A vibrant housing brand creating brighter futures

The market had become crowded. Almost every provider talked about care, support and independence, making it increasingly difficult for organisations to stand apart. At the same time, attracting both residents and talented employees was becoming more competitive, placing greater emphasis on brand reputation and visibility.

Since its beginnings in 1946, Sussex Housing & Care has grown into a diverse organisation spanning care homes, sheltered housing and independent living communities across Sussex. While the services had expanded, the brand had not kept pace. Different audiences understood different parts of the organisation, but few saw the full picture.

The organisation wanted to be recognised as the leading housing and care provider in Sussex, attract new residents and employees, modernise public perception and create a stronger sense of unity across the business.

The challenge was to create a brand that could bring those ambitions together while remaining true to the organisation’s heritage and values.

Our work began with an extensive discovery programme that explored residents, families, leaseholders, employees and the wider competitive landscape. The research examined how different audiences experienced Sussex Housing & Care, what they valued most and where opportunities existed to create meaningful differentiation.

A clear pattern emerged.

Across the sector, many organisations looked and sounded remarkably similar. Most relied on familiar promises around care, support and person-centred services, making it difficult for audiences to distinguish one provider from another.

What stood out about Sussex Housing & Care was not simply the services it offered but the optimism, warmth and sense of community experienced by residents and employees alike.

The opportunity wasn’t to talk more about housing or care. It was to champion something more human: helping people enjoy brighter, happier and more rewarding lives.

The strategy centred on a simple but powerful positioning:

Brighter Living

More than a tagline, Brighter Living became the organising idea for the entire brand. It captured the organisation’s belief that later life should be active, fulfilling and full of possibilities.

Supporting this was a new brand story built around community, optimism and belonging:

“Our community is building a brilliant future together.”

The visual identity was redesigned around a distinctive sunflower symbol inspired by Sussex itself. The mark combined references to sunshine, community, nature, and wellbeing, creating an identity that felt noticeably warmer and more uplifting than that of typical housing and care providers.

A vibrant colour palette, flexible graphic system and photography style helped bring the idea of Brighter Living to life across every touchpoint, from care home literature and housing communications through to recruitment materials and signage.

The project also extended beyond external communications. New tone-of-voice guidance, employee materials and an internal brand book were developed to help staff understand and champion the new brand from within.

The rebrand gave Sussex Housing & Care a distinctive position in a sector often characterised by similarity.

Rather than focusing solely on services, the organisation could now communicate a more emotional and aspirational promise centred on helping people enjoy brighter lives, stronger communities and greater independence.

For the first time, housing, care and recruitment communications all felt part of the same organisation. The Brighter Living idea gave staff, residents, families and partners a simple way to describe what Sussex Housing & Care stood for and why it mattered.

The rebrand gave Sussex Housing & Care a stronger platform for the future without losing sight of what had made the organisation successful in the first place. The sense of community, warmth and care that people valued remained firmly at its heart.