Find out how we helped a long-established independent charity to raise its profile and engage new audiences.
The business
The Smallpeice Trust is an independent charity that provides programmes to promote engineering careers to young people aged 10 to 18 through residential courses, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Days, STEM Clubs and STEM Teacher Training Days.
The challenge
With no formal marketing and PR strategy in place and a 40-year-old brand, the charity required urgent assistance in raising its profile. Our challenge was to produce material which would engage children and challenge their negative perceptions of engineering, with a particular focus on attracting women and ethnic minorities.
“Cognition created an elegant, strategic plan to bring our brand up to date and they delivered on that promise.”
Andrew Cave - Chief Executive, The Smallpeice Trust
The solution
The Smallpeice Trust set the specific objectives of driving new traffic to the website and increasing enrolment in their courses, so we started with a complete overhaul of the website to address its design, usability, content and sales potential.
The design strategy was to fire the imagination and inspire kids with an aptitude for the sciences and maths by focussing on inspiring modern applications of engineering. We created the new strapline ‘Big things happen with The Smallpeice Trust’ and launched a campaign to 899 schools.
Our digital strategy involved developing a new illustrative style for the brand and categorising the vast amount of information the website needed to hold for students, teachers and parents.
Most importantly, we revised the calls to action to encourage sign-up to Smallpeice’s courses. Since the website’s launch, there’s been a 60% rise in visits and course applications have increased by 477% and now all courses are filled or oversubscribed.
Cognition was also awarded Best Design Strategy at the The Drum S.W.O.T awards for the creative campaign.
The results
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After implementing the new brand, collateral, website and PR activity, course booking increased by 477%.
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Almost all courses were filled or oversubscribed.
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Students’ perception of the organisation changed from ‘boring, male and elitist’ to ‘young, exciting and fun’.
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A Google ranking of 6 for the website.
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An increase in traffic to the website from 140 visitors per day to an average of 224.
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Company profiles and by-lined articles were secured in key vertical and educational publications.
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Cognition won an award for ‘Best Design Strategy’ as a result of its work with The Smallpeice Trust.