Working with individuals and businesses who are looking to make their mark and stand out in their community is what I love to do. But recently, I had the opportunity to work with a team in the Ukraine who are doing something vastly more important than just standing out. They’re, quite literally, saving people’s lives. Every now and then you come across a customer who needs your help, and recently I was honoured to have been contacted by a humanitarian team in the Ukraine who are just embarking on their own independent, self-governing, self-funding journey.
Initially working under the banner of humanitarian group arche noVa; a non-profit- and non-governmental organisation working primarily on the field of humanitarian aid, development cooperation and education and based in the Ukraine, the team were ready to continue on their own, and were in need of a new brand that represented their mission with the political sensitivity and humanitarian independence they strived for.
With their main focus being on water provision, sanitation and hygiene, since the outbreak of the crisis in the area, more than 1.6 million people fled from the embattled areas in the East of the country with over 40,000 people seeking refuge – and that number is estimated to increase in the next few months. The crisis is real, and this local NGO wants to make a difference.
“The ongoing war has destroyed much of the infrastructure. Schools and hospitals have been targets of attacks or cannot be maintained due to the dangerous security situation. The water and sanitation systems are no longer reliable, and in some places no water comes out of the pipes. arche noVa has been in operation in eastern Ukraine since 2016 and is helping people to rebuild.” – arch noVa
And as the team now get ready to set themselves up as a local NGO, the team needed to rebrand themselves with a focus, and a vision that embodied their mission.
The team already had a new business name, and were clear on what outcome they were after, but required someone with marketing know-how to sensitively approach the project to find an objective middle-ground for a new brand under which they can develop their own footprint in the region.
Fresh Brew Marketing worked in partnership with the team in Ukraine to build an identity that would allow them to build their own independent voice and brand.
Due to the sensitive nature of what was trying to be achieved, ensuring a mutual compatibility and understanding of expectation was critical to ensuring a successful outcome. Sufficient time was taken before hand to understand critical value points and messages that the new brand identity had to carry, while at the same time, understanding any potential areas of conflict to avoid.
Several colour palettes were tested until one was decided upon by the team that worked, and represented a lovely correlation between water and earth, while the logo icon, signified by two overlapping hands that signified a collaborative approach to making life on the front line better, carried the critical organisational ethos that organisational entity wanted to impart.
Working completely remotely, with regular conversations both via Skype as well as email, Fresh Brew Marketing ensured that all relevant insights were captured and acted upon, providing timely feedback and thought throughout the entire process. Building a relationship with the team upfront was important to being able to speak confidently and transparently throughout the process.
– Дмитрий Дрижд (Dima), New Way, Ukraine
A new brand look and feel was delivered with a clarified marketing approach to help the team build their own independence and develop their own voice within the sensitive market in which they work. The NEW WAY team is very happy with the results of this collaborative effort and Fresh Brew Marketing’s approach to helping them find a new, exciting direction that truly changes lives. The brand is now being rolled out in accordance with their own timeline and Fresh Brew Marketing wishes Dima, and the team, all the very best as they continue the mammoth task of providing humanitarian aid and welfare in a very sensitive and troubled area.