In September 2021, Elklan updated the company logo for the first time in 10 years. The change saw the traditional Elklan elk replaced by an adult supporting a child. The reasoning behind this transition was the need to strike an immediate impression on Elklan’s customers. For those discovering the company for the first time, Elklan’s purpose and vision were not matched by the elk. The adult holding the hand of the child, as the child reaches up into the sky, reinforces the company’s core vision in enhancing the life chances of children; good communication makes happy children. This vision is immediately conveyed in the new logo.

Whilst the logo was updated, the strapline, ‘Aiming High with Communication’, remained the same. A strapline plays a vital role in introducing the brand to potential customers, so we decided this strapline is too vague. Any potential strapline must be concise, engaging and informative, allowing the customer to gain an understanding of what the brand provides.

There are two types of straplines:

• Literal Straplines
• Aspirational Straplines

Literal straplines are traditionally suited to companies where the customer is not the direct consumer of the product. In this instance, the purchaser is looking for a product that suits the needs of their business, not themselves. A literal strapline fits the bill as it is very much a ‘does what it says on the tin’ approach. This is often used in business to business (B2B) companies.

Aspirational straplines are mostly used for companies where the customer is the direct consumer of the product. The emphasis is on the purchaser becoming empowered by the brand. Classic examples of aspirational straplines are Nike: ‘Just Do It’ and Redbull: ‘Gives you wings’. This is often used in business to consumer (B2C) companies.

When it comes to Elklan, as a B2B model, the aspirational strapline ‘Aiming High with Communication’ needed some attention. Working through the truths of Elklan as a company we needed a literal strapline that informed potential customers of what Elklan represents as a brand and informed them of the nature of the services that we provide.

Elklan’s main two truths as a company are:

• Children
• Speech and language therapy

Needing to cover these two truths in the new literal strapline, we have chosen ‘Training to Support Children’s Language and Learning’. This strapline perfectly summarises the services Elklan provides as a company. It is concise, engaging and informative. We are very happy with it and we hope you are too.