Aruma

In the midst of a merger, funding changes and industry upheaval, how do you engage and align staff whilst still putting the customer first?

Expertise Areas

Brand Research & Diagnostics
Corporate Purpose & Purpose Led Transformation
Corporate Brand Strategy
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Strategy & Advice
Culture Change & Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
Putting Purpose into Practice (PPiP)®
Brand Idea, Identity & Naming
Communications Strategy & Implementation

Project Partners

Identity Design: ET Collective
Brand Idea: Ext.77

Awards

2022 Australian Business Awards
- ABA100® Winner for Brand Management
2021 Transform Awards ANZ
- 2x GOLD: “Best internal engagement during a brand development and research project” and “Best naming strategy”
- 1x SILVER: “Best corporate rebrand strategy following a merger or acquisition”
- 1x BRONZE: “Best strategic or creative development for new brand”

Mergers and acquisitions bring all kinds of opportunities and challenges to the table, particularly when the parties involved are well established brands and the disability sector is going through massive changes. We took these challenges as an opportunity to launch an integrated brand that would champion a “person centred” approach to put the customer, and their families, at the heart of the organisation.

Blending two established NFPs

When House with No Steps (HWNS) and The Tipping Foundation decided to join forces they not only brought together a combined history of over 100 years, but also two leading organisations founded by change makers. With names that stood for so much, a merger of brands, culture, and people was always going to be a big undertaking.

The goal? A new brand that connected with customers and help to grow a strong and united organisation that could best support its valued customers for the next 50 years.

Nurturing a common culture

Defining and creating a common culture in a time of substantial change is a difficult undertaking. To succeed it was essential that the newly merged organisation had a clear purpose, brand strategy, culture, and alignment.

In-depth research, with both internal and external stakeholders, made clear the organisation needed to explore a new name and powerful purpose to help unite it, and to make sure it stayed ahead of the curve in the ever-changing NDIS environment.

Research also showed the need for extensive clarity around the offering and the culture. And so, work began on corporate purpose and brand strategy.

More than a disability service provider

The development of the purpose, values, spirit, and promise sat at the core of the brand strategy, which also guided us to develop a new name for the combined organisation: Aruma.

We developed the Putting Purpose into Practice (PPiP) implementation plan, brand behaviours, culture change strategy, toolkit, brand books, and launch plan.

Alongside our creative partners, we breathed life into the strategy with a trailblazing brand idea, and inclusive visual identity.

Aruma’s strong leadership team has seen the brand go from strength to strength, continuing to “support people to live a great life, the life they want, the life they choose”.

Aruma is a winner of four Transform Awards (ANZ).

Related Work

Nippon Paint Holdings

Cancer Council NSW

Goodman Group (Part 2)

Workwear Group

More case studies

“Brand Council has been instrumental in developing the DuluxGroup core purpose. They methodically and strategically worked across all levels of the organisation to capture – who we are; what we stand for; and why we do what we do – into a unifying core purpose ‘Imagine a Better Place’. The true test of their work is that, almost a decade later, our Core Purpose has endured, strengthened and is ingrained into the psyche at all levels of the organisation.”

Pat Houlihan | CEO & Chairman DuluxGroup, Chairman MCRI

"Brand Council have helped us clarify our brand architecture, reinvent Hard Yakka and KingGee, and provided strategic guidance on two additional brands. This has resulted in significant tangible results for our business. We enjoy working with Trudi and Peta and value their opinion and expertise."

Doug Swan | Group General Manager Workwear Group

"The key to Brand Council’s success is their process. They took the time to understand the market in which we operate, where we wanted to position the fund, and what we needed to do to reach that position. In this way, Brand Council encouraged us to discover our brand by finding and telling our own story. The most important element in Brand Council’s process is proof. They have not made any recommendations without evidence. Brand Council are genuine partners on the ‘brand journey’."

Michael Dwyer AM | Former CEO First State Super, Chairman UNHCR, Board Director

"Together they are a great team who are hands on, taking full responsibility for the work – it is rare to find an agency as experienced and professional who will actually get in and do the work at grass roots level themselves."

Alison Brink | Goodman Group GM Marketing & Communications

"The work Brand Council have done to engage staff across the agency, distil and define a clear and motivating brand purpose, and then help to communicate and inculcate that purpose internally has been invaluable."

Commissioner Paul Baxter | Fire and Rescue NSW

"Over many years, Brand Council have led three brand strategy projects for Redkite. What has been consistent throughout is a highly effective approach to brand strategy and a level of care and passion that you don’t often see. Trudi has become part of the fabric of our organisation and a trusted adviser. She puts her heart into making the Redkite brand what it needs to be so that no family faces their child’s cancer alone."

Monique Keighery | Chief Executive Officer, Redkite

"Our staff’s enthusiasm, energy and ideas have been amazing. We have a single set of Beliefs, Values and one common Purpose – and it’s all come directly from our staff."

Andrew Richardson | Aruma CEO

"Brand Council has continued to work with us in an ongoing capacity to define the purpose strategy for our individual businesses, including Selleys, B&D, Lincoln Sentry and Yates. They are a trusted advisor and provide sound counsel."

Pat Houlihan | Chairman and CEO DuluxGroup, Chairman MCRI

"I have been the leading executive on a number of engagements with Brand Council including IAG, BOQ & AIM. I subscribe to Brand Council’s philosophy that alignment between the brand message and brand experience is essential for business success. It is through their refined process that I have seen the cultural and behavioural change required to not only ensure this alignment is possible, but more importantly that it is implemented. I am pleased to endorse the people and process at Brand Council and commend them to any business looking to re-engage staff and customers."

Daniel Musson | CEO and C-suite client at BOQ, IAG & AIM

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