Transforming a laboratories and educational space brand

SB Labs approached us with a clear ambition: to reposition the business as the industry leader in laboratory and educational environments, reflecting their innovative, sustainable and bespoke solutions and create an innovative laboratories and educational space brand. The challenge was to create a cohesive brand strategy, identity and communications toolkit that would resonate with both commercial and educational audiences and support the launch of their new website.

As one of the UK’s longest-established specialists S+B laboratories operating in a highly competitive international market it was apparent that they needed to fix the name. Mispronunciation, inconsistent emails and website address all added to the confusion and was undermining their brand equity. The simple and obvious choice was to remove the ‘+’ and simply be know as SB Laboratories or SB Labs for short.

Their audience includes headteachers, bursars, directors, architects and contractors. Each had distinct priorities, from future-proofing facilities to compliance, cost efficiency and adaptability.

The brand needed to:

• Demonstrate succinct and consistent messaging.
• Challenge European commercial competitors.
• Continue their upward trajectory in the UK education sector.
• Position themselves as a a full turnkey solution provider. Not just a manufacturer.
• Have perception of a quality-driven, innovative, sustainable and state-of-the-art business.

Brand strategy

We began by analysing market trends and SB Labs’ operational strengths. Key insights included:

• A boom in UK lab spaces and international schools.
• Growing demand for sustainability and modular, flexible workspaces.
• The need to prevent brain drain by investing in state-of-the-art facilities.
• The importance of showcasing successful projects and leveraging ESG messaging.

SB Labs’ brand positioning was refined to emphasise their role as an industry-leading, one-stop solution for laboratory and educational environments. Their innovative and sustainable solutions transform learning and research spaces, through a detailed and personal approach.

Persona development

A comprehensive persona guide was developed, mapping out the needs, pain points and decision triggers for each audience segment:

• Architects: Seek creative, flexible layouts, compliance and proven UK suppliers.
• Contractors: Value reliable delivery, efficient installation and clear pricing.
• Head Teachers: Prioritise inspiring, safe, future-proof environments.
• Bursars: Focus on transparent pricing, lifecycle value and hassle-free procurement.
• Directors: Require scalable, sustainable solutions across multiple sites.

This matrix informed targeted content and communications, ensuring SB Labs’ messaging was relevant and impactful.

Brand identity & guidelines

The new brand identity was crafted to be visually striking, using scientific visuals to create a modern and consistent. Key elements included:

• Logo
  A universal marque of quality, available in primary and secondary formats, with strict guidelines for usage and exclusion zones.
• Colour palette
  Carefully chosen primary and secondary colours, with SB Teal and SB Grey as signature hues.
• Typography
  Circular as the primary typeface, with Arial as the default for accessibility.
• Tone of voice
  Professional, warm, enthusiastic and genuine – never overly technical or ambiguous. Communications always refer to SB Labs as ‘we’, engaging the reader directly.

Brand application

The guidelines extended to all brand touch-points:

• Website, social media, stationery, signage, apparel and vehicle livery.
• Consistent use of positioning statements: “Transforming spaces for learning and research”, “Transforming spaces for learning”, “Transforming lab spaces.”
• Templates for brochures, quotations and social graphics, ensuring every asset reinforced the brand’s values and visual style.

SB Labs now stands as the most recognised UK laboratory specialist, backed by 40 years of experience and a history with SNB. Their brand is synonymous with quality, innovation, sustainability, and adaptability. The new website design showcases their evolved identity, proposition, and portfolio, positioning them as the preferred choice for educational and commercial lab environments.