As Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) reaches its 50th year, RDA has decided to carry out research into the brand, to determine whether it fully reflects the organisation as it is today.

For several years, throughout the whole organisation, the strength of the RDA brand has been under discussion. This research will allow the whole of the RDA community to share their views on the effectiveness of the brand. It aims to answer whether there are limitations and benefits of the existing brand, and its effectiveness in unifying the whole RDA community.

The research will be being collected and delivered by The Frameworks, an independent design consultancy with a strong track record in brand development. They will be carrying out a combination of one-to-one interviews, focus groups and an online questionnaire, with a view to collecting as much feedback as possible from the whole organisation.

Ben Bush, Head of Strategy at The Frameworks, who will be conducting the research said, “Great brands are built by people, not assembled from logos and straplines. So our first job in a brand consultancy project is to speak to the people who bring the brand to life. We need to understand how closely their experiences, the way they communicate and the environments they create match the overall vision of the organisation, in this case enriching lives through horses. Only through this kind of research can we hope to make meaningful recommendations on how the brand can be most effectively understood and valued by future generations of RDA participants, volunteers and supporters.”

With a new Board Chair, Sarah Heynen, joining RDA in April, the Board decided the time is right to gain a clear understanding of current perceptions about the brand among stakeholders.

Ed Bracher, Chief Executive of RDA UK, said: “We think this is the right time to shine a new light on how RDA communicates its vision and values through its brand and for us to understand what it really means for our volunteers and participants to be part of RDA. We want as many people as possible to have their say and take part.”

The online questionnaire opens in April.