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Oxfam brand refresh due to poor understanding of cause
14.05.2008

A brand tracking exercise that identified low levels of understanding of Oxfam's work has been cited as the reason for the charity's recent brand refresh.

In April the charity unveiled a new strapline which invites the public to 'be humankind'. The new message has featured in an animated television advertisement and an outdoor advertising campaign. All the charity's communications will now use the same style and tone.

'We identified that while there was a high brand recall, once you scratched beneath the surface there was little understanding of what we did, particularly around our campaigning work. People also had lower emotional connection with the cause than we would have liked so the aim was to create something that would increase this and provide people with a sense of 'being in it together',' said Cathy Ferrier, director of fundraising and supporter marketing at Oxfam.

Rainey Kelly Campbell RoalfeY&R, the agency responsible for the recent Marks and Spencer clothing rebrand, was appointed to work on the project, which began with research into what motivates people to get involved with supporting international development agencies.

'There was a definite sense that people are globally aware, want to belong to a community, and want to do something that makes their own lives better,' said Ferrier. 'We wanted something that places Oxfam in the middle of all of this.'

Ferrier said early indicators have been positive with increased traffic to both its own website and YouTube and an increased number of single donations. Once this first wave of brand advertising has finished, Oxfam is to launch a second phase that will feature a more explicit call to action.

Source: Gemma Ware, Professional Fundraising Magazine www.professionalfundraising.co.uk

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