Tavana – ordinary life gave direction to a new brand

The goal was to renew the Aspa Group entity so that the Aspa Foundation and Aspa Services (Aspa Palvelut Oy) would each have their own clear brands, identities, and communication roles.

– As part of this overall picture, we also examined a possible name change for Aspa Services, says Noora Viitanen, Communications and Marketing Director of the Aspa Group.

According to Viitanen, Blink Helsinki made an impression with their professional, humane, and insight-seeking approach, which resulted in Aspa Services' core mission being articulated in a new way. Through a series of staff-participatory workshops, a common insight emerged – that ordinary everyday life can be special when life isn't otherwise flowing in quite ordinary channels.

– The message is clearly simple. Blink understood the societal significance of our operations and they wanted to find a brand that isn't just visual, but meaningful. We appreciated that they knew how to listen, ask the right questions, and challenge constructively.

– The process proceeded clearly, professionally, and Blink kept the whole picture well under control. Communication was open, flexible, and we were able to seek solutions together from different perspectives.

In one workshop, we noticed that in communications for special needs groups, something extraordinarily good is often promised, when actually the need is for that quite ordinary everyday life. Ordinariness and everything it represents grew into the brand's strong and distinctive core.

The end result met the objectives – the new name Tavana and visual identity adapt to many needs. In Finnish, "Tavana" is a clever play on the word "tavallinen," which means "ordinary" or "common." The brand name captures both the insight about the value of ordinary everyday life and transforms it into something memorable and ownable – it's simultaneously familiar and distinctive, perfectly reflecting the organization's mission to help people live normal, independent lives. Despite the change, we maintained the important connection between the Aspa Foundation and Tavana.

– The visual appearance is high quality and works across multiple channels. Blink is a reliable partner who truly knows how to listen and work together with the client. They are particularly strong in visual branding, crystallizing insights, and process management. I can warmly recommend Blink for similar brand renewals," says Noora Viitanen.