Background and Challenges
NeighborGood Partners, formerly known as the National Council and Agricultural Life and Labor Research Fund Inc. (NCALL), recognized the need for a comprehensive rebranding to better reflect their evolved mission and services. Initially focused on rural housing for farm workers, the organization had expanded to include affordable housing and community development in diverse urban and rural settings. This growth called for a new name, logo, and brand positioning that would resonate with their broader audience and reflect the broader mission.
Strategic Planning and Initial Discussions
The rebranding journey began during a strategic planning session with the staff and board members. The discussion centered around the relevance of the organization’s branding considering its expanded mission. The NCALL brand was judged as not reflective of the true scope and scale of the organization’s work.
Choosing NüPOINT Marketing
After interviewing two marketing firms, NeighborGood Partners selected NüPOINT Marketing. Among the reasons for this choice, NeighborGood Partners cited NüPOINT’s experience rebranding the First State Community Loan Fund, an organization whose mission is like NCALL’s, as True Access Capital. NCALL was especially impressed with NüPOINT’s ability to guide organizations through all the steps involved in a successful rebranding process.
The Rebranding Process
- Quantitative & Qualitative Research:
- NüPOINT surveyed more than 16,000 individuals familiar with the NCALL brand to develop a statistically significant quantitative assessment of perceptions of the existing brand.
- With the quantitative data and crosstabs in hand, NüPOINT sought to dig deeper into consumer perceptions of the existing brand and to develop a more nuanced, qualitative portrait of consumer perception of the NCALL brand.
- NüPOINT then led focus groups that involved activities such as word association exercises where participants listed words that came to mind when thinking of the organization. Words like “community,” “neighbor,” “housing,” and “affordable” surfaced frequently.
- Multiple meetings with NCALL staff and the board rounded out the research phase. Special attention was paid to ensure that any branding exercise considered the importance of the legacy reputation of the existing NCALL brand.
- Name Development:
- Based on the research, NüPOINT proposed a variety of potential names. A committee of staff and board members narrowed these options down to six.
- After extensive discussions weighing the pros and cons, a new name for the organization, “NeighborGood Partners”, was chosen. This name captured the essence of the organization’s mission and community-focused work.
- Logo Design:
- NüPOINT presented a range of logo concepts. Key elements included a house to represent the organization’s focus on housing, and colors that were bold, distinct and memorable.
- The committee debated various designs and color schemes, initially favoring blue and green. However, they ultimately chose a vibrant teal and orange palette to stand out among other housing organizations.
Implementation and Reception
The new brand, NeighborGood Partners, along with its fresh logo, was rolled out through a series of marketing efforts. The staff initially found the change challenging, but NüPOINT’s expertise in explaining the rationale behind the rebranding helped ease the transition. Workshops and presentations highlighted the benefits of the new brand identity. Finally, NüPOINT assisted with planning an event to unveil the new positioning which was widely attended by community leaders, clients, elected officials, and partners statewide.
The response from the community and stakeholders was overwhelmingly positive. The new name and logo were well-received, reflecting the organization’s dynamic and inclusive mission. How much did people like it? The Brandywine Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals recognized NeighborGood Partners with its 2022 Fundraising and Communications Excellence (FACE) Award.
Conclusion
NüPOINT Marketing‘s strategic approach and creative solutions successfully revitalized the NCALL brand as the NeighborGood Partners’ brand. From thorough research, collaborative brainstorming, and professional guidance, NüPOINT helped the organization develop a name and logo that truly represents their expanded mission and community impact. This illustrates the importance of enlisting marketing professionals in the end-to-end process of aligning an organization’s brand identity with its evolving goals and services.