The Insight
Among the various insights we uncovered through our research was a significant obstacle: the word “Adoption” in their name implied promises that weren’t always guaranteed, and the word “Exchange” inadvertently reduced the young people they were meant to support to commodities. To truly elevate the organization to the next level, we proposed a bold change—a new name that embodies their “why”: Raise the Future.
The Journey
But a new name seemed like a risk. Would current and prospective partners still recognize them? After twenty years, the old name had some brand equity–albeit limited—so how would the transition be received? And the community—would they see this new name as a step pack or bold step forward? Couldn’t other elements of their rebrand, including a new visual identity and language, be enough to move forward?
Such questions were crucial as bold changes demand uncomfortable conversations. By focusing on their “why”, and keeping their mission and vision at the forefront of these discussions, we guided them to realize that this wasn’t about incremental steps forward, it was time for a transformative leap. And so, they leapt—with a robust brand strategy and an unapologetically bold new name and tagline, brought to life through a set of powerful messages and captivating visual identity, making each element of their brand sing together as one.
The Impact
Today, “Raise the Future” has multiplied their support, added key partnerships, and attracted a top-notch new CEO. NBA star Giannas Antetokounmpo even chose them as his All-Star Game beneficiary. This organization’s old brand wouldn’t have galvanized this type of excitement and support. But their gutsy new brand does. It took courageous and visionary leadership (and audacious thinking) to move forward despite the discomfort, and it paid off in a big way.
When we recapped the NBA event with our senior leadership team, everyone talked about how important our new brand and name were at this moment. It gave us power and purpose and sounded amazing ringing out in the stadium and in the press. So grateful for Mission Minded!
Ann Ayers as Chief Executive Officer of Raise the Future