Case Study: Suffolk Libraries attracts younger borrowers with Silk Pearce's colourful rebrand

Suffolk Libraries launches a new brand across 47 libraries in 4 months with Silk Pearce

Suffolk Libraries, an independent charity running the library service for Suffolk County Council, faced the challenge of appealing to young professionals and commuters. While they had strong engagement with older demographics and families, they struggled to attract a younger audience that primarily used paid digital streaming services, despite Suffolk Libraries offering similar services for free. The branding agency Silk Pearce was approached to create a new logo and brand to raise awareness of its eLibrary and shift this perception.

Silk Pearce developed a bold, contemporary visual identity inspired by a bookmark, creating a singular, strong logo to replace inconsistent previous branding. Their solution included the "Become a Borrower" campaign, which tapped into a zeitgeist of reusing and conscious consumption. Silk Pearce also created easy-to-use Microsoft Office templates and simple guidelines to ensure volunteers could consistently produce on-brand materials. The new identity successfully modernized the Suffolk Libraries brand, making it more visible and memorable across its 47 locations and helping it stand out to better attract a younger demographic.

Suffolk Libraries