Bath-based creative and digital agency Mr B & Friends has completed a brand transformation programme for national student accommodation provider Victoria Hall Management.
Mr B & Friends worked with the London-based organisation to develop a new brand positioning, name, identity, trademark, brand guidelines and transactional website which features student accommodation across the UK. 
The 18-month contract was won without a creative pitch against three other brand consultancies.
Now rebranded as Host, the move coincides with the firm’s 20th anniversary and demonstrates its commitment to a market that is rapidly scaling with investors reaping positive revenues and long-term capital growth in a market that is structurally undersupplied.
The new brand positioning is centred on ease and hassle free customer experience, according to Mr B & Friends while the new name perfectly describes the brand purpose and is derived from a functional idea: homes for students. This, along with the new logo has been registered as a trademark.
Mr B & Friends CEO Simon Barbato said: “The purpose-built student accommodation market is burgeoning in the UK and to remain relevant Victoria Hall Management needed to transform.
“Other providers are using brand as a competitive advantage and therefore making this brand distinctive was a challenge. Our strategic solution and name was the perfect platform for the company to relaunch, refresh and renew their proposition. We are delighted to be able to help Victoria Hall Management achieve a stunning new brand.”
The visual identity system, guidelines and website was led by Mr B & Friends senior designer Tom Shenton.
He said: “We created an iconic branding system using the H ‘pause’ device with playful imagery and key messages. Tone of voice and language play a huge part in creating cut-through to an often hard to engage audience consisting of domestic and international students. We’re really delighted with the client’s open-mindedness to where-next thinking.” 
Alongside the new brand identity, Mr B & Friends designed and developed the new Host website. UX (user experience) and simple UI (user interface) features make search and booking easy and hassle free, as well as landing key brand images and messages.
Host marketing, sales & comms manager Louise Cant added: “We’re thrilled to see the results of the last 18 months of hard work and collaboration with Mr B & Friends.
“We needed a brand partner that truly understood our business, had a passion for our vision as a business and of course could develop a new brand that excites the market. The new brand and website is really cutting edge and puts us at the forefront of the student accommodation market.”
Host has accommodation in 16 UK cities including Bristol, London and Cardiff.
