Creating a relevant and compelling brand for a not-for-profit

Charting a New Course

The Challenge

The Beacon Institute, a not-for-profit environmental research organization, needed to create a relevant and compelling brand which would appeal to a diverse range of stakeholders. A new brand was needed to help raise over $100 million in five years, attract influential board members, and establish credibility.

Our Solution

We started by understanding all strategic goals and objectives for the organization and the resulting brand implications. After the strategic direction was agreed upon, comprehensive stakeholder research was conducted to understand market needs and whitespace opportunities. From there, we developed a new positioning, brand values, brand name, tagline, and marketing messages for stakeholder groups. We then worked with a team to develop comprehensive brand launch plans which outlined tactics, timing, and necessary resources.

Results

The organization, formerly known as Rivers and Estuaries, was successfully re-branded and renamed to compete more effectively. This included enhancing a myriad of customer touchpoints including a new, award-winning website. Thanks to enhanced credibility, the Beacon Institute achieved their initial year-one $5 million fundraising goal. The Beacon Institute has since gone on to forge a number of compelling partnerships, including an alliance with IBM and Clarkson University to create the first technology-based monitoring and forecasting network for rivers and estuaries (REON).

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