ISB Brand Relaunch FAQs

Since its inception in 2001, ISB has been a pioneer in business education, emerging as a premier research-driven institution with very successful alumni. Over the years, we have augmented our original PGP programme with new ones and significantly grown our Executive Education footprint. Recent enhancements include ISB Online and the launch of a new course - PGP YL.  All these changes to our portfolio mark several new chapters in our journey.  

Various brand equity studies, both qualitative and quantitative conducted in 2022 and 2023 highlighted some strategic opportunities for the brand and pointed towards further evolution of brand ISB. A steering committee which constituted Dr. Pramath Raj Sinha, Founding Dean & Executive Board Member, Dean Madan Pillutla, Deputy Dean Sarang Deo, Deputy Dean Deepa Mani, Deputy Dean Ramabhadhran Thirumalai and Kartik Teja, CMO, ISB oversaw the brand refresh project.  We partnered with Landor, a global brand and design consulting agency.  

This refresh is an attempt at modernising our brand, a testament to our growth, milestones achieved, and a platform to unify all stakeholders under a shared vision. We want to celebrate the full spectrum of ISB's contributions – from groundbreaking research and world-class faculty to a dynamic, global alumni network shaping the future of business and policy. This evolution reinforces ISB's legacy of rigorous academics, innovative pedagogy, and global outlook, while highlighting our ambition to empower leaders who drive meaningful impact. 

The brand refresh was a collaborative and iterative process grounded in robust primary and secondary research. We have engaged with various stakeholders – board members, faculty, administrative staff, alumni, students, recruiters, and policymakers – to ensure a holistic perspective. Additionally, quantitative research provided insights into perceptions of ISB, informing the hypotheses generated and discussed with the steering committee at multiple stages.   

Post several discussions, deliberations and iterations, the steering committee selected a positioning route and its associated visual system. The steering committee made a recommendation to the Executive Board, which then approved it.  The recommendation was socialised with various stakeholders of the school – faculty, administrative staff, students, ISB Alumni Senate and several marketing teams.  

This systematic approach ensured the preservation of ISB's core values and essence, while paving the way for a contemporary and future-focused manifestation going forward. 

A pivotal decision was to amplify ISB's research-led DNA and position knowledge as the cornerstone of empowerment for every stakeholder associated with the school giving them the confidence to make meaningful impact. This led to the articulation of our new brand positioning: "empowering business leaders with knowledge and character to shape tomorrow, today." At ISB, "character" speaks to the ethical foundation we ask of our students. It encompasses integrity, social responsibility, and a commitment to using knowledge for good, creating leaders who are not only skilled, but also principled and purpose driven. 

The unifying theme resonates across all ISB programmes and offerings, reflecting the integral role of knowledge in our institution. We streamlined our brand architecture to elevate the ISB name, ensuring consistency and showcasing the institution’s scale and diversity. This strategic clarity allows for a more cohesive brand experience and reinforces ISB's position as a leading global business school. 

There will be continuous work, developments and efforts to ensure our new positioning is brought to life and reflected every day in all that we do. But the most visible change right now for anyone to witness is our evolved logo and visual language. Through a rigorous process of semiotic analysis and careful consideration of our brand's sacred assets, we retained the symbolic blue and globe, modernising them with a bold, clean sans-serif wordmark and a distinctive upward orientation. This deliberate shift not only signifies progress and empowerment, but also cleverly aligns with natural eye movement and the very concept of forward momentum – the 45 degree angle of the birds flying out evokes the association of an upward trajectory commonly associated with growth charts and directional indicators. 

The refreshed blue is vibrant and energetic, symbolising innovation, while the clean, contemporary typography adds a touch of sophistication. Inspired by whiteboards and our research DNA, our new visual language embraces a streamlined, digital-first design and a distinctive colour palette. To ensure seamless integration, a comprehensive toolkit has been developed for adaptability across all platforms – from impactful campus branding and a reimagined website to sophisticated print materials. Beyond the visual, the brand refresh extends to a sonic identity, with signature sounds and graphic motion designed to further amplify ISB's dynamic presence.  

Additionally, all programme and centre names now prominently feature "ISB" (e.g., ISB Exec Ed, ISB Online, ISB Max Institute of Healthcare Management, etc), reinforcing the cohesive nature of our offerings. 

This brand refresh is a significant investment in ISB's future. We aim to solidify our position as a globally recognised leader in management education, attracting the best and brightest students, faculty, and research partners. The new brand identity is designed to communicate our commitment to academic excellence, innovative teaching methodologies, and impactful research that addresses real-world challenges.  

We aim to differentiate ourselves not just through our world-class programmes, but also through our emphasis on character development, research-led learning, and a deep commitment to creating positive societal impact. 

We are confident that this revitalised brand will elevate our global reputation, amplify our voice in business and policy, and foster a stronger sense of belonging among our diverse network of students, alumni, faculty, industry, government partners and staff. Ultimately, we strive to empower a new generation of principled leaders who possess the knowledge, character, and vision to shape a better tomorrow.