We worked alongside MHC through a comprehensive brand strategy and messaging process that reflected both internal transformation and public expectation. Our process combined rigorous research with creative co-design:
Landscape Review and Stakeholder Insights
To ground the work in real-world context, we began with a landscape review – mapping public sentiment, policy context, and how mental health narratives were evolving across government and community. This was followed by in-depth interviews with key stakeholders across the Commission, including executives, clinicians, program leads, and consumer engagement teams. These conversations provided a nuanced view of organisational strengths, tensions, and ambitions.
Internal Discovery
Facilitated workshops built on this foundation, creating space for reflection and co-design. Through these sessions, we tested early narrative themes, explored lived experience perspectives, and aligned stakeholders on what the new brand needed to signal – not only to the public, but to staff, partners, and people with lived experience of mental ill-health. This collaborative process ensured the brand was not imposed but shaped from within, building both relevance and resonance.
Messaging and Narrative
Drawing on lived experience, strategic reform priorities, and staff insights, we developed a unified brand narrative that reflected MHC’s bold stance: prevention over crisis, community over hospital, care over control. This was distilled into a messaging matrix and tailored by audience.
Staff Engagement
A key challenge was bringing staff along. We developed an internal explainer document to humanise the brand strategy – breaking down the “why” of the shift and clarifying the role of every team member in shaping the brand. This internal focus helped build buy-in and culture change from the inside out.
Creative Direction and Brand Audit
We reviewed the existing visual identity and provided practical recommendations to increase accessibility, warmth, and alignment to the new strategy. Subtle shifts to colour, typography, image styles and layout were paired with messaging guidelines to support consistent rollout.
