Opinion

Leading the industry’s cultural shift

The CIOB’s new look reflects how we engage with a younger, more inclusive, global community, writes Caroline Gumble
The CIOB’s visual identity reflects its place in a changing industry
The CIOB’s visual identity reflects its place in a changing industry

You may have noticed something different about us recently – and it’s not just the new haircut. The CIOB has had something of a makeover and I’m delighted with our fresh new look.

As my colleague Kate Macbeth outlined in last month’s CM, we wanted our visual identity to help us stand out from the crowd and help create clarity and consistency when communicating our message.

If you haven’t seen the new look yet, please do visit the website or check out CIOB’s social media. You’ll see new styling, a different approach to our use of photography, a refreshed colour palette and typography.

As Kate said, the CIOB identity is “so much more than a logo… it is the anchor to who we are and what we do. The single most important way for audiences to recognise the brand and the stamp on anything we do.”

“From a more personal point of view, this project was always more than a brand refresh”

From a more personal point of view, this project was always more than a brand refresh. As an institute, we have a clear purpose and a mission. We have ambitions for our organisation, our membership and for the future of the built environment. Our new branding reflects who we are more clearly.

We’re proud of our heritage and our Royal Charter. We’ve continued to reflect that in the look and the logo – and we still have the lion to stand alongside the logo when used on our official correspondence.

We also now have an updated identity, more impactful and clearly signalling that we know construction is changing and we intend to help drive that. You’ll probably be aware that we have talked about the moral compass of the construction industry – a look which acknowledges we will be at the forefront of the cultural shift is important.

Another important part of the new look is to reflect how we engage with a younger, more inclusive global community. Many of you will have heard me talk about these things – about bringing new talent into the industry and helping create a more diverse community. A visual identity reflecting a clearer, more forward-thinking, international brand was one of the things at the heart of this work.

As ever, my thanks go to the members who’ve participated in this process – which took more than a year – and to all my colleagues who are bringing our new look to life.

Caroline Gumble is CEO of the CIOB.

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