Branding is an essential element of successful campaigns. When I say branding, I’m not referring to a complete overhaul of an existing brand, but detailing how we implemented branding strategies within a campaign to enhance its impact and bring us even closer to achieving our goals.
One of our recent campaigns was for DC Health and the DC Mayor’s Office. We promoted and executed Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Maternal and Infant Health Summit. This was a multifaceted campaign that promoted the branded mayoral Summit and maternal health resources for women and mothers in DC, wrapping up with an event attended by over 1,000 DC residents.
The very first thing we had to decide on was our Summit logo. You may think this would be the simplest part of the campaign. However, it took many designers and many rounds of concept changes and edits before we came up with our perfect logo. This logo became the identity of our initiative and would go on to inform every outward facing aspect of this campaign – from our Twitter page profile to the design of our advertising, to look and feel of the event.
As important as that decision was, branding is much more than just slapping your logo on anything and everything. It’s about having consistency across all of your channels, in both messaging and visual elements.
Messaging
Before we dive in, it’s important to note the gravity of maternal health, particularly in DC. DC has the highest maternal mortality rate in the country, with African American women four times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related complications. Our client keenly understood the impact this issue has had on DC residents and enlisted us to develop a variety of messaging to use throughout the campaign.
We chose a messaging tactic that, yes, addressed that this was a serious issue but didn’t just dwell on its negative aspects. Both the Maternal and Infant Health Summit and campaign aspired to bring hope to the community. Mayors from across the country, health leaders and professionals, and mothers all came together to collaborate on solutions while raising awareness about resources. Themes of positivity and encouragement became the basis of our messaging.
Our *amazing* digital team curated daily content for Twitter and Facebook that centered around solutions, tips, and resources, and highlighted community organizations that serve our women and mothers of DC! They developed a voice and a personality for the Maternal and Infant Health Summit brand that was authentic. That voice continued to be captured through the messaging in other aspects of our campaign.
Visual Elements
We made a decision early on to hold a photo shoot with real DC moms; pregnant or with their babies. This creative choice aligned with our brand personality. We included the community in our advertising, web presence, and print collateral instead of using stock photos or models, which allowed us to position this Summit organically within our community.
Every form of communication, whether it popped up in your Instagram feed, was tweeted or could be found on our website, shared a variety of translatable key visual elements, all inspired from the logo design. Visual consistency is so important, as each interaction someone has with the brand should help to build awareness, recognition, positive association, and trust. The Maternal and Infant Health Summit itself was no different. From stage design to signage, programs to videos – everything was centered around the brand we had created and the result was an incredibly engaging and successful Summit!
