What is the difference between having a mission and being on a mission?

Brigid McMullen, founder and director at Workroom, discusses her agency’s project with Norwex, which won the ‘Best Overall Visual Identity’ trophy at the Transform Awards Europe.

Most organisations have a mission these days.

Very few bring it to life in a way that people understand, let alone believe in and live it intentionally every day.

That difference between having something written down and genuinely living it was at the heart of a recent major rebranding project.

Norwex, a Norwegian family-owned global direct-sales company, was founded on the belief that reducing harmful chemicals in our homes, improves the quality of life. For over 30 years, they have expanded their network of committed consultants, who are responsible for boosting sales in homes worldwide.

But as the business expanded, so did their complexity, with over 300 products ranging from kitchen cloths and pet towels to eye serums. The business and the brand had become somewhat cluttered and a little chaotic and confused.

With ambitious plans to develop premium personal care and expand into new geographies, the increased competition, changing consumers and brand fragmentation due to portfolio growth, revealed a fundamental truth:

A ‘clear sense of self’ was vital for Norwex’s next stage of growth.

Norwex’s brand promise and identity had become unwieldy from a corporate and consumer perspective. This clear sense of self was essential for energising the business to compete with major brands like Amway, Method, Unilever and now Asian skincare lines.

We needed to find answers to three key questions:

• How do we evolve a purpose-driven organisation and elevate it to a premium positioning, without losing its authentic, familial roots?
• How can we achieve consistency and harmony across diverse product categories?
• How do we empower a global network of consultants with a brand they still believe in and are proud to share?

To find the answers, we carried out a rigorous programme of work – including extensive research to reveal the brand’s key equities and what was missing. Our findings then informed the development of positioning, messaging and architecture, and gave us the ideal springboard for developing a new brand identity, visual language and packaging design.

Our research included an in-depth competitor audit covering positioning and messaging plus workshops, focus groups and consumer research across US, Canada, UK and Asia. Results showed Norwex’s mission and product quality were highly valued, but modernisation and elevation of the brand was needed. The strategic shift we suggested moved Norwex from ‘Radical’ to ‘Relatable’. The original mission, focused around ‘radically’ reducing harmful chemicals in the home, was seen as polarising and too narrow. Our repositioning work broadened and elevated the brand’s scope beyond cleaning in the home to showcase ‘The Norwegian Way’ – a more holistic and healthier ‘way of living’.

As part of this work, we coined a new brand promise, “Live cleaner, safer, better.” which has quickly become an essential, ownable and highly visible part of the brand.

Brand architecture was simplified from six or seven product groups to three categories: Home Care, Family Care and Personal Care, giving clarity and scalability.

Visual identity and packaging were redesigned to embody the brand's promise and Nordic heritage, evoking warmth and playfulness across both product and corporate branding.

At Workroom, we work with our clients to build a bolder brand, boost customer engagement, and strengthen culture by giving people something to believe in and be proud of. Were we successful? Let’s hear it from our client:

“This was a significant change for everyone – the executive team, the family. The process we went through was essential to get where we needed to be: a full rebrand and transformation of the business. Workroom were the engine room that made it happen. Our rebrand had a huge impact, not just on the business, but on our employees and consultants. I remember when it was presented and seeing their faces light up, they just got it. Since then, there’s been a real sense of pride in how they talk about and present Norwex. It’s rippled through every part of the business.”

Beate Hjeltnes, Global CEO and Chair, Norwex.