Brand new start
You’ll have noticed that things are a bit different on our website. We hope you’ll think it’s brighter, bolder and more modern, but still clearly recognisable as the Royal Society of Chemistry.
This is because, after months of research and design, we’re rolling out our refreshed brand for the world to see. We’re proud of the work that’s gone into it, very pleased with the results, and excited to start reaping the benefits that it will bring to our organisation.
Our brand is how we communicate our reputation and our ambition. It helps us to attract and publish the best chemical science research; and to speak with authority and credibility as a voice for chemistry.
The world has moved on since the last time we refreshed our brand in 2013. We’ve achieved a lot in that time, and we need our brand to reflect our new ambitions, while retaining the elements that are still strong and relevant.
It’s an evolution, rather than a revolution. Some noticeable changes might be the updated new logo, fresher colour palette, and more modern fonts. But there’s more to it than is visible on the surface; we’ve also done a lot of work on our brand proposition – the ideas at the heart of how we describe ourselves as an organisation.
The updated brand positioning helps us to communicate more clearly how we help the chemistry community and the wider world.
The modernised look and feel helps us stand out from the crowd, and stay recognisable and consistent both in print and digital.
Evidence-based branding
The best brands aren’t just flashy logos – they’re built on solid evidence of what works for the intended audience.
We did a lot of detailed research, engaging with our community all over the world. Many of you reading will have taken part in this research, so thank you very much for helping us. Your insights have shaped the improvements to our brand.
For example, we learned that people recognised our previous logo but it felt a bit dated and could be complicated to use.
This meant we knew we shouldn’t totally change it, but instead update it to a more regular shape that works better digitally and looks more modern.
Our core proposition
At the heart of the brand is the “proposition” – a short, clear statement of what we do and why.
Our new proposition is:
Connecting the world of science to advance chemical knowledge for a better future.
It recognises that our strength is in bringing together people and ideas to advance the chemical sciences, and that our work extends beyond the discipline of chemistry.
We have built on our heritage and evolved our brand to reflect us as an inspirational, curious, ambitious, relevant and forward-looking organisation. These words describe our‘personality’ as a brand, and inform how we speak and act.
Fresh design
The overlapping bars and circular elements should be quite familiar – they’re an evolution of our previous design style. You may notice the colours are brighter and simpler, with whites instead of greys, and stronger complementary colours in the palette. Our new colours and fonts are all designed to meet the highest accessibility standards, and to work just as well on a screen as on a page.
Our new logo is more clearly a C for chemistry. It’s modern, vibrant and works better in a digital-first world, without losing the hard-earned recognition.
"…layers represent the overlapping areas of chemistry and science"
"…recognisable as the RSC"
"…looks like C for chemistry"
"…blocks show the multi-faceted aspects of what the RSC does"
Our narrative – how we explain what we do, and why we do it
Chemistry is at the centre of everything you can see, smell, touch and taste. Whether studying the chemistry of life, or developing the advanced science behind modern technology, chemical scientists use their expertise to improve our health, our environment and our daily lives. Collaboration is essential. We connect scientists with each other and society as a whole, so they can do their best work and make discoveries and innovation happen.
We publish new research. We develop, recognise and celebrate professional capabilities. We bring people together to spark new ideas and new partnerships. We support teachers to inspire future generations of scientists. And we speak up to influence the people making decisions that affect us all. We are a catalyst for the chemistry that enriches our world.
