Carebridge Community Support
Over the course of 18 months, McGill Buckley took an eye-opening branding journey with an inspiring not-for-profit organization based in Almonte, Ontario but serving all of Lanark County. It resulted in the creation and launch of a re-named brand - Carebridge Community Support.
Our branding journey started with a phone call from a long-time connection in our network, who was also a volunteer with what was then known as Mills Community Support. They had a branding challenge that she thought we might find interesting. We were very interested.
Beginning with a Brand Audit and Discovery Sessions
After meeting with the CEO and Brand Task Force and submitting our proposal, we immersed ourselves in as much background information as possible, including strategic plans, media coverage, communication materials, website, stories and annual reports. We did all this as part of a Brand Audit to determine any gaps in the current brand platform.
We then planned and facilitated a series of Brand Discovery Sessions with staff, volunteers, donors and community partners. During those half-day sessions, we gathered feedback on a wide range of topics from brand awareness and clarity to how well the current brand connected with its key audiences and communities. We probed areas where we thought the existing brand was struggling and explored areas that we thought could be core brand strengths.
Taking It To The Brand Task Force Board, Management and Board
At the end of the Brand Audit and Brand Discovery phases, we developed a presentation containing an analysis of the current brand, audience perceptions and our views on the brand's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Central to our presentation was a series of key recommendations that we believed were central to creating and building a brand that the organization deserved. Among those recommendations was one to change the name of the organization. Changing the name of an organization is never something we treat lightly, but in this case, we believed it was needed. It turned out that the board and senior management agreed.
What’s In A Name?
After receiving the go-ahead to explore new name options, we researched, tested and explored several possibilities. We then presented our preferred names. In the end, they approved one of our recommended names - Carebridge Community Support and a tagline we had developed - Caring Connects Us.
Rolling Out The New Carebridge Brand
While we were pondering names, we were also working on a formal Brand Strategy and Communication Plan. Those two items had been part of the scope of our original proposal. Between these vital two documents, Carebridge would have a comprehensive brand platform, messaging and a blueprint for branding and communications in the future.
