The University of Leeds

The University of Leeds has a strong reputation and a clear sense of purpose. It brings together deep academic expertise with a focus on research, education and collaboration.

But that story wasn’t always coming across consistently. Different audiences were taking away different messages. Some aspects of the offer were landing well, while others were harder to see, particularly when it came to the University’s work with business.

Leeds wanted a clearer, more consistent way to express its value, and they asked us to help define it.

We began by revisiting the student value proposition. Working with marketing and communications teams, we looked at how the existing messaging was performing across undergraduate, postgraduate and international audiences.

We spoke to students, prospects and senior stakeholders, combining qualitative and quantitative research to understand what was connecting and where things were less clear.

The core messages were coming through, but not always in the way they were intended. So we refined the proposition, bringing it into closer alignment with the University’s strategy and future direction.

At the centre is a bold idea: shape the world you want, supported by six pillars that tell the story of the Leeds student experience.

Alongside this, Leeds wanted to strengthen communication with business audiences. The ambition was to build stronger partnerships, better communicate its offer and support demand for its research and expertise.

We built on the student proposition to develop a value proposition for business audiences that combines the University of Leeds’ academic positioning with industry-facing opportunities, strengthening its credibility as a business partner.

To develop this, we worked closely with stakeholders across the University to understand priorities, structures and ambitions.

We also analysed competitor positioning and spoke directly to senior decision-makers in the industry to understand what they look for in a university partner.

This included:

• Interviews with internal leaders and practitioners

• Surveys with employers across priority sectors

• Analysis of wider trends shaping business engagement

All of it gave us a clear foundation to build a proposition that reflects both the current offer and where Leeds is heading.

The result is a single proposition that brings the Leeds offer together in a way that’s clear and usable across the organisation. It provides a shared foundation, while still allowing teams to tailor messaging for different audiences and sectors.

With a more consistent way of expressing its strengths, Leeds is better placed to build partnerships, communicate its value and support its wider ambitions.