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.

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.

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.

The ALS Network brand launched in January 2024 at the company’s annual gala to widespread acclaim. Stakeholders agreed the name sounded big, useful, and expressed the idea of connection on every level. The brand identity included a versatile logo with a distinctive mark, representing the three pillars of the organization along with each and every individual that makes up the ALS Network. Plans are underway to further assist the ALS Network with their growth goals.