(C) Andrew Mason
Meet our new badger!
Exciting news! Our badger has evolved... meet the new friendly face of The Wildlife Trusts!
For over 100 years we've been standing up for precious places and the birds, bats and bees that call them home. How we look might have changed a little but our mission, to bring about land and seas rich in wildlife, remains the same.
We know that with change, sometimes there are questions too so we’ve done our best to answer some for you:
Is this a rebrand?
No, this is a refresh of our current branding. We are retaining much of the existing elements that are part of The Wildlife Trusts familiar visuals but are updating the logo and refining some of the guidance to meet our growing digital needs and to bring a sense of consistency to the branding of The Wildlife Trust movement as a whole. The need for modernisation has been highlighted through market research over the last few years, and with the launch of a new collective strategy it felt like the right time to address this.
Why did you decide to keep the badger image in the logo?
Over the past few years, consultation with membership, the wider movement, Chairs and CEOs, alongside the market research activity undertaken, all supported the decision to retain the badger as a key element of our visual identity. While this may cause some friction with specific audiences we engage with, they are in the minority. We also continue to support the conservation of badgers, by taking a pro-vaccination and anti-cull approach in response to bovine tuberculosis and would not wish to invertedly imply that we had ‘dropped our support’ of badgers.
In addition, there is demonstrable brand recognition value in retaining the badger visual and evolving the logo, rather than re-designing and relaunching The Wildlife Trusts brand identity on a national scale.
How much did this cost?
All costs associated with this update have been limited to market research, including a round of qualitative testing with two focus groups and some quantitative testing using data analysts, YouGov. Asides from the market research, costs have been internalised, with staff across the movement working collaboratively on the project within their normal working hours.
Will all Wildlife Trusts be adopting the updated logo?
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust will refresh their brand in line with the national refresh. All Wildlife Trusts are independent charities, with their own governance procedures to adhere to. Each Wildlife Trust will consider whether adoption of the updated logo and brand is appropriate for them over the coming months.