Case Study: Hand in Hand
The Project
Taproot Foundation granted Hand in Hand (formerly Parent’s Leadership Institute) a Naming Service Grant, followed by a Brand Strategy and Visual Identity Service Grant, collectively worth an estimated $100,000.
About Hand in Hand
Hand in Hand works to foster healthy parent-child relationships by helping parents acquire the skills they need to build and rebuild close connections with their children. Their mission is grounded in the belief that the close connection between a parent and a child is the foundation of a child's ability to reach his fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential. In 2005, it was providing nearly 5,000 hours of assistance through classes, listening tools, support groups, counseling, and leadership trainings - changing parenting from a struggle for control to a rewarding exchange of communication and caring.
The Need
Hand in Hand came to the Taproot Foundation in 2005 as the Parent’s Leadership Institute. At the time, their primary challenge was obtaining more funding to expand and sustain their programs. After 15 years, their original communication materials were outdated and no longer represented the vitality and energy of the organization. The stale look and brand on the outside of their booklets was undermining the rich content and expertise provided inside - turning off parents in need of assistance, and turning away potential funders.
The Work
The Taproot Foundation awarded Hand in Hand a Brand Strategy and Visual Identity Service Grant to update the look and feel of their communications materials. The team began their discovery work by interviewing staff, teachers, donors and customers. The interviews and other discovery exercises illuminated how Hand in Hand was perceived by their various audiences, and uncovered the fact that the organization’s name was misrepresenting its work and greatly restricted its growth potential. “Parents Leadership Institute" had a clinical connotation rather than reflecting the organization’s caring, hands-on approach.
Before moving forward to drafting a visual identity, Hand in Hand agreed with the Taproot Foundation’s recommendation to first re-evaluate their name to build a stronger, long-term foundation for their marketing initiatives.
After producing a creative brief that summarized the discovery findings, the team put the visual identity project on hold and began a Naming Service Grant. They quickly worked through three major brainstorming sessions, interspersed with individual work by team members to get to a final list of seven names. Hand in Hand was ultimately chosen because it suggests a supportive, caring and personal environment for learning and growing. The name translates as “de la Mano" and works equally well among the organization’s Spanish speaking parents.
Three volunteer team members stayed on to finish the visual identity for the new name. The challenge became one of developing a look that was as warm and evocative as the name, yet not too literal. After three creative rounds, the client team had a final logo that reflected the caring environment that Hand in Hand inspires. As with all of our visual identity projects, the team created a style guide to assist and train Hand in Hand on using the logo in future materials. In addition, the team designed the organization’s business cards and other stationary to incorporate the new brand.
Hand in Hand then used the team’s creative brief and process to develop a tagline to support their new name. The organization polled their most involved stakeholders, and settled on “nurturing the parent-child connection," which has been incorporated into the logo design. The tagline further clarified the mission of the organization and helps the logo tell the organization’s story at a glance.
Before moving forward to drafting a visual identity, Hand in Hand agreed with the Taproot Foundation’s recommendation to first re-evaluate their name to build a stronger, long-term foundation for their marketing initiatives.
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"We never would have been able to amass the kind of resources necessary to do this on our own."
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Three volunteer team members stayed on to finish the visual identity for the new name. The challenge became one of developing a look that was as warm and evocative as the name, yet not too literal. After three creative rounds, the client team had a final logo that reflected the caring environment that Hand in Hand inspires. As with all of our visual identity projects, the team created a style guide to assist and train Hand in Hand on using the logo in future materials. In addition, the team designed the organization’s business cards and other stationary to incorporate the new brand.
Hand in Hand then used the team’s creative brief and process to develop a tagline to support their new name. The organization polled their most involved stakeholders, and settled on “nurturing the parent-child connection," which has been incorporated into the logo design. The tagline further clarified the mission of the organization and helps the logo tell the organization’s story at a glance.
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The Impact
Hand in Hand approached the Taproot Foundation expecting to revive the look of a booklet or brochure, and instead walked away with a new name, logo, tagline, stationary, and guide to using its new look in all future materials.
Hand in Hand regularly hears feedback on how their programs change lives; this project helped them succinctly frame their impact and importance in society so as to effectively reach a much wider audience.
