Press Contact:
Jacquelynn Lott
Director of Communications
Tel: (856) 348-4007
Cell: (609) 472-1473
Fax: (856) 216-0643
Laura DiLello
Brownstein Group
Tel: (215) 735-3470, ext. 172
LDiLello@brownsteingroup.com
11.22.09 | "It's our world, too.": From immersion to unveiling, Bancroft celebrates its new brand.
"When I think of Bancroft, I think of the Special Olympics. [My son] winning that first gold medal. That first time that I saw him participate in a basketball game and understand the game of basketball. I was so overcome with emotion. It was like, 'Oh my God, look what they taught him to do. Look what they were able to teach him to do.' I never thought that I would ever see that."
Phil Edelstein, a strategist from Brownstein Group, listened to this story from an emotional Bancroft parent and once again felt the chills run in waves over his skin. His eyes filled with tears. He had heard stories of a similar nature in countless previous Bancroft interviews, and they always evoked the same emotion. The room filled with poignant silence as the story came to a close, as both parent and strategist took a moment to think about the powerful feelings that had just been shared.
In moments like this, and in many other ways, Brownstein Group, a marketing firm in Philadelphia tasked with creating the Bancroft brand, experienced our organization. For the past 125 years, Bancroft has lived and exhibited a unique culture of respect, compassion and commitment to the neurologically challenged population. The problem was, we hadn't found the words and the qualifiers that could clearly define who we are and what makes us special. The Bancroft brand existed within our organization-Brownstein Group simply had to experience it in order to distill it down to its purest expression.
Five Brownstein Group team members took part in interviews with teachers, persons served, parents, board members, executives and others. There were tours, discussions, participation in activities and more. Brownstein Group became a part of Bancroft. What they witnessed, what they experienced, was our brand-and with each moment of each day, they came closer to crafting the words and sentiments that would powerfully define our organization.
Powerful moments during the process slowly brought to light what made Bancroft so special. A mother painfully recalled the times before Bancroft when her son was ostracized by members of their family's community. There were the tears shared by staff members as they talked about the incredible accomplishments of individuals who had been told before Bancroft that they could never learn and grow to live a more fulfilling life. A person served who now had a job and lived independently spoke emotionally about the abuse and challenges he had faced in his life before Bancroft.
What Brownstein Group witnessed was a place that saw abilities, not disabilities, in the people it served. They saw that Bancroft prides itself on its belief that every individual has the potential to learn to live a more participatory and fulfilling life. What's more, our broad continuum of services allowed for the long-term growth and transformation of the individuals we serve. All of this was set against a backdrop of prideful, passionate parents and employees who spoke emphatically about the need to change the stereotypes and misconceptions that surrounded the neurologically challenged population.
And so, the "It's our world, too" brand was conceived. A message not from Bancroft the organization, but rather, a message from all of us: parents, employees, community members, persons served. "It's our world, too" represents a movement to change the world's perceptions towards the neurologically challenged population. Brownstein Group showed us that every day, through our broad continuum of services, our respect for the abilities and potential of every individual, our passionate base of staff, parents, persons served and other supporters, we show that the separations, the stereotypes, the misconceptions of the neurologically challenged population are only a state of mind that must be changed.
The justification for the brand was shown to team members from across our organization. It was met by emphatic approval, many tears and oftentimes the same poignant silence that occurred so often during the research.
Now it was time to bring the brand to life. First, we transitioned our name from "Bancroft NeuroHealth" to simply "Bancroft". The idea behind the brand was then translated across a number of channels-a new logo was created that was paired with the new tagline of "One world. For everyone." A brand video of parents, employees and persons served speaking our "brand mantra" was taped and edited.
Perhaps most importantly, a public relations campaign kicked off to help communicate the brand to internal and external audiences. The public relations campaign is essential to our vision as an organization because it has the potential to inspire the movement of "It's our world, too" to take root and begin to grow in the community.
"It's our world, too" is not an advertising campaign. It is our brand-what we stand for and who we are. It begins with Bancroft, but it ends with anyone who has ever been touched by our organization. It depends on every single one of us to take the vision it inspires and help bring it alive. With every action we take, with each life we touch, it is our mission to prove that "It's our world, too."