PKF Smith Cooper draws branding in line with global network

As the PKF Global network looks to highlight the unified capabilities it offers, while highlighting the international reach of each of its members, PKF Smith Cooper has adopted its shared branding. The move does not change PKF Smith Cooper’s ability to operate independently, or see it alter its name, but its use of the wider PKF logo will point toward its connections to more than 200 other firms worldwide.

James Bagley, the managing partner of PKF Smith Cooper, confirmed, “While the way we look may be changing, our company name, client-focused values and the highly personalised services we deliver will remain the same. We became proud members of PKF in September 2021 and since then PKF Smith Cooper has gone from strength to strength.”

PKF Smith Cooper is the network member of PKF in the Midlands, providing individuals and businesses in the region and beyond with a full range of audit, accountancy, tax and advisory services. It plans to double the size of its own company within the next five years, something which Bagley believes its more international look will help build towards.

The rebrand sees PKF Smith Cooper align its image and identity with other member firms within the PKF network, as well as adopt a new logo representing a vibrant umbrella. As well as hinting at a broader organisation hanging above the heads of its members – helping them better serve clients, and share ideas – it features five bright colours which symbolise the network’s geographical regions (Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and India, North America and Latin America) where the PKF Global network’s over-200 member reside.

Selma Delic, operations partner at PKF Smith Cooper, who led the firm’s marketing team during the rebrand project, added, “As an active member of PKF Global, we are delighted that our new brand aligns us with other PKF firms around the world, making our association with an internationally renowned accounting network immediately recognisable, but we also wanted to make sure we maintained our own distinct identity.”

It has already been a year of expansion at PKF Smith Cooper, with the firm welcoming 85 new starters across its core services and group companies. In addition to taking on several senior hires, including a new corporate finance partner and the acquisition of BLB advisory, the firm launched its popular graduate scheme for 2025 with current vacancies across Derby, Nottingham and Birmingham in audit, employment tax, corporate tax, and business recovery and restructuring.

Delic concluded, “We have worked closely with the PKF Global team over the past year to ensure consistency with the wider network, while also making sure our brand continues to resonate with our team, clients and the external market. Ultimately, we were able to bring the PKF brand to life in a way that still felt true to PKF Smith Cooper with the help of STENCIL Creative, a Nottingham agency.”