“I think this identity change has given us a quantum leap in identifying exactly and precisely what we're here to do with parents," said Patty Wipfler, Executive Director of Hand in Hand.
When Hand in Hand implemented the new name and logo in 2006, it began seeing immediate results. In the first five months of 2007, they had already reached 450 more people than before the new brand was launched. The organization is on track in 2007 to provide nearly 10,000 hours of assistance to parents, which is roughly double the number of hours of assistance provided before their involvement with the Taproot Foundation.
Parents have also responded by attending talks in higher numbers and purchasing more booklets and CDs. Gross income from literature sales in August 2007 was up 145% from sales in August 2006.
The impact of the project has extended well beyond the desired outcomes. Hand in Hand’s Executive Director has noticed vastly improved communication of the organization’s mission among its teachers and trainees since the new brand has been implemented. Hand in Hand has even changed its trainings based on its new understanding of branding to include a tutorial for teachers on how to effectively talk about the organization.
“We had no idea was branding was, nor would have ever been able to amass the kind of resources necessary to do this on our own," said Wipfler. “We definitely couldn’t be where we are today without the Taproot Foundation. The volunteer team was the best in world – incredibly talented and very dedicated to the project."
Matt Sanders, creative director for the Taproot Foundation visual identity team, reflected equal enthusiasm for the project: “What a great opportunity for designers to give to the community. Being able to help a nonprofit ‘compete’ at the same level as for-profit companies is very rewarding."
In addition to giving Hand in Hand a strong foundation for future communications, the volunteer teams gave the organization a process and appreciation for disciplined planning that can be used for future initiatives – including key steps for consulting projects, inclusion of stakeholders, and drivers of a decision – a process they immediately leveraged to successfully develop and adopt a tagline on their own.
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"Being able to help a nonprofit ‘compete’ at the same level as for-profit companies is very rewarding."
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“I think this identity change has given us a quantum leap in identifying exactly and precisely what we're here to do with parents," said Patty Wipfler, Executive Director of Hand in Hand.
When Hand in Hand implemented the new name and logo in 2006, it began seeing immediate results. In the first five months of 2007, they had already reached 450 more people than before the new brand was launched. The organization is on track in 2007 to provide nearly 10,000 hours of assistance to parents, which is roughly double the number of hours of assistance provided before their involvement with the Taproot Foundation.
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The impact of the project has extended well beyond the desired outcomes. Hand in Hand’s Executive Director has noticed vastly improved communication of the organization’s mission among its teachers and trainees since the new brand has been implemented. Hand in Hand has even changed its trainings based on its new understanding of branding to include a tutorial for teachers on how to effectively talk about the organization.
“We had no idea was branding was, nor would have ever been able to amass the kind of resources necessary to do this on our own," said Wipfler. “We definitely couldn’t be where we are today without the Taproot Foundation. The volunteer team was the best in world – incredibly talented and very dedicated to the project."
Matt Sanders, creative director for the Taproot Foundation visual identity team, reflected equal enthusiasm for the project: “What a great opportunity for designers to give to the community. Being able to help a nonprofit ‘compete’ at the same level as for-profit companies is very rewarding."
In addition to giving Hand in Hand a strong foundation for future communications, the volunteer teams gave the organization a process and appreciation for disciplined planning that can be used for future initiatives – including key steps for consulting projects, inclusion of stakeholders, and drivers of a decision – a process they immediately leveraged to successfully develop and adopt a tagline on their own.
The Volunteer Teams
Naming Service Grant
Visual Identity
- Mary Agresta - Marketing Project Manager, Gap Inc.
- Jennifer Bailey - Freelance Art Director
- Fred Barson - CEO/President, Blue Bolt Marketing
- Sean Denny - Business Development Manager and Account Planner for branding agencies
- Susan Higgins - Client Services Director, Brand Engine
- Amy Sherman - Brand Strategy & Naming Consultant, formerly of Landor Associates
Visual Identity
- Jennifer Bailey - Freelance Art Director
- Fred Barson - CEO/President, Blue Bolt Marketing
- Susan Higgins - Client Services Director, Brand Engine
- Matt Sanders - Founder, Trigger Design
