Redefining the perception of child development through PLAY for the Indian market

CONTEXT + CHALLENGE

Toybank is an NGO focussed on driving developmental impact in children from vulnerable communities through play. The organisation was struggling to communicate the seriousness of their program and the impact of play, to the Indian market. This was a barrier in fundraising and partnership acquisition. Toybank was looking to reposition themselves to connect with their stakeholders better.

 

APPROACH + LEARNINGS

Through our research with stakeholders, we learnt that “play” was majorly perceived as a leisure, fun activity without depth or the potential to impact children. This made it difficult for Toybank to explain the educational and learning side to play, and the way it was integrated into their programs. We also spend time on-ground observing Toybank’s program in action to get a better understanding of what really happens.

 

SOLUTION

We developed a new term to differentiate Toybank’s approach using play with people’s preconceived perception of what playing means. We called it “Conscious Play”. We drew inspiration from the concept of how the term “power-walking” differentiated itself from regular walking. Identifying Toybank’s play as “Conscious Play” made it unique, and stand out. It forced readers to read further and learn about it. This change allowed the organisation to get a chance to explain the power and impact of play in the community. Additionally, we worked on restructuring and layering Toybank’s narrative to make their work easier to understand and process. The redesigned narrative was used in creatives for outreach. The project helped Toybank in its fundraising and partnership efforts. They decided to trademark the term “Conscious Play”.