In a time when the charity sector is facing uncomfortable questions about its efficacy, Hoopo (formerly PRICE Canada) created an innovative investment model that transforms impoverished communities through the power of work.
Designed at Creative Business Company - Winner; Transform Awards 2022
Illustration - Maria Fadeeva/Turlough Fortune
A unique proposition
Recognising that poverty is a complex problem that requires more than just handouts, PRICE Canada built an innovative micro-finance investment model that creates jobs for impoverished villagers in Pakistan and delivers a healthy return to Western investors.
PRICE's program turns local villagers into very small entrepreneurs (VSE) by placing them in charge of rearing cattle until slaughter and from there the meat is sold. This pays the salaries of the farmers and provides a 13% return to investors.
Strategy
Many charities use emotional messages that highlight pain and suffering to grab attention. Our strategy was to challenge the conventions that governed the NGO / Charity sector with the belief that we could ‘solve suffering without selling suffering.’
A meaningful Mascot
In a crowded charity sector, it’s essential for small brands with a limited budget to stand out. We created a new brand mascot based on the Hoopoe - a colourful messenger bird with a distinctive crown of feathers, often seen as a symbol of hope.
Say ‘hello’ to Hoopo
PRICE’s brand name, an acronym for ‘Poverty Reduction Initiatives and Capacity Enhancement’, was overly functional, forgettable and non-evocative. To complete the brand transformation, we took inspiration from the new mascot and renamed the brand from ‘PRICE Canada’ to ‘Hoopo’ and designed a new logo.
Website
To bring the identity to life, we designed a new website that married the new brand strategy and visual identity into a single, powerful entity.
The simplified brand architecture made their website simpler to navigate and read. Value-focused messaging and clear calls to action make it easier for investors and donors to understand and support their cause.
