Growing a brand through entrepreneurship and community
90%
building occupancy maintained year after year
The park has gone from strength to strength. Awareness and profile of the park has improved regionally and nationally with it now considered one of the top 5 science and technology parks in the country.
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In need of more creativity
A science park that businesses choose and stay in
For a decade we’ve helped the University of Southampton Science Park turn its greatest asset, a community of over 90 science and technology businesses, into the reason new ones choose it. We built the brand, the website and the marketing around that community, lifting occupancy to a 90% average and taking the Park from page six to page one of Google for the searches that bring in new occupiers.
What the park needed
The Park’s brief was clear: retain and grow its current tenants, attract new businesses, and in time be regarded as one of the UK’s top three science parks. The challenge will be familiar to anyone running one. From the outside, most parks look alike, with buildings, lab space and flexible terms. What sets them apart is the people already there and what happens between them, and that was the part prospective occupiers couldn’t see.
Foundations first
We began with a three-year contract, and our first recommendation was to refresh their brand identity with a rebrand before spending anything on marketing, so every campaign that followed would point to a brand worth arriving at. We created a brand strategy, marketing strategy and plan, the hexagon visual identity, a graphic system flexible enough to carry the Park, its buildings and every marketing programme that followed. Ensuring a cohesive brand experience digitally and on-park. The new website launched in 2018, and the identity rolled out from there into entrance signage, wayfinding, collateral, digital screens, social media, events and more.
Getting found by businesses looking for space
Most occupiers start with a search. We ran the Science Park’s Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), content and paid search month by month, building pages around available properties and the search queries growing businesses make. Over 12 months, the Park climbed from an average position of 53 to 9 for “flexible office space to let Southampton” and from 53 to 19 for “office rental Southampton”, the terms closest to a lease.
Programmes that feed the pipeline
Catalyst, the Park’s business growth programme, is often how early-stage companies first meet the Park, with many staying on as occupiers. We gave it its own identity within the hexagon system and a sharper proposition, then launched it with a dedicated website presence, Google and LinkedIn ads and targeted outbound marketing.
Stats from The Catalyst paid report in Dec 2025 (Ran from 18 Nov – 17 Dec, compared to previous period)
- 1,250% increase in Catalyst form submissions
- Google Ads generated 25% of the Catalyst form submissions
- 422% increase in Catalyst guideline downloads
- Delivered more engaging ads (CTR up 835% to 14.89% – above the 0.65% benchmark)
- Conversion rate improved 143%, to 7.61% (Above the 4% benchmark)
- Delivered more engaged users to the site (+94% average session duration)
Making the community visible, on site and off
A science park’s real selling point is its community, so we gave it a name, a voice and a calendar. SoSocial became the umbrella for wellbeing and community life, from yoga sessions to Street Food Thursdays and the “An evening with…” speaker series. SO Magazine told occupiers’ stories and social content three to four times a week carried the same stories to prospective tenants and the talent they want to attract. For an occupier deciding whether to stay or move, that’s the difference between renting a unit and belonging to a place.
Built to run in-house
Alongside the work, we created the templates, tools and frameworks that let the Park’s own team run day-to-day communications with confidence, while we provided strategy and creative direction.
What changed
- 90% occupancy maintained
- 500 applications for the Catalyst programme over the decade
- 100+ resident companies connected through the tenant magazine
- South Coast Property Awards winner 2026, Commercial Landlord of the Year & South Coast Property Business of the Year
The Park now has a brand that makes room for every new building and programme, a steady flow of businesses finding it online, and a community that gives them a reason to stay.
“Success like winning the South Coast Property Awards is always a team effort, and The Escape has played a big part in helping us to position the Science Park as the best property business in the region. Thank you!”
Rob Chave
CEO, University of Southampton Science Park
UK innovation industry specialists
The Escape delivers specialist branding for science parks and laboratories across the UK through our focus on connecting People + Place. Increasing rented capacity and fostering community starts long before your audience visits your website. We create desire before they arrive, help shape the experience when they do, and give them a reason to locate their business with you.
We’re also UKSPA members, who keep up to date with developments in the UK innovation sector. Actively participating in events to provide valuable insight and expertise to science parks, research campuses, innovation districts, technology incubators, business affiliates and strategic partners in the network.
