Brand By Youth Concern
Youth Concern came to Brand by Me to build a brand that put young people at the centre of who they are and what they stand for.
Summary
Youth Concern came to us needing more than just a visual refresh. As a charity who work with young people from 13-25 facing the toughest of challenges, they had to create a brand that authentically represented the young people they work with while bringing together a breadth of internal and external stakeholders - from staff and trustees to donors and young people. The real challenge? Making sure the voices of young people weren't just heard, but genuinely acted upon, even when their preferences differed from what the charity might expect (or want!).
Who Led The Project
Collette
Category
Consulting
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Audit
We knew this project needed young people at its heart from day one. Our truly inclusive approach meant getting everyone involved. We started by truly understanding Youth Concern through a 60-minute listening session with their youth panel, stakeholder interviews, and a comprehensive audit of their existing communications. We even ran a quick brand perception survey to get the full picture.
Explore
This had to be a collaborative process. Through facilitated brand framework workshops and strategy sessions, we brought together youth panel members, staff, trustees, and volunteers. Everyone had a voice in shaping the new identity.
Create
To put young people at the heart of this brief, we had to think creatively. We partnered with Bucks New University to run a design competition with BA Graphic Design students, judged by representatives from Youth Concern staff and their Youth Panel as well as Collette and Thad from Brand by Me. Real briefs, real clients, real impact - giving students the chance to work on something meaningful, bringing fresh energy to the project, with young people working on the brief and judging the work.
Embed
"Before we’ve even launched, Brand by Me's work has strengthened Youth Concern as a charity," says Hannah CEO of Youth Concern. "We've had huge ownership from young people involved in thinking about the brand, and it's strengthened our team too. It has given everyone a sense of ownership and a sense of pride."
Evaluate
Here's what really gets us excited - the process itself created lasting change:
Young people gained genuine ownership of their charity's brand
Staff who'd never felt the brand was relevant to their role became actively engaged
The organisation learned to truly listen to young people’s voices, even when challenging
A student designer got real-world experience and confidence in her abilities
OUR insight
“This wasn't just about creating a new logo. It was about building a brand with genuine ownership from the people who matter most. Youth Concern launches their new brand on October 2nd, but the real impact started months ago when young people began shaping the charity's future. And that makes me really proud.”
Collette
"Brand by Me brings critical thinking to the whole process, and they also bring a lot of enthusiasm. We have a result that we really didn't think we could achieve, and the whole process was really enjoyable. We wouldn't be in the position that we are right now if we had used different agency or even tried to do this ourselves. If you are thinking about using Brand by Me for your brand work, don't hesitate. "
Kate Weir, Communications and Marketing Manager, Youth Concern
Recognising and addressing how your brand upholds systems of oppression helps drive social justice. We can show you how.
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