Story: Milo

Foundation Milo helps people who cannot or can hardly speak, and everyone around them. Treatment, training and research under one roof; that's the strength. From the outside, that strength had fallen apart into three departments, three logos and a brand story that hadn't kept up. How do you make one recognisable Milo of it again?

TL;DR

Foundation Milo, the Netherlands' national centre of expertise in Augmentative and Alternative Communication, asked for a recalibration of brand story and brand architecture.
With the 23plusone method we built a renewed brand story in 2025: one purpose, three pillars, one proposition.
The aim: one Milo logo for three departments, and a story that eighty colleagues recognise as their own work.

One Milo, for everyone who doesn't speak by default

Foundation Milo is the Netherlands' national centre of expertise in Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Treatment, training and research for people with complex communication needs, and for everyone around them. Clinical practice and science under one roof; that's the strength. From the outside, that strength had become hard to read. Three departments, three logos, three colour systems. A corporate logo that had drifted out of view over time. A brand story that no longer did its work justice. And a team that had just launched a beautiful new website and repainted the building; understandably not eager for a major renovation.

In 2025 we took Milo on board as a pro bono project. Some initiatives are simply too important to scale down to budget. Milo is one of them. The project ran from 2025 through 2026, with the Milo-day on 1 April 2026 as the turning point where the story moved from think tank to organisation.

Starting small, thinking sharp

We started compact. The founder, the managing director and Milo's marketers at the table, joined by several experts from The 23plusone Collective. No broad kick-off, but a focused think tank that could lift the brand story. With the 23plusone method we tested which of the 24 fundamental drivers pulled hardest at Milo. Belonging, of course. Curiosity, stronger than expected; at Milo science and playfulness run through each other. And one that turned out to carry more than anyone had estimated: love of people. Not as a slogan, as a way of working. Out of that came a renewed brand story with a clear purpose, three pillars and a proposition that the work finally fits into again.

Purpose: everyone must be able to communicate; every person counts.
Pillar 1, Growing through connection: development starts with real contact.
Pillar 2, Discovering together what works: practice and science learn from each other.
Pillar 3, Leading in augmentative communication: sharing and passing on knowledge, nationally.
Proposition: Together we are Milo.

A Milo-day, not a presentation

Instead of handing the story to the organisation, we put it into the hands of the organisation. First the management team, to chew on it properly. Then eighty employees, in twenty groups of four. Each team interpreted a paragraph of the brand story with three 23plusone cards and placed them next to the original cards on which the text had been built. A quick, concrete check on tone and intent. What stood out was not only the feedback. It was the ownership. The story now belonged to many people.

Brand portfolio and architecture for an NGO: one brand, unless...

Next to the story, the portfolio question was on the table. Treatment, Academy, Science & Innovation; each with its own logo and colour scheme. From the One Brand, Unless… doctrine the answer was clear: no strong reason to split off. One Milo logo, with the department names as a subtitle. Less noise, more Milo. Easier to maintain, easier to explain, more honest about how the work actually fits together. The visual identity follows the story, not the other way around.

If the work itself is right, the brand only needs to become readable.

What it delivered

A renewed brand story, tested and sharpened by eighty colleagues.
One brand architecture instead of three separate identities.
A visual direction that builds on what was already there, no expensive restart.
A team that doesn't only know the story, but recognises it.

Frequently asked questions

What is One Brand, Unless…?

It's the portfolio doctrine of BR-ND People: by default treat your organisation as one brand, unless there is a clear strategic reason to split off. At Milo that reason wasn't there, so it became one Milo logo with departments as a subtitle.

How does the 23plusone method work?

The 23plusone method measures brands along 24 universal drivers. For Milo we tested which drivers pulled hardest at the brand, both inside and outside the organisation. Read more about the 23plusone method.

Why a pro bono project for Milo?

Some initiatives deserve brand strategy at top level, even when the budget isn't there. Foundation Milo works for people who, without support, cannot or can hardly communicate; work we want to strengthen wholeheartedly. More about Foundation Milo: stichtingmilo.nl.

An organisation where the work is right, but the brand no longer breathes with it?

If your organisation stands strong on the inside, but on the outside falls apart into separate logos and separate promises: there is a way to make it one again without turning everything upside down. Let's talk about it.

Get in touch with Kim or Alexander if you're looking for something similar