The Importance of Brand Management in Fulfilling Reconciliation Action Plans

In my line of work, in the design and communications world, I often get the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP Plan) group coming to me at the end of the document's journey. The work of the back and forth between teams, First Nations consultants, Reconciliation Australia staff, and your organisation's marketing department has been through the toughest parts: consultation, review, refinement, and now, it's ready to launch.

I often meet with clients who look like they've just ran a marathon. Tired, but also proud. And then, in that moment of briefing the design, they're re-energised. The excitement builds again as we begin designing the document, laying in artwork, visualising the message, and preparing the launch materials.

My first design of a RAP Plan and its suite of materials was in 2010, for the University of Canberra. I've been designing Reconciliation Action Plans for nearly 15 years now. Over this time, I've come to understand that this work is not just about documents - it's about where you place this document in your branding.

Designing a company's RAP Plan is more than making a document look professional, reflective of walking together and or making a document "look pretty with Indigenous artwork". It's about giving visual life to a commitment within a company's brand and vision. It's about placing your commitment to building Indigenous people back up to where we belong. When I approach a RAP Plan design, I'm thinking deeply about Country, cultural symbols, story systems, and the story of commitment and values a company's staff have spoken about when it comes to how they look at this piece of work.

We know not every commitment a company makes to reconciliation is delivered, but what about those who do, or staff who could be inspired to work more towards the action in a RAP Plan, not just staff highlighting NAIDOC WEEK, Reconciliation Week, Acknowledgement of Country or significant Indigenous days.

We understand that a robust communications and marketing strategy can enhance your RAP Plan efforts. Our services encompass a range of offerings, tailored to have the cultural lens and design style needed to help communicate your RAP Plan impact! Creating communications and design strategies for your RAP Plan is a chance to foster internal reflection on the company's values, relationships, and responsibilities regarding how your company is engaging in the action of Reconciliation with First Nations peoples. This can start with communicating your RAP Plan actions and successes internally and externally within your company through various communication means and channels. Want to talk through it? Contact Wojamin Creative today.