By the end of strategic planning, the Delaware Art Museum knew how they wanted to change in order to achieve their goals. To get there, they needed their staff, volunteers and the community to share their vision for the future.
That step is typically called branding – or re-branding. We see it more as brand focusing. An existing organization has a brand and you can’t wipe it away with a shiny new logo. It’s not an act of creation or a do-over. Brand focusing is about collaborating with the community inside and around an organization to clarify message, image and experience so it becomes perfect for the audience.
Using our AMIE process, (Audience, Message, Image, Experience) the project’s Working Group joined in interpreting the research, developing personas and messaging, and guiding the direction of the creative work. Together, we narrowed the focus to create a distinctive position for the Museum in connecting Greater Wilmington’s roots to its creative future.
Molly Giordano, Interim Executive Director shared, “Iris’s AMIE framework pushed us to prioritize what we need today while showing us how to evolve into what we want for the future. The process worked because it wasn’t delivered to us – we were an active part of defining our brand. Based on the enthusiastic response from our staff and community, we know we’ve built a great foundation for reaching our goals.”
After creating the message and visual image, we developed a new website and collateral to begin to shift how visitors, members and donors experience DelArt from the first interaction.
The newly focused brand was launched July 18 in conjunction with DelArt’s reopening to the public after COVID-19 restrictions.
