Abri

Abri, formed through the collaboration of Radian and Yarlington Housing Group, is a community driven organisation, powered by the belief that everyone should have a place to call home. Serving more than 114,000 customers, and managing over 50,000 homes, the Group strives to make safe and affordable housing accessible and affordable to all.

The organisation’s ambitious mission underscores everything it does, including its plan to invest £15 million into the development of a thriving social landscape. Even the name “Abri” which stands for “shelter”, draws attention to the Group’s generous, caring spirit. The team needed a distinctive communication plan and a tone of voice that matched this underlying ethos.

After choosing an evocative name for their new venture, Abri needed a cohesive, consistent voice capable of communicating its aspirations to a wide audience. The Group approached Fabrik for help identifying a clear, friendly, and approachable personality and messaging strategy. Stakeholders from the organisation sat down with our team, to explain the values of the emerging brand.

They were keen to find a voice that would transcend all channels and landscapes, highlighting a combination of expertise and compassion. Following our initial consultations, the brief became clear: establish a communication plan that was engaging, inclusive, and reflective of Abri’s core mission.

A collaborative research process with Abri revealed insights into the range of tones, styles, and communication methods already embraced by the brand. We used these discoveries to devise a “cheerful neighbour” archetype and identity for the Group. This led to the development of a simple messaging concept: “Let’s talk over a cuppa”.

This statement formed the underlying mantra of the company, embodying the spirits of equality, comfort, and openness. We also developed a simple visual metaphor and three core values for the team: Clarity, Unity, Positivity (a CUP). These values were unpacked to create clear editorial guidelines for customer letters, announcements, and a wide range of stakeholder communications.

Our work culminated in the development a full set of tone of voice guidelines for the Group, alongside a checklist to help ensure consistency in communication. We also created a separate set of straightforward instructions, outlining detailed writing tips, and ran training workshops for the team. Our strategic documents became the foundations of Abri’s future messaging style.

With our help, Abri discovered and refined a clear tone of voice, ready to inspire, motivate, and engage consumers and stakeholders alike. The brand’s communications now match the underlying spirit and ambition of the dynamic organisation. Today, the Group stands not just as an innovative housing organisation, but also the voice of a thriving community.

What we did: