In the journey of evolving a brand, the most genuine insights often come from those who embody the brand’s promise daily. At Help, we embraced this during our brand refresh, centring the process around our supported employees. 

Many organisations are recognising the value of involving their employees in marketing and communication decisions. Help aimed even higher. Around 42% of our workforce comprises people with disabilities who play crucial roles as supported employees. Their unique perspectives were instrumental in the consultation and development stages of our brand refresh.   

Seeing Help through the eyes of supported employees 

Our preparatory work included presentations and activities for focus groups and surveys involving various stakeholders, including non-supported employees and customers. The discussions were structured around: 

• Help and the value we celebrate as a whole 
• customer needs and experiences 
• brand positioning 
• brand personality/style 
• brand architecture. 

Keen to harness insights from our supported employees, we adapted existing materials into formats that were more intuitive and accessible. After refining these with input from our in-house social worker, we ensured they were perfectly suited for our supported employees’ participation. 

Armed with tailored workshop materials, we invited our supported employees to share their thoughts on Help’s present and future. 

Stage 1: Brand archetypes 

To deepen our audience connection, we drew on the concept of ‘archetypes’, which were introduced by Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung. Archetypes are a set of universal ‘characters’ that echo core human drives and values. Marketers often use archetypes to guide the creative aspects of brand development.  Our model used the 12 archetypes: the Outlaw, Magician, Hero, Lover, Jester, Every Person, Caregiver, Ruler, Creator, Innocent, Sage, and Explorer. We tailored these archetypes for our supported employees by relating them to familiar television and movie characters and famous people.

The initial workshop invited supported employees to convey their vision for Help’s brand through the lens of our adapted archetypes.  Indiana Jones’s adventurousness, Mary Poppins’s creativity, and Superman’s bravery were not just characters but a medium for conversation about Help’s identity and aspirations. 

After lively discussions and engaging activities, we asked participants to vote for the character they would most trust as their support worker. Their choices mirrored the broader stakeholder feedback, affirming our new visual brand’s direction. 

Stage 2: From heroes to logos 

The next phase turned this collective vision into tangible design elements. We involved supported employees in shaping the brief for our new logo and introduced them to the concept of visual territories, including fonts, colours, shapes, and photography. Their responses provided profound insights into how individuals with disabilities perceive and understand visuals—insights that became the bedrock of our new brand’s aesthetic. 

Comments like, “I’m distracted by the blurry thing in the foreground,” directly influenced our new brand style guide. 

Nick and Mitch, two supported employees with an insightful understanding of imagery, were then invited to bring their perspectives to life. Guided by the new design guidelines created by our brand agency, Driven, they went on a mission to capture images of supported employees from around the various Help workspaces. These photographs are now included in Help’s brand assets to be used on marketing materials, and our new website.  

Driven’s General Manager Zal Meher-Homji believes early staff involvement can play a key role in the success of a branding project.

“Working with Help, we had the opportunity to gain input from a wide range of personnel from all areas and levels of the organisation—including a significant number of supported employees,” Zal explains. 

“Collaborating with Help’s supported employees through a hands-on workshop equipped us with invaluable insights. Not only were they a joy to work alongside, their feedback has been pivotal in shaping the new Help brand identity—an identity that reflects the warmth of Help’s people. We are incredibly proud to have been a part of this project.” 

The Outcome 

What emerged is a brand that genuinely reflects the community it serves. Looking forward, it’s infused with the hero’s courage and problem-solving drive. All while retaining our existing caregiver essence—altruistic, nurturing, and generous. 

As we introduce our new brand, we’re confident that its inception was as inclusive and empowering as the services we provide. Help’s brand refresh is more than just a new look; it’s a renewed pledge to support people with disabilities, their caregivers, and the wider disability sector.