Sponda’s brand renewal puts customers in the spotlight

To align Sponda’s brand identity with its new strategy, Sponda has renewed its brand to reflect the Sponda of today. The company last renewed its brand almost a decade ago.

According to Anita Riikonen, Sponda’s Marketing and Brand Manager, the starting point of the brand identity work was the company’s renewed values and strategic objectives.

“According to our new strategy, our vision is to be Finland’s leading real estate asset management company. For example, this is seen in sustainability where we have been ranked as the leader in our sector’s sustainable development,” Riikonen says.

In addition to the renewed strategy, the internal development of the company has had an impact on the brand work.

Spondan brändi- ja markkinointipäällikkö Anita Riikonen — The clear brand identity was intended to express the ease of dealing with Sponda. “We know the needs of different sectors and can provide customers with premises that support their business,” Riikonen concludes.

“Significant changes have taken place in our operating methods and processes, and we have taken major steps to develop the quality and sustainability of our properties. Additionally, new people and a new owner have added a new expertise capital to our company complimenting the long-term expertise and experience we have.”

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Our new brand describes the Sponda we have grown to become.

Change from within

The brand agency Bond was chosen as Sponda’s partner for the brand renewal project. Additionally, Sponda’s personnel across the organisation were actively involved in developing the brand. The work began by defining the brand strategy, followed by creating a visual and verbal identity with logos, colours and tones.

Designer Jesper Bange, who steered the development work at Bond, was impressed with how boldly the large company set out to realise the renewal.

“The fact that the change came from within the company was manifested in the activities. Our job was to make the change visible as radically as Sponda had experienced it,” Bange describes.

Bondin suunnittelija Jesper Bange. — According to Bond designer Jesper Bange, Sponda’s bold brand differentiates Sponda from other companies in the sector even more clearly.

According to Riikonen, it was great to see how enthusiastically the personnel took part in the development work. It was essential that representatives of all business units were involved in the planning.

“The brand is intended to address all of our different stakeholders, while also serving our personnel. It was my duty to ensure that the renewal addressed all necessary viewpoints and that the brand strongly supports our business strategy.”

The spotlight has shifted to the customer

The slogan Space to Shine, which derives from the company’s mission, is at the core of the new brand. According to Riikonen, the slogan aims to bring the customer into the spotlight and showing that the right conditions can make any company shine.

At Sponda, people appreciate that the new brand identity is both clearly distinctive and recognisable, while also flexible and easy to use.

“Value emerges when we can create for our customer the optimum office space with our long-term experience, strong expertise and diverse property portfolio, allowing the company to shine in its own right.”

Classic black and white was chosen as the colour scheme for the brand identity, with petrol blue and quartz green effects and sharp typography giving it a hint of edginess and boldness.

“We wanted the logo to illustrate the quality and sustainability of Sponda. A logo like this would also suit an old, premium American car whose value only increases over time,” says Bange, drawing a comparison.

Sponda’s new main font is a sharp Aeonik. The round-lined and classic Saol Display balances the structural main font.

Honesty is the most important aspect of the brand

In Bange’s opinion, the care taken to renew the brand will strengthen Sponda’s marketing and provide a strong boost to the company’s personnel.

“The bold brand, drawing on Sponda’s position as a forerunner and its expertise, will certainly increase employees’ self-confidence and also more clearly differentiate it from other companies in the sector.”

The new building illustrations showcase some of Sponda’s real estate in an unexpected but prestigious and inspiring manner. The slogan *Space to Shine,* which derives from the company’s mission, is at the core of the new brand.

Riikonen also believes it is important for the new brand to inspire and connect personnel. In her opinion, a good brand is significant in B-2-B in particular, where a strong expertise and reliability from partners are required.

“With our new brand, we hope we can say even better what we are and what we can do. Most important for us is that the brand is built on something genuine and we can proudly stand behind it.”

This is what Sponda’s new brand identity looks like! Watch the brand video below: