ALS Network
Overview
A new name to trust for families facing ALS.
Previously a local chapter of a national ALS organization, ALS Golden West provided care management for families in 22 counties in California plus Hawaii. But their geography-focused name didn’t reflect the outsized role the group also plays in fundraising, research, and advocacy. Changes in the ALS landscape led ALS Golden West to seek a new name and brand identity that better expressed their independence, mission and national leadership.
Approach
In discovery interviews with families facing ALS, donors, researchers, care managers, and other key stakeholders, we learned that one aspect that makes Golden West unique is the leadership role they play in all three areas: care management, research, and advocacy. Other ALS organizations tended to be successful at one of those endeavors. We set out to build a brand that unified these three missions.
Strategy
A new brand needed to convey energy, optimism, and compassion. We specifically recommended that any new name should omit the service area, to give them flexibility for future growth. It also needed to sound appealing to audiences both inside and outside the organization. We observed that all three of the organization’s key missions involve connection, and identified that as a common thread we could use to build a larger brand story.
