Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance - Strategic branding, high-level advocacy

As we worked on this high-profile rebranding project, we leveraged our expertise in branding and public sector engagement to transform APLMA’s identity. We collaborated closely with Dr. Sarthak Das and consulted with high-level leaders from Standard Chartered Global, The Global Fund, and The WHO. Our responsibilities included redefining APLMA’s visual and digital presence to reflect their elevated status on the global stage, ensuring their brand matched the prestige of the tables they now sit at.

This project honed our skills in strategic design, high-level consultation, and complex branding for influential public sector organizations. In addition to the core branding work, we facilitated workshops with the entire APLMA secretariat to build agile prioritization frameworks, crucial for their operations. This involved preparations for the Leader's Summit in Papua New Guinea, a significant event reaffirmed by Prime Minister James Marape.

Through these efforts, we ensured APLMA was not just a participant but a leading voice in global malaria elimination initiatives. This experience further solidified our ability to lead large-scale projects that require both strategic foresight and adaptive execution in high-pressure environments.

1. Internal Stakeholder Workshops

Understanding the Brand from Within

The first step in rebranding APLMA was to understand how the organization perceived itself. We conducted a series of internal workshops with APLMA's secretariat, involving key team members in discussions about the brand’s current identity, values, and aspirations. These workshops were crucial in uncovering the internal perception of the brand and identifying areas for improvement. The workshops revealed that while the team was proud of APLMA's achievements, they felt the brand did not fully capture the organization's leadership and influence in the global health arena.

Key Insights:

• The brand was seen as too utilitarian and not reflective of APLMA's global influence.
• There was a desire for a more prestigious and authoritative brand image.
• The internal team valued the brand's mission but wanted it to resonate more strongly with external stakeholders.

2. External Stakeholders Survey

Gaining Insights from High-Level Stakeholders

Understanding how external stakeholders perceived APLMA was just as important. We surveyed key figures from organizations such as the WHO, The Global Fund, and Standard Chartered. These high-level stakeholders play a significant role in supporting APLMA's mission, so their perception of the brand was critical. The survey aimed to capture their views on APLMA's current brand, its strengths, and areas where it could improve.

Key Insights:

• External stakeholders recognized APLMA’s important role but felt the brand lacked the gravitas of a leading global organization.
• There was a consensus that APLMA’s brand needed to be more reflective of its leadership position and high-level collaborations.
• The brand narrative needed to better communicate APLMA’s achievements and strategic importance.

3. DotDesign Internal Synthesis

Bringing It All Together

With insights from both internal and external stakeholders, the DotDesign team synthesized the feedback to create a unified vision for APLMA’s new brand. We identified common themes, such as the need for a more prestigious and authoritative brand image, and discrepancies that needed to be addressed, such as the internal team's underestimation of the brand's impact on external perceptions.

Key Outcomes:

• A clear understanding of APLMA’s brand identity and its strengths and weaknesses.
• A strategic direction that would elevate APLMA’s brand to reflect its global influence.
• A foundation for developing a brand narrative and visual identity that would resonate with all stakeholders.

4. Problem Formulation and Concept Exploration

Defining the Challenge

Based on our synthesis, we formulated the core problem: APLMA’s brand needed to evolve from a functional identity to one that reflected its stature and influence in global health. We explored various concepts, benchmarking against similar organizations in the global health sector, to identify the best approach for APLMA’s rebrand. This phase involved extensive brainstorming and iteration, with concepts ranging from conservative updates to bold reimaginings of the brand.

Key Developments:

• A well-defined problem statement centered on elevating APLMA’s brand to match its global role.
• Exploration of multiple branding concepts, each addressing different aspects of the problem.
• Benchmarking against organizations like the WHO and The Global Fund to ensure APLMA’s brand would stand out in the global health landscape.

5. Crafting the Brand Narrative and Visual Direction

Building the New Identity

With the problem clearly defined and concepts explored, we moved on to crafting APLMA’s new brand narrative. This narrative needed to capture the organization’s mission, its strategic importance, and its leadership in the fight against malaria. The visual direction followed, with a focus on creating a prestigious and authoritative identity that would resonate on a global scale. This phase involved close collaboration with APLMA’s secretariat to ensure the narrative and visuals were aligned with the organization’s goals.

Key Outputs:

• A compelling brand narrative that clearly communicated APLMA’s mission and influence.
• A new visual identity, including a logo and visual system, that reflected APLMA’s elevated status.
• Ongoing feedback loops with APLMA’s team to refine the narrative and visuals, ensuring they met all stakeholders' expectations.

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In addition to the rebranding efforts, we were tasked with designing a new website that would reflect APLMA’s enhanced brand identity and serve as a powerful tool for their mission. The website was developed to be interactive, user-friendly, and mobile-responsive, ensuring accessibility across all devices. We incorporated a dynamic content management system (CMS) to allow APLMA’s team to easily update content and maintain the site without needing specialized technical skills.

To further support APLMA’s operations, we created a comprehensive asset library. This library includes all brand assets—logos, supergraphics, templates, and more—organized for easy access by the team and their partners. The asset library ensures consistency across all communications and makes it easier for APLMA to maintain their brand integrity across various platforms.

Key Features:

• Interactive Website: Designed with a focus on user experience, the website features a clean, modern design that aligns with APLMA’s new brand identity. It’s fully responsive and optimized for all devices, ensuring accessibility for all users.
• Dynamic CMS: The CMS allows APLMA to manage and update content seamlessly, empowering the team to keep the website current without needing to engage developers for routine updates.
• Asset Library: A well-organized digital repository of all brand assets, making it simple for APLMA’s team and partners to access and use the materials they need to maintain brand consistency.

Impact:The new website and asset library have significantly elevated APLMA’s digital presence. The website now serves as a central hub for stakeholders to access critical information, stay informed about APLMA’s initiatives, and engage with the organization. The asset library has streamlined APLMA’s internal processes, ensuring that all communications are on-brand and aligned with the organization’s goals.

This digital transformation, combined with the rebranding efforts, has positioned APLMA as a leading voice in the global fight against malaria, with a brand and online presence that reflects their commitment and influence on a global stage.

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