Why the change? RO.com Rebranding.

Interview with an Inspire Staff member on the rebrand:

1.What was the purpose of the change, why was a new logo needed?
- The old ReachOut logo has been around for 10 years. Since ReachOut was first created, this old logo has been the only one that has been used. As times have changed, so has our need for a new, fresh logo. The idea behind the new logo was to freshen up the brand, without compromising it.

2. What were the ideas/intentions given for the new logo?
- The idea was to keep it simple - and to create it so it could be used in various contexts (i.e: It would suit most other brands in instances where we were co-branding) It was also created so it could be easily adjusted and added to.
For example http://www.reachoutpro.com.au/ uses the RO band logo, but has something added to it - the Reach Out is still recognisable to people who have seen it before, This was impossible with our last logo.

3. Who was the designer?
- At this point, the designer is unkown, but a point to add is that for the design itself, Young People were a huge part of the outcome. Young People were consulted on what they liked/disliked, and what they thought it should look like. This follows the general ways of Inspire, that Young People play a vital role in the direction and blank of Inspire.

4. Was the change necessary, and why?
Yeah, the change was really necessary because of how outdated it was. As times have changed, the old logo just wasn’t 'cutting it'. A new logo was necessary so that it would appeal to Young People visually, plus it would need to be recognised over different areas. Such as RO itself and RO Pro.

5. What impact would the change have on the site?
The new logo came into effect when the new site launched in 09, and it impacted greatly. More Young People were visiting the site and logging in to the forums. The new logo was like that ‘familiar face’, it was friendly and welcoming, and it attracted people to the site, which in turn, meant more Young People ideally were able to read the fact sheets etc and hopefully get some help, or at least better understand what they were going through, and that they were not alone.

6. Do you believe the change was successful? If so, why? If not, what could
have been done differently?
- I believe it was successful. It has done what we designed it to do - it stands out on multi-branded signage (eg: at gigs, fundraisers etc) and has been a great base for designs to be added to. Research has also showed that it has a high recognition rate among young people.

Interviewee: Nikki Thomas the Youth Involvement Manager at Inspire.