Brand Identity Development
WAG is the regional resource for companion animals in Whistler, British Columbia. Their programs foster respect for animals by offering support and education to pet owners. They are the safety net for lost, abandoned, and harmed animals in the region, and provide the best outcome for every animal in their care.
WAG started as a small animal shelter and adoption service run by volunteers. While WAG had grown in size and scope of services, the community still perceived it as a small, grassroots animal shelter. WAG's leadership in the field of animal welfare, its array of services and exceptional programs were largely unknown.
To fulfill its mission, WAG needed to strengthen its image and communicate with the larger community rather than just the subset who wished to adopt animals. WAG sought to maximize the brand equity - the value of the brand in the target customer's mind - for its organization.
We developed a clearly defined brand that is compelling and credible to its target audience and fully integrated into the organization. Key elements of the brand include:
- Positioning Statement (PDF) »
- Key Messages
- Tag Line
- Brand Promise
- Individual program descriptions
- Guidelines for Interactions with the Public
- Brand Stories
- Graphic Standards
The development of the WAG brand challenged and sharpened the company's mission, values, principles, associations, and business practices. The process defined the company's most compelling strengths and offered elements to differentiate it in substance as well as image. The elements of the organizational identity define its essence, attract supporters and customers, and ensure their loyalty through company practices that support the brand.
Identity Development Process
The WAG brand was built "from the inside out". We followed a step-by-step approach developed by Marckworth Associates that included a WAG team in every step of the process.
- Brand Assessment
WAG staff completed a guided self-study of internal and external factors related to the company and their roundwood division.
- Brand Definition
The next phase was refinement of the information gained through the brand assessment. We developed the brand promise and defined the organization's brand assets, personality, strategic role with customers, on-brand company practices, and guidelines for interactions with the public.
- Revision of Brand Name
We determined that the legal name of the organization - Whistler Animals Galore - was cumbersome to use in most communications. We standardized the use of the nickname WAG as the brand name
- The WAG Way
Because of WAG's extensive use of volunteers we needed to standardize the elements of the brand and their uses. We developed a notebook, called "The WAG Way", to be used by staff, trustees and volunteers as a guide for communication to WAG's target markets through internal strategies, marketing activities and tactical communications.
Click here to download "The WAG Way" document (PDF) »
|
|
