Sometimes there’s more to business than making money, as a Teesside firm proved when they extended a helping hand to a local charity hit by financial crisis. Marie Turbill reports.
HAVE you heard of MAIN? You soon will.
It’s the new name for a Teesside charity that may have previously slipped under your radar.
But all that is about to change as the support service for individuals and families living with autism, formerly known as The Main Project, has undergone a massive rebranding campaign, with the help of Stokesley-based Better brand agency.
It’s contemporary new black and white logo with smiling face and “I am…” strapline are now the pride of the 10-year-old charity which has just undergone a massive restructure.
“It might seem like just a name, or just a logo, but it’s so much more,” says service manager, Kelly Bainbridge. “It has created a real buzz about the charity again. The confidence it gives in the organisation and in yourself is amazing.”
She describes the work, carried out by Better, clarifying their aims and then presenting them as a recognisable brand, as “the charity’s saviour”. In December the Gazette reported how The Main Project faced a funding crisis, with warnings that the cash could run out in as little as two months. Bosses were forced into a radical restructure in their fight to cut costs, with 13 of 18 jobs lost.
The slimmed-down team had no choice but to call a halt to the Transitional Funded rebrand work being carried out by Better.
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“The rebranding hasn’t been a result of the restructure, it was something that was already happening,” says Ms Bainbridge. “We had to go to Better and say we wouldn’t be able to pay for the work they had been doing, to stop the work and set up a creditors repayment plan.”
But impassioned by the local charity’s work Better decided to complete the project.
Better managing director Mark Easby says: “From day one we could see the passion they had for the cause and that was immediately infectious. Not only that but they are a Tees Valley based charity helping so many people in our area.
“We could see the impact the new brand could have not only on them but also the impact it could have on all the people they are trying to help.”
The new look brand was launched on World Autism Awareness Day a few weeks ago and Ms Bainbridge says it has had a fantastic reception.
“It’s amazing how something so simple can be so powerful. The new brand encompasses everything we are about. I am… is the most positive statement in the world and that is now part of our charity.”
MAIN – Our MD, Mark Easby, supporting MAIN at their brand launch on World Autism Day
Article written by Marie Turbill, Evening Gazette.
