Article

What’s in a name? Lessons from rebranding a think tank

Why do so many think tanks sound like men’s aftershave brands?

You could be forgiven for wondering whether you’ve walked into a Westminster roundtable or Tesco’s toiletries aisle. The comparison may be flippant, but it reveals something serious. When names in a sector all start to sound the same – and more to the point, masculine – it can make it harder to open the doors to a broader, more diverse audience and workforce.

But naming is hard, takes time, and it can be expensive. Especially when you’re trying to strike that delicate balance between a title that’s broad enough to grow with you and specific enough to be meaningful. And as any think tank that’s gone through a rebrand will tell you: changing a name isn’t just a communications exercise. It’s a strategic decision about identity, future direction, and culture.

We recently went through this process ourselves. In May 2025, we changed our name from Pro Bono Economics to simply PBE – accompanied by a new strapline, Economics to improve lives. On paper, it looks like a modest change. In reality, it came out of a much bigger strategic consultation process on who we are, what makes us unique and what we want to become.

Why we changed

For over a decade, the name Pro Bono Economics served us well. It reflected our origins: matching volunteer economists with charities to help them understand and improve their impact. But since 2019 – when we took on the Law Family Commission on Civil Society – we’ve been evolving into something broader. A think tank in our own right, with in-house research, policy, and engagement.

The name no longer matched the scope or ambition of our work. But we also didn’t want to lose our heritage as it also gave us our uniqueness. The acronym PBE was familiar, credible, and had value. We explored plenty of options that tried to retrofit new meanings into the same initials, but nothing quite worked. In the end, we chose to keep PBE and pair it with a strapline that clearly articulates our purpose. It’s a compromise, but a happy one. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Learning from others

We’re not alone in this journey. Over the past few years, several think tanks and plenty of charities have revisited their names, often for political, cultural, or strategic reasons.

Reform recently changed its name to Re:State. It’s a subtle but significant shift. The old name had become increasingly confusing, thanks to its overlap with Nigel Farage’s political party. This think tank kept its core visual identity but avoided future brand confusion. It’s another good example of how names aren’t just about aesthetics, they’re about clarity and reputation management.

Social investment wholesaler, Big Society Capital, changed its name in 2024 ahead of the general election. The term “Big Society” had become politically loaded, closely tied to David Cameron’s Conservative government. By rebranding as Better Society Capital, the organisation was able to keep its BSC acronym, maintaining internal continuity while shedding an increasingly problematic label. A small tweak, but a smart and timely one.

Back in 2020, the think tank and local government network, New Local (formerly New Local Government Network) opted for something simpler and sharper. Its new name does exactly what it says on the tin – giving a clearer, more accessible window into its mission.

Lessons for others

If you’re thinking of rebranding your think tank, here are some of the things you might consider:

1. Start with identity, not aesthetics.
   Don’t begin by brainstorming names. Begin by asking who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and what makes you different. Your name should emerge from your identity, not lead it. Make sure that if you are getting an agency on board, choose one that’s a strategic brand expert, rather than a visual brand /digital brand expert.
2. Don’t underestimate the internal load.
   Bringing in a brand, design or digital agency won’t make it a hands-off process for your communications team. Procurement, stakeholder consultation, decision-making, agency management, embedding the new brand across all communications channels takes significant internal time and energy. Plan accordingly.
3. Consult widely and build buy-in.
   Bring trustees, staff, and key partners into the conversation early. Help them understand not just what’s changing, but why. This builds ownership and smooths the inevitable bumps in the road.
4. Think beyond the logo.
   A good brand isn’t just a name or a font, it’s how you show up in every space. Photography, tone of voice, digital presence, even internal onboarding materials. These all need attention and alignment. We’ve spent as much time, if not more, on our tone of voice than we did on the visual brand.  Embedding the tone of voice within written content requires a lot of time, support and training with staff.
5. Budget for the boring stuff.
   From photography libraries to accessible PDFs to fixing bugs in your website after launch – much of the brand lift happens after the big reveal. Plan for that tail-end workload, and don’t leave it to chance.
6. Celebrate the small wins.
   Rebranding can be a long, messy, and at times thankless process. Make time to celebrate the milestones like getting trustee sign-off, finalising the strapline, launching the new website. It’s important to maintain morale and momentum. Any rebrand is a marathon, not a sprint.
7. Systems, tech and governance.
   If you’re changing your name, you’ll most likely need to change your email addresses, website URL and potentially trading name.  We kept it simple and Pro Bono Economics is still the name registered at Companies House and we use PBE as our ‘trading name’. Changing URL is relatively straightforward and in some respects easier than keeping an existing URL as it makes for a cleaner switchover.  However, a new URL takes time to be fully recognised by search engines and you should allow time and efforts to fully establish the new site.ebranding can be a long, messy, and at times thankless process. Make time to celebrate the milestones like getting trustee sign-off, finalising the strapline, launching the new website. It’s important to maintain morale and momentum. Any rebrand is a marathon, not a sprint.

There’s a lot in a name. More than you might think. In our sector, where trust, expertise and nuance matter so much, getting your identity right is more than a cosmetic decision, it’s a strategic one.