Helping the Boys & Girls Clubs learn to fish

TEACHING CLUBS HOW TO FISH

But the big thing, says Doxtater, was (and is) the brand toolkit. Lionfish put a brand toolkit together for the 13 clubs in King County, so that each one can create materials on its own while remaining true to the new look and messaging. The toolkit includes modular graphic elements, plus templates built in standard Microsoft software, such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Publisher, so even non-designers can use them.

“We wanted the clubs to become their own marketing engine,” explains Lionfish CEO Gloria Wildeman. “So, we developed the toolkit with templates, usage guidelines, a rich selection of assets, and information on how to expand and customize these resources for each club. Then we ran a series of on-site training to teach them how to fish.”

LOCAL ADOPTION, NATIONAL RECOGNITION

Each of the King County clubs is required to adopt the new look for their websites and materials, but at their own pace, in their own way. According to Doxtater, some of the clubs have a little way to go, but, she adds, “There’s been no resistance. It’s a huge resource that saves them so much time, once they’re trained.”

Meghan Sweet, associate executive director of the club in Wallingford, agrees. “The toolkit gives us lots of solutions at our fingertips,” she says, “and it’s very user-friendly. Before, we just did rudimentary stuff in Publisher; now we can make really beautiful things quickly.”

As it turns out, the Lionfish toolkit has acquired fans beyond King County. Wildeman and Doxtater presented the re-branding project at both the Pacific Regional Board Leadership Conference in 2010 and the National Conference of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in April 2010. For the board leadership conference, Lionfish put together 20 binders with printed materials and a CD of all the toolkit files. ”At the end of our talk, we were mobbed,” Doxtater says. “I felt like a rock star.”

Clubs all over the country have since expressed interest in the toolkit. When Christy Wolfe became the development director of the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club in southern California, there was already a creative agency working on a website re-design.“I showed them the toolkit I picked up at the board leadership conference and said, ‘We want one like this.’ ” Their agency was only too happy to oblige, she added, because it gave them a “sharp focus” for the project.

A BOOST FOR PARENTS AND DONERS

Rachel Doxtater is the first to point out that it’s difficult to measure the impact of a strong brand and consistent, professional-looking materials. Wallingford’s Meghan Sweet feels strongly that “it gives families confidence when they see professional-looking materials, and they help keep members enrolled.”

Doxtater believes that “telling our story inspires donations.” She cites the King County Boys & Girls Clubs’ KidsAuction 2009 as an example, which raised more than a $1 million, compared with a goal of $800,000. “Thanks to Lionfish, we really brought our mission into the room. It wasn’t just a great party this year. It was also a chance to tell our story in a way that helped everyone at the auction know why they were there and why they should support our efforts.”

Measurable results aside, everyone remarks on the generosity of Lionfish. Christy Wolfe talked about how much Santa Monica appreciates Lionfish’s long-term strategic thinking in allowing other cities to share the toolkit. And Doxtater, who has worked with many creative agencies in her professional career, says, “I’ve never met a creative agency that’s been willing to put the creative back in the hands of its clients. They not only taught us to fish, they gave us the tackle box and stocked the pond. We’re so grateful.”