About the Project:
THE NEED
ProLiteracy is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Syracuse, NY, that provides educational resources, training, and funding to help advance adult literacy worldwide.
ProLiteracy partnered with design agency Advocate Creative to help with a brand refresh that would clarify PL’s vision as well as the relationship with their publishing arm, New Readers Press.
AC’s Rachel Yantis connected me with Allison Bleyler McDonald, PL’s Sr. Director of Marketing, to discuss a key messaging strategy for their website. The core challenge was in crafting messaging that would be consistent for a variety of audiences.
THE APPROACH
Our content strategy began with creating a messaging guide. This included a “boilerplate” statement that briefly explained ProLiteracy and New Readers Press, their mission, and their unique approach to adult literacy for a general audience.
The guide also described PL’s role and benefits in brand-consistent language tailored to each of our target audiences:
- Adult Literacy Program Administrators
- Adult Literacy Instructors
- Individual and Organization Donors
We narrowed the focus of PL’s high-level navigation pages to prioritize offerings pertinent to each persona, such as resources, professional development, and publications.
We then segmented our personas into two buckets — members and customers — and encouraged each segment to take specific actions, reinforcing their engagement with ProLiteracy:
- “Join ProLiteracy as a Member”
- “Donate to ProLiteracy”
- “Shop New Readers Press”
THE RESULTS
ProLiteracy’s brand refresh helped resolve its identity crisis. Today, their website sets them apart as a global leader in adult literacy programs.
For example, their About page now answers vital questions about PL’s vision, capacity, and unique offerings for stakeholders and potential customers alike.
Ultimately, our key messaging strategy upheld the integrity of PL’s voice while amplifying its reach to target audiences.
Matt’s collaborative spirit makes him an absolute delight to work with. He always came to meetings prepared with great questions and effectively communicated his intentions. It was imperative that ProLiteracy’s branding refresh honored the organization’s vision to advance adult literacy while also bolstering its identity. Matt’s expertise in the education sector blended with his persistence in revising copy to best fit the client’s audiences was exceptional.” – Rachel Yantis, Director of Strategy & Client Experience, Advocate Creative
Click the logos to visit ProLiteracy and Advocate Creative:
