the previously-named Worcester
Library & History Centre (WLHC). Worcestershire County Council
and The University of Worcester had already, internally, started
the branding process and ORB was brought in to facilitate the final
decision and steer the direction of the brand.
ORB undertook an audit of libraries and other multi-purpose
public facilities nationwide, followed by a series of drawing board
sessions with staff to identify the key qualities and
characteristics of WLHC. These generated a number of key themes,
including the industry of a collective centre for all; the
community 'buzz' of activity; a sustainable building at one with
its environment; and the overall visual appearance of a
beehive.
ORB presented a series of potential names alongside options
previously generated by the project team, who finally chose 'The
Hive' as their preferred name.
Katharine Clough from Worcestershire County Council said: "From
the outset, ORB understood how to help the project team represent
our particular audiences and priorities and ensure we reached a
conclusion that reflected the many different uses the centre will
be put to. Their professionalism and the specific process in the
drawing board sessions helped us express those varied interests and
enabled ORB to broker a route through which everyone agreed with.
Following the work put in by the team internally, appointing ORB
was a cost-effective move for us and it brought their expertise to
the table, which built on our project experience.
"The Hive will be a fantastic addition to the Worcester
community, offering a hub of learning and education to people of
all backgrounds and ages. Thanks to ORB we now have a name that
demonstrates this and which allows us to communicate this
effectively to all audiences between now and completion of the
centre."
Following the drawing board sessions, ORB refined the visual
identity of The Hive, creating the final logo and styling.
Rob Bloxham, Managing Director at ORB Creative, said: "We were
delighted to be appointed by WLHC to lead the naming strategy and
our drawing board sessions helped everyone involved to articulate
how they felt the centre should be represented. These sessions are
a staple of the ORB branding process, as it enables us to really
understand the expectations and preconceptions of a
brand."
The Hive is a £60m project and is the first joint public
and university library in Europe. It is due for completion in
2012.