Bethnal Green Ventures
Brand Positioning & Identity Refresh
Brand Positioning & Identity Refresh
Bethnal Green Ventures is a pioneering early-stage investor backing founders who use technology to tackle pressing social and environmental challenges. Their cohort includes ventures working across health, education, climate, financial inclusion and community wellbeing.
As BGV’s impact, portfolio and reputation continued to grow, the team recognised the need to refresh their brand positioning to better reflect their mission, their clarity of purpose and the breadth of founders they support.
What Was Delivered
Brand Positioning & Strategic Narrative
Full Editorial Manifesto (Homepage)
Refined Logo System
Expanded Colour Palette
Graphic Language & Arrow Motif System
Infographic Style Guide
Layout Systems & Framing Devices
Impact Report Design
Flexible Toolkit for the BGV Team
The Brief
Develop a strategic brand position and visual identity that:
• re-articulates BGV’s mission in a clear, confident and transparent way
• expands their narrative beyond investment to their deeper “why”
• creates cohesion across their communications, from the website to the annual Impact Report
• modernises and elevates the visual identity while honouring the existing brand equity
• provides the team with practical tools to communicate their work with consistency
The goal was not to reinvent BGV, but to refine, clarify and strengthen what already made the organisation unique.
Approach
Working closely with the BGV leadership team, the process began by exploring their strategic foundations: their theory of change, their investment philosophy and the values shaping their programme. Through interviews, workshops and editorial development, we shaped a brand narrative centred on transparency, mission and long-term impact.
1. A manifesto to anchor the brand
A new editorial framework was created, defining BGV’s What, How and Why in a clearer, more compelling way. This culminated in a brand manifesto crafted for the front page of the website — a crucial piece of writing that aligned the whole organisation and set the tone for all future communications.
A new editorial framework was created, defining BGV’s What, How and Why in a clearer, more compelling way. This culminated in a brand manifesto crafted for the front page of the website — a crucial piece of writing that aligned the whole organisation and set the tone for all future communications.
2. A symbol rooted in upward momentum
The identity refresh centres on a simple discovery: the natural arrow form hidden inside the letter G of “BGV”. This became the brand’s key motif, a symbol of progress, impact and upward growth. It also reinforced the organisation’s role in helping ventures rise, evolve and scale.
The identity refresh centres on a simple discovery: the natural arrow form hidden inside the letter G of “BGV”. This became the brand’s key motif, a symbol of progress, impact and upward growth. It also reinforced the organisation’s role in helping ventures rise, evolve and scale.
3. A versatile and expanded colour system
The existing palette was extended into a broader and more flexible system, designed to differentiate content types (e.g., newsletter, blog, reports), support richer storytelling, increase contrast and accessibility, maintain a distinctive look across digital channels
The existing palette was extended into a broader and more flexible system, designed to differentiate content types (e.g., newsletter, blog, reports), support richer storytelling, increase contrast and accessibility, maintain a distinctive look across digital channels
4. A cohesive design language
The arrow motif evolved into framing devices, graphic structures and layout systems used across marketing, presentations and the annual Impact Report. The square grid theme informed the infographic style, ensuring a consistent visual expression across data-heavy materials.
The arrow motif evolved into framing devices, graphic structures and layout systems used across marketing, presentations and the annual Impact Report. The square grid theme informed the infographic style, ensuring a consistent visual expression across data-heavy materials.
