Berryman Ball to rename charity

Charity Sue Ryder is to get a new corporate identity, including a new name, created by Berryman Ball. The change marks a bid to gain higher recognition in the increasingly competitive charities sector.

The Berkshire consultancy beat three other consultancies, believed to include FutureBrand, in a pitch to win the job.

The project will include developing a new identity, naming, research, consultancy, design and implementation, plus the development of a retail proposal for the charity’s 500 shops.

Berryman Ball’s proposals will be presented to the charity in June, with a public launch scheduled for September.

Berryman Ball marketing director Graham Jerome-Ball says the new name will be “evolutionary, not revolutionary”. The change has been brought about by a recognition that although there is high public awareness of the Sue Ryder charity, few know what it actually collects money for.

Research so far has shown that many people think it runs residential homes for the elderly, whereas it actually provides palliative care. “It needs a huge awareness campaign,” says Jerome-Ball.

Among charities, only Oxfam has more UK shops than Sue Ryder. A rationalisation project is underway to ensure that only those with longer leases are kept, as the short leases often used by charity shops have proved uneconomic.

A modular approach will be used for the new store design, to allow adaptation to the varied stores in the portfolio as well as to keep down costs, says Jerome-Ball.