OneChild Brand Evolution: Repositioning for Strategic Partnership and Growth
Organization:
OneChild
Role:
Brand and Communications Director, Creative Director, and Creative Manager
Collaborative Project Leadership with:
Digital Marketing and Content Strategy Director
Creators and Collaborators:
Leadership Team, Department Stakeholders, Brand and Communications Team
Challenge
As OneChild introduced new models of global partnership—most notably the Bridgely platform—the brand needed to evolve to reflect this expanded, relationship-driven approach. Historically, communications focused on the sponsor-to-child connection, a vital and enduring story. However, we recognized the opportunity to deepen impact by highlighting collaborative partnerships that drive sustainable, community-led change.
Our existing brand framework—including messaging, tone, visuals, social media, and website structure—no longer fully supported this strategic shift. It emphasized sponsorship over collaboration and didn’t represent the growing diversity of partners, donors, and stakeholders engaging with our mission. Moving toward a decentralized model, we needed a brand strategy that embraced a more inclusive, dynamic vision—one that resonated equally with U.S. and local partners alike.
To achieve this, I collaborated closely with the Brand and Communications team, providing leadership in brand strategy, guiding project management, and fostering seamless cross-functional collaboration to create cohesive designs and visuals that reflected our evolving mission and expanded partnerships.
Sponsor–focused photography: Large, immersive photos of one child and hard places in the background was the main brand photography.
Strategy
To align the brand with OneChild’s evolving model of partnership and decentralization, we led a strategic brand evolution centered on clarity, cohesion, and connection. This process began by defining what partnership truly means within the OneChild context and determining how to communicate that meaning consistently across all channels—while honoring the foundational role of sponsorship.
I collaborated closely with the Brand and Communications team, Executive Leadership, and the Director of Digital Marketing and Content Strategy to reframe our messaging and visual identity. Together, we evaluated and updated our brand archetypes—shifting from a servant/caregiver narrative to a warrior/networker voice that better reflects our partners’ active, relational roles in advancing the global mission.
Our strategy also prioritized introducing Bridgely, a new platform that brings this vision to life. We positioned Bridgely not just as a tool, but as the embodiment of our relationship-first model—empowering Cause Communities to engage in real-time, share updates directly, and foster mutual transformation without relying solely on OneChild as intermediary. This decentralized approach increased transparency, reduced administrative layers, and enabled more funding to flow directly to Hope Centers and Child Champions.
To translate this shift into external communications, we conducted a comprehensive content audit and redesigned key website pages—including the homepage, About Us, and new landing pages for U.S. and Frontline partners. Each page was thoughtfully crafted to reflect the unique motivations of our audiences and invite meaningful collaboration. We simplified language, clarified value propositions, and incorporated new visuals and testimonials that highlight the diversity and strength of our partner relationships.
Solution
Shift the Narrative
We researched and identified two new brand archetypes, Networker and Warrior, to guide messaging direction and better engage partner and donor audiences. Messaging was repositioned to speak directly to U.S. and local partners through a dynamic partner homepage on onechild.org, complemented by partner-focused social media content. OneChild helps others expand their own vision.
New brand messaging examples:
"You have a vision for transforming communities. We share your vision, and we’d love to help you achieve it.”
"Using the free Bridgely app, OneChild partners can connect with a community of supporters committed to your vision of transformation for children in poverty."
"Imagine sharing your ministry’s impact with supporters in real time. Imagine using Bridgely to share the impact of your local efforts with a global network of supporters, amplifying your work and inspiring deeper commitment to your mission."
"Choose your path to partnership.”
Reframe the Visuals & Website Experience
Brand imagery was updated to spotlight partners in action, replacing static child-only photos with authentic stories of collaboration. We added partner testimonials, quotes, and video storytelling featuring U.S. leaders and field voices—like the Ugandan Bishops’ Partnership with OneChild video. Additionally, a new video series featuring our president was produced to share vision and explain the evolving partnership model and Bridgely platform.
Operational Alignment with Brand Strategy
Messaging was integrated across all digital channels, including landing pages tailored to each partner model, a refreshed About Us page, and a new Bridgely platform introduction. These branding updates ensured not only a cohesive design aesthetic but also a fully integrated user experience aligned with our strategic goals. The tone was refined to be concise, clear, and action-oriented—emphasizing how partnering with OneChild helps others expand their own vision.
Brand evolution moved from showing high quality photos of one child to partner-centered and relationship photos, images capturing the Bridgely app/platform in action with our partners and children, photos captured in our country Hope Centers by Child Champions during celebrations like Christmas, children verses one child moving forward to show momentum and photos highlighting our partners around the world.
Results
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18 partner form submissions within the first month of launching the new messaging and website updates—achieved without any outbound marketing or paid campaigns.
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25% increase in direct traffic and 2.8% in organic traffic in the first 3 months of the website update and a 35% increase in session times on the website to 5m 27s session times
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Website heatmap on Crazy Egg analytics showed strong top–to–bottom engagement across high–priority pages:
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Homepage
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About Us
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Frontline Partner Page
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U.S. Partner Page
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Bridgely App Page
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A 35% increase in session times on the website to 5m 27s.
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Audiences followed a clear storytelling journey across pages, reinforcing alignment between design, messaging, and user intent.
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OneChild was now perceived as a collaborative, innovative connector, building momentum with values-aligned partners.
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Lessons Learned
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A brand’s evolution starts with audience archetypes, clear messaging, a focused vision rooted in organizational change and impact.
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Brand strategy and creative operations go hand–in–hand. Systems thinking, team alignment, cross-functional collaboration, and strong creative briefs enabled the execution of a complex system and rollout.
