Branding burns Bournemouth

Bournemouth University has come under fire from students and staff for spending £120,000 on a rebranding exercise, including a new logo made up of the letters BU, writes Tony Tysome.

Phil MacGregor, a senior lecturer at Bournemouth and a union representative, said staff were "appalled" at the amount of money spent on a logo that seemed to do little for the university's image. He said: "Given that it is trying to reposition itself as a more research-intensive institution... I don't know that the logo reflects the image it wanted to create."

Ben Howard, student union president, said most students were not opposed to spending, but many felt the logo did not represent good value for money.

"Some describe it as a Mickey Mouse logo," he said. "They feel it is not a good reflection of the university and what it is trying to achieve."

David Willey, Bournemouth pro vice-chancellor, said the cash was spent on a range of activities, not just the logo. "We are looking at a higher education marketplace that is much more competitive. It is therefore reasonable to expect that commercial tools will become more prevalent in the way we use resources."

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