Connected Innovation | Constellation Marketing

The brief

The Connected Innovation programme is led by the New Anglia LEP. It connects innovation hubs, universities, research institutes, and business clusters across Norfolk and Suffolk. Acting as a doorway to the East of England’s innovative ecosystem, it enables cross-sector collaborations to tackle real-world challenges.

The team already had a number of assets, but no brand, website, or messaging tying them together. With our experience working with business support and the public sector, Constellation Marketing were chosen to lead on their branding, content, and website development.

We delivered

Strategy
Branding and design
Web development
Content writing
Asset creation

Strategy

We kick off every project with a deep dive planning session. This was especially important with this project. Though a new initiative, they needed a website to centralise their existing assets, including a support portal and interactive map, and act as an umbrella for activity across the region. Their ambitious agenda involved engaging stakeholder groups across multiple sectors. Our session helped to extract central themes and clarify their objectives.

Inform: The aims of the programme were broad and nebulous. We needed to distil their key messaging and clarify their missions.

Engage: Building on their successes growing the hub and cluster network, we wanted to showcase the benefits of being part of the network and persuade stakeholders to join.

Reputation: We needed to demonstrate connectivity between innovation activity in the East to drive inward investment and partnerships.

Branding and design

Our planning session included a range branding activities to gain insights into their visual identity and tone. The programme needed to align with Norfolk and Suffolk Unlimited, so this became our starting point. The logo built on the concept of ‘connecting the dots’ with a dual circle motif. This, paired with our use of colour alternation, became a visual expression of connectivity, cluster activity, and their expanding network.

Web design and development

Stripping away the complexity and confusion of the innovation and support landscape, we opted for a sleek and minimal website design. The recurring circle motif provided continuity and flow, and was used as a framing device for images, facts, and statistics. Clarity was also our priority with the sitemap. We ensured the site was easy to navigate, with information clearly signposted and targeted towards different stakeholder groups.

Content

We wrote specialist content for each of the pages, helping to cement the key messaging and demystify the concept of innovation. Our copy would inspire site visitors with the region’s success stories and incentivise engagement with clusters in key sectoral areas. We articulated the benefits of being part of the largest regional network of innovation hubs and centres and introduced clear calls to action for each stakeholder group.

The results

This was a seamless collaboration from start to finish and the client loved the final result. Their new website will enable them to connect businesses and academic partners with innovation opportunities and will become the go-to place for the latest regional news and events. Clear key messaging and targeted content has also helped them to demonstrate the national and global impact of the research and innovation landscape in the East of England.

“It was a pleasure working with Constellation Marketing. Working together on the branding and website Connected Innovation programme was a smooth process from start to finish. We are delighted with the outcome and support we received!”

- Julian Munson, Head of Enterprise and Innovation, Suffolk County Council