Helia Collaborative

CONTEXT

We all see it, some may feel it too: The ongoing feminist backlash is strong, democratic backsliding is happening all over, and human rights are under pressure globally. Those working around the world to strengthen democracy, social justice, and human rights need all the support they can get. That’s where Helia Collaborative, a newly founded Geneva-based intermediary organisation, comes in. Their mission: to connect changemakers with the safe, secure resources they need to build a better world. When they first contacted us, they hadn’t yet launched – but they knew that
in today’s world, without strong branding and a solid comms strategy, it’s almost impossible to get noticed. And what would make things even better: a narrative
that keeps it all together.

OUR SOLUTION

Did anyone say purpose-driven communications can’t be visually engaging – and hopeful? We don’t think so. On the contrary: we believe it must be. It should reflect both the courage that this work requires and the vision that it embodies.

For Helia, we developed a narrative that captures their essence. Together with Effete, we built an identity centred on warmth and human hope – anchored entirely in Helia’s core guiding concept: “We’re the light the cracks let through.” From there, we developed their communications strategy, narrative, and digital presence. We launched their social media accounts on LinkedIn and Instagram and managed them for two months. Always keeping in mind that your narrative is not only your overarching story. It’s the images you choose to illustrate your article, the colours on your website, the language you use in your blog and captions. Your narrative is your work in action and the emotion that follows.

IMPACT

A branding with a logo and a website that “makes me feel happy every time I look at it”, Helia’s co-founder and Executive Director Medina Haeri tells us. A 100% organic engagement rate of more than 25% against a 5% industry average on LinkedIn, reaching thousands of people and gaining hundreds of followers in less than two months after launch, resulting in increased visibility and exchanges with relevant partners. The outcome speaks for itself: a strong visual identity and a narrative that centers the human, that centers what’s possible rather than what’s not, resonates, no matter how difficult the context. So what should, and can, purpose-driven work look and sound like? It’s pretty clear to us: Bold like your vision, hopeful like your mission, and courageous like the work that you do.