How Girlguiding used branding to change perceptions

Girlguiding launched in 1909 as a girls’ version of the Boy Scout movement. It has come a long way since then and today it is the UK’s largest female-only youth organisation, offering a range of activities and events.

It is also a now prominent lobbying organisation to support female issues, ranging from body image to mental health.

But in recent years its image has failed to keep up with its changing role and in 2021 it was rocked by the findings of a diversity of inclusion audit that included the views of more than 200 people within its organisation, including girls, parents, staff, and volunteers.

This found it was blighted by the sort of racism and discrimination that sadly would have been commonplace when the charity was formed and has no place in a modern organisation.

Girls from marginalised communities were being excluded based on race, religion, disability, and sexuality, this audit found.

“Participants reported a lack of diversity at all levels of the organisation, but particularly in senior leadership,” it added. “Marginalised participants said that there is a lack of inclusive decision-making and that their voices are often unheard.”

Action has been pledged through a strategic plan for diversity and inclusion.

Since then, further action has been taken to modernise, through a refresh of the charity’s branding and a visible focus on inclusion. Here we look at the action taken.

Rebrand

In 2023, Girlguiding launched its largest rebrand in its long history to tackle “outdated perceptions” of the charity. The charity started developing a brand refresh as far back as 2018 and, in 2021, it hired branding agency Landor & Fitch to carry out the work.

Also involved have been media agency VCCP Media and creative agency Seven Communications to handle the PR side of the rebrand.

The key of the rebrand is to increase its appeal among girls in the UK, attract new volunteers, and present it “as a modern and dynamic youth organisation that equips girls for the future and gives then a safe space”.

The charity’s Director of Communications, Marketing and Fundraising, Amanda Azeez, adds: “We’ve been creating unforgettable, empowering experiences for girls for over a century.

“To enable us to continue in our mission and reach even more girls and volunteers, we needed to look at how we’ve evolved over this time and address outdated perceptions holding us back.”

The rebrand has seen the Girlguiding’s trefoil logo retained and updated and its age sections, Brownies, Guides, Rainbows, and Rangers, given distinct identities within the brand.

A suite of icons have been developed for each of these sections and a new colour palette “to showcase modernity and vibrancy, while building strong variation between the Girlguiding sections”, says the charity.

Research showed that among those groups only Brownies had strong awareness, among 80% of people. Meanwhile, only a third knew of the Rangers groups for 14- to 18-year-olds.

When surveyed, 83% of volunteers and 75% of parents and children said they preferred the new designs. In addition, around half of girls said they would be more likely to join after seeing the new designs. 

Inclusion campaigns

Girlguiding has also been actively promoting its focus on inclusion by championing diversity among girls it is supporting locally.

This has included showcasing its autistic recruits in March 2023 to coincide with Neuro Diversity Celebration Week. This included Abbie who earned a campaigning badge for her work to help children on the autistic spectrum.

In addition, it has been promoting its work to offer support to girls and women from Ukraine living in the UK after fleeing their war-torn country.

It aims to support 300 people from Ukraine, including girls signing up for the Brownies and other groups, as well as women to train as volunteers.

This is being funded through a grant from the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGS) and will see local units offered £100 per recruit from Ukraine. This will help cover the cost of uniform and membership fees as well as any costs translating documents.

“We want to ensure that Ukrainian girls arriving in the UK can join Girlguiding, and that they’re given a warm welcome into the community,” said Girlguiding International Commissioner Emma Guthrie.

“The grant we’ve received from WAGGGS in response to the emergency crisis caused by war in Ukraine will help leaders to do just that.

We want Girlguiding to be a place where everyone is welcome and free to be themselves, whoever they are and wherever they’re from.”