With clarity and purpose, Toward rebrands social enterprise APP UK as Lifft
Strategic brand consultancy Toward has unveiled the rebrand and rename of a UK-based commercial cleaning social enterprise formerly known as APP UK, transforming it into Lifft.
With refreshed clarity, Lifft has been designed in coordination with its parent organisation, mental health charity Platfform.
The brand lacked clarity about its USP as a social business and how to succinctly express commercial and social purpose in one. More importantly, it didn’t express its most powerful differentiator, that this is a social enterprise where commercial success directly supports mental health and wellbeing through Platfform.
Mike Jordan, Managing Director, Toward.
The project responded to a long-standing challenge: despite delivering high-quality commercial cleaning services, APP UK’s name and brand failed to clearly articulate its offer, impact or provenance. The acronym “APP” (About People and Places) was frequently mistaken for a technology or app-based business, creating friction in sales conversations and requiring constant explanation with clients and stakeholders.
Critically, the relationship between APP UK and Platfform was not widely understood, limiting credibility, shared purpose and potential impact. For Toward, the opportunity was to reposition the business around a simple, commercially effective idea that would work in procurement conversations while making the social enterprise model visible and tangible.
Toward reframed the organisation around a single brand story: Exceptional Cleaning with Purpose. The concept puts service delivery first, while ensuring social impact is clearly understood as intrinsic, not an add-on.
“This wasn’t about making the brand louder or more emotive,” Mike said. “It was about removing ambiguity. When people encounter Lifft now, they immediately understand what it does, why it exists, and why it’s different.”
The rebrand makes the flow of value explicit. High-quality commercial cleaning services generate income, which directly supports Platfform’s mental health work. This positively increases opportunities for people, communities and organisations to improve their mental health and wellbeing through specialist support.
Central to the repositioning was a new name. Lifft, derived from the Welsh spelling of “Lift,” was developed to symbolise progress, support and positive change, both for clients and for the people whose lives are impacted by the work.
Example of the old APP UK brand identity
The use of the double 'ff' in the name subtly connects back to Platfform, creating a more cohesive brand ecosystem while allowing Lifft to stand confidently in a competitive, functional category. Designed to be simple, memorable and human, Lifft removes barriers to understanding and engagement.
Mike continued: “It’s a name that feels active and purposeful. It reflects movement, care and uplift, without needing explanation.”
Visually and verbally, Lifft strikes a careful balance—professional and credible enough for facilities managers and procurement teams, but warm and human in tone, reflecting the people-first ethos at the heart of the organisation.
In an industry often dominated by utilitarian branding, the identity is designed to stand apart without undermining trust. The result is a brand that is approachable, confident and commercially serious, while clearly signalling its social mission.
The rebrand supports Lifft’s next phase of growth by improving market clarity, strengthening differentiation, and aligning the business more closely with Platfform’s mission.
Lifft offers added value to clients through access routes into mental health support for their employees, as well as training and support sessions, wellbeing programmes, community outreach and early intervention support. At a time when demand for these services continues to rise, this model plays a vital role in helping mental health services to reach more people in need, more quickly.
Working on this project with the Toward team has been great, they not only understood the brief but they spent time getting to know our organisational values, style and approach, which has helped shape the Lifft brand. They delivered what they promised.
Matt Cole, Deputy CEO at Platfform
“This is a brand that now speaks for itself,” said Mike. “Lifft clearly communicates what it does, what it stands for, and the impact it creates, without footnotes.”
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