Brand hierarchy

Brand hierarchy is not identical to the organisational structure of the University of Helsinki: it’s purpose is to reflect the University’s relation to its various faculties, units, independent institutes, cooperation projects and other partners linked to the University.

Brand hierarchy helps to support building of the strategic target image of the University, as well as its reputation management. Brand hierarchy supports consistent visual identity and ensures that the University’s logo is used in a coherent manner.

Brand hierarchy brings cost-efficiency through a uniform operating model. The goal of the brand hierarchy is to strengthen and maintain the University’s and it’s units’ identification and to strengthen the image of a coherent, globally relevant and influential top University.

The Communication and Community Relations’ Brand and Marketing team is in charge of managing and decision-making processes regarding the brand hierarchy. In all brand hierarchy related questions please contact uhbrand@helsinki.fi
Brand hierarchy / official units and functions

Level 1 of the brand hierarchy is to be applied in all of the University’s own operations and  communications. Level 1 also applies to internal communications of the University, including internal organisational units as well as the University’s fully-owned subsidiaries.

The University of Helsinki’s faculties and independent institutes have their own flame logos. Units/disciplines/departments under a faculty primarily use the faculty’s flame logo to identify themselves. 

Permanent, official organizational units and University’s subsidiaries may use their own marketing logo together with the University’s flame logo when certain criteria are met. The need for a marketing logo is evaluated case by case by following criteria: 

  1. University-owned multidisciplinary, permanent, official operational units, that need a separate identity reflecting their area of expertise to support for example recruiting and co-operation. 
  2. University-owned companies that want to show a strong connection to the University, including name. 
  3. Service units that operate market-based and that therefore need a separate identity. 
  4. Units/disciplines/departments under a faculty primarily use the faculty’s flame logo to identify themselves. An exception to the rule are such operational units, independent institutes or research infrastructures belonging to faculties whose operations require a separate identity due to the nature of their mission or operational environment. The marketing logo of a unit belonning to a faculty may use the faculty colour as an additional colour in the marketing logo. 

All communications are always signed with the University’s flame logo. 

Marketing logo decisions are prepared and managed by Communications and Community Relations’ Brand and Marketing team. The marketing logo and other visual materials are produced together with the University’s official advertising partners. 

Recurring university-level events, fixed-term projects and units, university-level products and research groups that need a text logo to support their communications. The text logos use the typography of the University’s visual identity; no additional graphic elements are used. University-level events or text logos may use the University’s official accent colour; as a rule the text logos are black.

All communications are always signed with the University’s flame logo. 

Marketing logo decisions are prepared and managed by Communications and Community Relations’ Brand and Marketing team. 

Brand hierarchy / partnerships and cooperation

A permanent, strategic partnership between the University and an outside partner. Equal, strategic partners whose partnership needs a shared logo and identity. The strategic partnership is communicated either with a common logo that is used together with the partners’ own logos or a partnership logo that is used independently. 

The common nominator for a partnership may be a shared theme, branch of science or a location. In strategic partnerships the University is identified with the university-level flame logo. 

Cooperation projects in which the University is one of cooperation partners.  All communications are signed with the cooperation partners’ own logos. 

Organisations affiliated with the University with a fully independent identity distinct from the University due to the organisation’s national duties, commercial nature or the fact that they are operational or research units shared with the University and other organisations.

The University’s text only logo combined with Powered by text. The product ownership logo communicates University’s relationship to a product or service that is used within other organisations’ operational environments but  where the product ownership of the product or service remains at the University of Helsinki.