Kent Music
Transforming Kent Music’s brand and digital platform for the next era of music education
We led Kent Music through a brand refresh and digital transformation, supporting its evolution and mission to provide high-quality music education.
Kent Music, a leading music education charity, faced a pivotal moment after being successful in its bid to become the Lead Organisation for a new Kent & Medway Music Hub in 2024.
Pillory Barn delivered an extensive programme of work, supporting its evolution and mission to provide high-quality music education. Working collaboratively, we identified that a comprehensive brand refresh and digital transformation was required to align with its new status, reflect its core values and enhance accessibility for its diverse audience.
The existing Kent Music website was outdated, with limited functionality, poor navigation, and fragmented content that made it difficult for key users to access essential information and services. Additionally, the website needed to integrate their existing SpeedAdmin system and merge a separate schools microsite, making this the most complex rebuild Kent Music had ever undertaken.
Accessing our full-service marketing provision, Kent Music was also supported through the transition with strategic PR and communications support.
A dynamic new brand
Working closely with the Kent Music team, Pillory Barn created a modern, vibrant and accessible brand, while maintaining continuity with its existing, recognisable identity.
A new, fresh and dynamic logo suite now includes a primary logo and set of sub-brand logos featuring bold, contemporary shapes to represent sound waves and inclusivity.
A bold, accessible colour palette modernised Kent Music’s signature purple and yellow while introducing secondary colours to inject vibrancy and energy, ensuring compliance with WCAG AA accessibility standards.
A marketing toolkit was a key deliverable, supplying the client with a full suite of editable marketing assets, including social media templates, email signatures, brochures, and stationery, empowering Kent Music’s internal team to maintain a consistent brand presence.
The refresh honours Kent Music’s heritage while setting the foundation for ongoing growth. Our approach ensured the brand was flexible, modern, and future-proof.
Developing a user-centred website
An in-depth discovery phase included a UX (user experience) session delivered by Pillory Barn at the Kent Music head office. Given the scale and complexity of the website project, collaborating with the Kent Music team as well as teachers, students, parents and stakeholders was vital to understand user behaviours and website requirements.
Our delivery included:
- A complete website redesign, aligning with the new brand and enhancing user experience, accessibility and engagement.
- A refined sitemap and simplified navigation.
- New content architecture that provides clear, easy-to-find information.
- Integration of SpeedAdmin, making music lesson bookings seamless.
- A dedicated “Courses” section, where students can filter by instrument, age group, and skill level, along with a flagship feature for Kent Music Summer School.
- New instrument landing pages, offering educational content on various instruments and related opportunities.
- Integration of the schools microsite, streamlining the content and improving accessibility for educators and administrators.
- Accessibility-first design, ensuring the site met government accessibility requirements for WCAG AA standards.
The website was custom-built on WordPress, chosen for its user-friendly CMS that allows the Kent Music team to easily update content, ensuring independence, longevity and ease of management.
Amplifying the announcement through PR
As part of our full-service approach, we provided PR and communications consultancy to support Kent Music’s transition to its new Hub status.
Our support included initial messaging strategy to consider all audiences in the announcement and narrative, a press release and securing broadcast interviews and coverage in sector publications and local business media.
Support for internal announcements, ensuring clear, positive messaging to engage all audiences.
Launched in September 2024, Kent Music’s new brand and website have reinvigorated the charity’s digital presence and positioned it at the forefront of music education.
By guiding Kent Music through brand evolution, website transformation, and strategic PR, we’ve helped them step confidently into a new era of music education in Kent and Medway.
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