TUNAPANDA REBRANDING JOURNEY

Since 2014, Tunapanda has been in existence and close to the heart of many people in the community under the leadership of Mick Larson and Jay Larson. Since then, it has played a very critical role in the community and this is clearly demonstrated by the contribution of its graduates in the field of Tech, Design and Business.

Over the last three years, our trainers and trainees have always associated Tunapanda with quality that is recognised regionally. The current economic change and development has created stiff global competition. This requires great commitment to providing competitive graduates who are well prepared and ready to solve problems in the community and operate in the diverse environments and in the job market.

To fulfill the aspirations of vision 2030 and the SDGs, calls for continued supply of community problem solvers who are dynamic and globally competitive. The evolving generation has new and unmet demands. The quick evolution of Technology is affecting many organisations/firms/companies or individual career path. Everything is going digital/online. This calls for quick adoption of Technology skills or re-branding.

It became clear that the communication of the Tunapanda brand was so confusing especially in the side of student application and client services through our website. The action to acquire clients through our website was a challenge. Thus a reason to rebrand with a new look and feel. We realised that changing the logo and the name of the organisation would not have much impact and the brand itself was not engaging.

Next was a deep thought. A thought of rebranding in an effort to match our shifting identity.

Rebranding journey

We finally thought of embarking on our strategic plan review and involve creative experts and strategic thinkers.

Thanks to Eunice Nyandat, Noreen Kemboi and Eric Nyandat for giving Tunapanda a hand to have a new look. It was a time we really needed a change. A time we needed something that could scale and perform.

The rebranding welcomes the opportunity time to shape the strategic direction and repositioning of Tunapanda in the community and in the nation.

Rebranding is a journey, not a one stage event. It involves so many activities that shifts towards better quality service deliveries.

Our brand mark conveys energy, growth and vitality which shows lively bright future. The tree is drawn and written as a tree with trunk, branches and green leaves to say that we are all about the tree; the soil, trunk and our connections as individual with the branches and leaves.

The energetic and powerful green colour is our lively bright future. We are innovative tech, design and business organisation, and we pride ourselves on being the forefront of modern technologies and trends.

We have maintained the older name and logo. It is the name that we are proud of. “Tunapanda” is a swahili word meaning “we are growing.” Indeed we are growing starting from germination, to growing and mature.

Phase 1

Started with brainstorming our identity and ideas. Thanks to Melchizedek (“Mirasi”) who boldly came out with the rebranding idea. This will help Tunapanda to rebuild the image and the feeling in the community.

Credits to Eunice Nyandat and Noreen Likimani

It began with identifying our brand equity and valuation. We realized that our customer satisfaction and loyalty was below average. This called for adjustments on various areas:

• Slogan — The identified slogans included:

We train, We produce, We empower.

We find, we focus, we empower.

• Value: Our values includes:

a) Responsibility. We operate openly and transparently to each others & the world.

b) Collaboration. We work together to transcend boundaries.

c) Innovation. We create value through continuous innovation.

d) Respect. We respect each person as an individual.

e) Growth mindset. Always learning. Always teaching. Together.

• Vision - Train young people in practical tech, design and business skills so that they can become lifelong learners, earners and problem solvers.
• Testimonial videos edited and compiled and are readily available on our website.
• The google survey forms to be filled and compiled for future reference on what people say about Tunapanda: the alumni, the surrounding people, volunteers, trainers etc
• Rebranding curriculum- This was to ensure the right procedure towards rebranding journey.
• Social media audits- this aimed to ensure strong online presence. It involved Facebook, Twitter, instagram and Youtube
• Website rebranding- to increase customer engagement and conversion.
• Brand book- Which reveals our inside details, goals and marketing techniques.
• Organisation profile — for introducing our services to our audience.
• Soft launching- a preview release of new changes and upgrade to Tunapanda team as a whole.
• Hard launching- aims to create greater attention on our services, new changes and upgrade to Tunapanda team, the surrounding people, alumni, visitors and any interested person.

Phase 2

a) Research

A research was conducted on our organisation and clients. This was to give us insight into our new clients and the existing ones. Our pillar, Produced by Tunapanda, has a main purpose of enabling team members to support themselves and the organization by applying and developing skills while solving problems for clients and partners.

This was our great opportunity to gather additional information on our market and competitors. As a non-profit organisation it is not a matter of competing with organisation or profit making organisations but to protect grant proposal from being turned down to another non-profit organisation that is our competitor.

The main objectives being:

i) Position ourselves as local experts/guides

ii) Have a better understanding of our competition, market needs and trends

iii) Provide more services to clients

We are targeting a wider market share by understanding who we are and how we are perceived in the market.

b) Brand personality

This is a balance between whom we are and whom we want to be (a new look). We learned how others viewed us. We pinpointed our current brand traits that we needed to work on or improve. Then we focused on the new traits we wanted to develop/advance further.

c) Brand identity

This is the most part that needed great attention. It involved the rebranding strategy and shared roles/work that every team member was participating in to communicate our brand which is our reputation in the community a new look that gives a redefined promise”. Our brand is our people, customers, the language we use on our website and the footprints we leave on the front door.

d) Website and online presence

We considered this as a strongest communication tools for sharing our stories with funders, Volunteers, partners, clients, trainees, media and the public.

Credits to Filippo Scorza for your devotion in giving a hand to the new look of our website. We are proud that our website is now the anchor of our online Presence: the social media, blog, videos etc.

Thanks to Lighare Dennis and Maureen Moraa for your determination working hand in hand with Filippo to ensure a new face of our website.

Much credits to Brian Mwevi, Jason Tong and Wenslas Ahura for the support to complete the website.

e) Marketing Collateral

We audited our current website to identify the existing market collateral by evaluating what needed to be updated, deleted or added for effective communication of our new brand, Programs and services.

First we considered invoices, letterheads and brand book. Other tools that we may need for our brand communication will be worked on later.

Phase 3

a) Ongoing plans

This is our strategy to promote and strengthen our new brand:

I)Soft launch

Aimed at updating the Tunapanda team on the current upgrading of our brand.

II)Hard launch

The budget was needed strongly to take us through the event. It was a process and a long journey.

b) Rebranding and Marketing team

Thanks to Faith Khavere, Josephine Lukas, Melchizedek Mirasi, Dennis Lighare ,Maureen Moraa, Jacky Kimani, Brian Mwevi, Wenslas Ahura and Jason tong for your hard work and commitment to give Tunapanda a new look.

We appreciate the Tunapanda charter at large and the co-founders (Mick Larson and Jay Larson) for the opportunity to change our society into a better place.