What’s in a name?

It’s the first thing that creates identity. It’s a doorway, a hook, the readiest of reference points. For an organisation, it creates recognition and affects how it’s perceived. A name carries meaning and influence. There’s an argument that what something is called is arbitrary – ‘a rose by any other name’ – compared to its intrinsic values: ideally, a name goes hand in hand with what an organisation does, what it stands for.  

A 2022 consultation identified strong backing to move on from 25 years of ‘Friends of the Award’ whilst, crucially, staying true to its values. Why change? A singular reference to ‘the Award’ no longer represents the breadth of opportunities supported. Abbreviation to ‘FOTA’ has diluted a sense of identity. Even long-term associates are surprised that ‘FOTA’ is a charity in its own right, thinking it’s an offshoot of Duke of Edinburgh’s Award/City of Edinburgh Council/Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (delete as appropriate).  

Contexts have changed, too. There’s a refreshed, progressive approach to nature-based youth awards promoted in Scotland; the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (and others) encourage awards interaction and integration – cross-pollination, if you will; and the direction of travel, strongly advocated by Scotland’s Awards Network and the Hayward Review, is for increasing recognition across a spectrum of youth awards. 

How did we re-brand? Selection for the prestigious ‘Brand for Growth’ programme in 2022 gave a timely consultancy and design exercise to create a new name and visual identity. Working closely with Bold Studio identified key themes to capture – Inclusive, Down to earth, Individual, Adventurous – with ‘Awards Plus’, a logo and a new look emerging from (not so) heated debate, consideration and reflection.