Tswalu is an ecotourism destination and a conservation project with ongoing research initiatives aimed towards understanding and conserving key ecosystems.

According to Tswalu, the sense of the park was vital to the brand repositioning process, but equally, uninformed perceptions about the Kalahari needed to be addressed and corrected.

HKLM's collaborative approach to addressing the change involved working closely with Tswalu stakeholders, site visits and one-on-one interviews. Since its inception as an amalgamated collection of farms, purchased by the South African Oppenheimer family, Tswalu has grown to be an example of 'conservation excellence'.

The Motse guest accommodation underwent a complete refurbishment this year, which gave opportunity for the rebranding. For this task, HKLM drew on the Oppenheimer family creed 'to leave the world better than how we found it' for the positioning.

Tswalu's brand architecture comprises the physical entity of Tswalu and the Tswalu Foundation, which exists with the aim to promote the understanding, empowerment and artistic interpretation of the Kalahari ecosystem and the wider communities which form a part of it.

According to Tswalu, the original inhabitants of the Kalahari — the San — left their mark in the form of rock carvings or petroglyphs. While their precise meaning has been lost, they were intended to communicate and record the resources of Tswalu.

"The history of the San people centres around respecting and preserving the land for future generations," says HKLM brand consultant Janeke Bouwer. "Their local relevance and important conservation message are perfectly aligned with Tswalu's purpose and speak to the timeless quality of this very special place." 

Tswalu can be translated as 'a new beginning' and this was represented by a petroglyph showing a tree. It symbolises the potential for growth and resonates the idea of Tswalu being a thriving ecosystem — a direct challenge to the notion of a desert.

This new identity has helped propel the Tswalu Foundation to the forefront of the Tswalu brand while also integrating the work of the foundation with the ecotourism offering.

The botanical theme, inspired by the new primary identity, was carried through the use of Gillian Condy artworks. Imagery similar to San artworks will be used, with colours symbolic of nature.

"We're very proud of our new logo and identity, which have reinforced the sense of ownership and renewed purpose throughout the Tswalu family," says the executive chairman of Tswalu, Arnold Meyer. He says that this new brand platform faithfully embodies all that Tswalu stands for.

As part of the broader brief, HKLM also worked on Tswalu's website, giving it a new look and improved functionality and accessibility. The agency also created guidelines for the roll-out of the new identity across all applications, and facilitated a user-friendly digital asset management system.

"The website represents an opportunity to communicate the conservation message of Tswalu to a much wider audience," says Meyer. "The new site both highlights the vastness and space of Tswalu and allows people to dig deeper into the specific research projects that underpin the entire enterprise." 

"We loved working with HKLM, and the process was made much simpler by the fact that both teams were completely aligned with a common vision and purpose," he concludes.

For more information, visit www.tswalu.com. You can also follow Tswalu on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.