The Challenges

Founded in 2004, Alternative Georgia is an Addiction Research Center that works in the spheres of drug dependence research and harm reduction advocacy. They focus on the promotion and support for effective evidence based strategies in the drugs field, development and support for drug and HIV legislation and the protection of the rights of marginalized groups. Currently, the amount of money being spent to imprison repeated drug users is $8 Million Lari. Alternative Georgia immediate goal is to change the legal policy of imprisoning drug users to providing assistance to drug users and their families. To assist, Alternative Georgia with this campaign, Parsons Fellow Erica Osher assisted the organization with their branding and campaign video.

The Solutions

Throughout the process, Alternative Georgia emphasized they wanted to rebrand their image. After brainstorming and reviewing, it was agreed the organization needed a more cohesive brand that would highlight their strengths, research and be the "face" of Alternative Georgia.

Inspired by the colors of the Georgian flag, red and white, a new logo was designed to represent the idea of "alternative" directions and options, but still within a cohesive symbol. Presentation templates, letterhead and business cards were updated to include the new designs.

The website was updated by re-organizing the content and elements to more closely reflect the English version. Staff members were trained on Wordpress and how to update all aspects of the website to provide an accessible platform for the organization to update on a regular basis.

In addition, Alternative Georgia uses policy briefs for almost every project they work on and use them to present their research to decision makers and project stakeholders. The Parsons Fellow, created a clear and consistent format that highlights their research and results while also sticking with their new brand.

Lastly, the campaign video was an important advocacy tool for the organization. The video highlights the research that Alternative Georgia has done to get more money for drug testing and health care by stopping harsh treatment towards drug users. Erica reviewed 5 - 7 hours of video footage that had been previously shot by the HCLU and other organizations hired by Alternative Georgia. From the footage, a 60 second video (with Georgia text animations) was created that emphasized the following points: