Improving our brand

Joe Saxton, co-founder of nfpSynergy, a specialist research consultancy for the charity sector, wrote in WRVS' Action magazine: "...if good deeds alone drove awareness, then WRVS would be one of Britain's best-known charities. But when you ask any of your friends to name a charity, the chances are they will say Oxfam, the RSPCA or NSPCC. And, if quizzed about what WRVS does, they may be a little unclear. From a brand and public recognition perspective, this needs looking at. Despite all the good work that WRVS does, not enough people have heard of you, or are clear about what you do."

And if they haven't heard of us, or are unclear about what we do, it makes trying to achieve our purpose very difficult. It makes it harder for people to support us or access our services. It's also true that well known charities find it easier and cheaper to raise funds.

You will be aware that WRVS has been conducting a review of its strategy over the last few months. We're aiming to improve the way we work and are structured so that we are better able to deliver the services older people want and need to get more out of life. Alongside this work, we have also been reviewing and developing our brand.

A brand is how people experience you and how you make them feel. It's the 'WRVS way of doing things'. So it's about how we answer the phone, how we deliver our services, and how we interact with our service users for example. And it means that if you come across us in one type of service or location, you'll get the same, consistent feeling and treatment when you come across us delivering a different service or in a different location.

As the strategic review is designed to enhance people's experience of us - how we communicate, who we are and what we stand for - it was very important for us to develop our brand as part of that review. A strong brand makes and enhances our reputation and influences what others think of us. A brand is made up of many elements:

• Some, such as our logo and strapline, are there for all to see. They're how people recognise us.
• Others are unspoken, such as our values, but they help define who we are and what sets us apart from other organisations.
• It's also about the way we describe ourselves and communicate internally and externally - our tone of voice.
• But crucially, it's also about our people. We have over 57,000 individuals across the UK who are the public face of WRVS and from whom most people will learn about WRVS. The practical skills and the care shown by our volunteers tell a customer in one of our cafés as much, if not more, about us as the quality of the coffee they serve does.

Robert Longley-Cook, executive director for marketing, fundraising and communication, said: "We're developing a new, consistent approach to the way we present ourselves in our shops, centres, in our interactions with service users, the general public and partners and it is a vital part of our strategy for the future. It will help people understand who we are, what we do and the difference we make.

"Once we have this recognition, it will be easier for us to attract people to support us by becoming a volunteer or regular donor, choose us to provide services such as Meals on Wheels or a hospital cafés, or access our services as a service user. Crucially, well-known charities find it easier and cheaper to raise funds."

Our new strapline will be changing to:

positive about age, practical about life

Our logo remains the same, but from 27 April, you'll start to see our new strapline appear, firstly on our website and other materials Then, over the next 18 months, it will appear on all our project sites and materials. Anyone who requires a new logo before these dates should contact the WRVS marketing to discuss their requirements on 01235 442919 or 01235 442976.

For more information, see the our brand section on this website.