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Brand Strategy
Running head: ELCFV Brand Strategy
Brand Strategy: The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc.
Mason McKenzie
Digital Storytelling and Branding
Full Sail University
June 2, 2019
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
Abstract
This paper presents a brand strategy for and an analysis of the current brand elements of
The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc. This strategy accounts for the
current brand expression and provides suggestions for improvements in the branding efforts of
The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc. This paper discusses brand
elements of name, identity, business card, tagline, archetype, mission statement, brand story,
promotion plan, target market, and competitive differentiators. The goal of this paper is to
provide a formal evaluation of current brand expression and outline a strategy for improving
consistency in all material and marketing for The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
Introduction
important for nonprofits to cultivate their online image as diligently as their face-to-face one.
Engaging donors, sponsors, grantors, and volunteers requires a solid brand strategy and online
and offline strategies that compliment each other. This paper evaluates the strength of The Early
Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc.’s brand elements and provides
possess the following traits. The brand name effectiveness of The Early Learning Coalition of
1. Distinctiveness: This Early Learning Coalition is one of many across the state of Florida.
While there is only one ELC of Flagler and Volusia, there are many Early Learning
Coalitions. This leads to ambiguity when clients cross county lines. At the same time,
clients in need of services are easily able to identify the ELCFV as the supplier of their
needed service when served by another ELC in the state. One issue with this is the
expectation that all Early Learning Coalitions offer the exact same services and have the
same funding available. In other words, the name recognition leads to incorrect brand
association.
2. Brevity: The brand name consists of nine words. This is well above the recommended
number of two words. Because of this, the name fails to meet the brevity criterium.
synonym for coalition is partnership. The brand serves as a partner to clients in all aspects
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
further early learning goals for the entire service area. Their name describes both what
they do and where they do it. For these reasons, the criterium of appropriateness is met by
4. Easy Spelling and Pronunciation: For most, The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and
Volusia Counties, Inc. is sufficiently easy to spell and pronounce. The word “coalition” is
potentially too difficult to spell and pronounce for second language speakers and clients
5. Likability: The brand’s name is strong albeit governmental-sounding. While the name is
6. Extendibility: The brand’s name is not extendable. Because ELCFV’s business model is
not product-based, and its main services are set by Florida statute, the extendibility of its
name is a nonissue.
7. Protectability: This name is owned and protected by The Early Learning Coalition of
The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc. is the brand’s legal name.
It is commonly referred to by clients and employees as the Early Learning Coalition, ELCFV, or
ELC. The business name was established by Florida State legislation and is similar to the group
of similar nonprofits across the state, i.e. The Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, The
Early Learning Coalition of Brevard County, etc. For this reason, a change to the name is not
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
The glossary definition of Corporate Identity in The Brand Gap is “The brand identity of
a company, consisting of its visual identifiers such as the name, trademark, typography, and
colors.” The typography of the brand is either undefined or unenforced. This conclusion stems
from the variation in font choice across social media, print materials, and the website. Having
discussed the brand’s name at length in the section above, the focus of this section will be the
colors and logo associated with The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties,
Inc.
ELCFV’s colors are eggplant purple and light blue. According to the Role and
Importance of Colour in Marketing, “Purple is a colour of royal, spirituality and dignity.” Given
this information alone, the color is not an appropriate fit for a brand focused on early education;
however, the article continues later to reveal “Researchers have studied impact of colour on
children. It is found that 75% of preadolescent children prefer purple colour the most.” This
ELCFV’s second color, blue, “is a colour of calmness, stability, sincerity, and
cleanliness” which “has become associated with persistence, dependability and loyalty.” The
traits of stability, sincerity, dependability, and loyalty are all consistent with the brand.
The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc. logo consists of
purple lettering spelling out the brand’s name, replacing the word “and” with an ampersand, over
a bright blue kite flying upward. According to the research report The Visual Asymmetry Effect:
An Interplay of Logo Design and Brand Personality on Brand Equity, “asymmetrical logos tend
to be perceived as more exciting than symmetrical logos.” The ELCFV logo is asymmetrical,
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
Both the logo and the colors of the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia
Business Card
An effective business card will include appropriate typography, the company’s logo,
quality paper, and a creative layout (5 Essential Elements of An Effective Business Card). For
the purposes of ELCFV’s business, an interesting shape risks portraying an unprofessional image
The typography used on ELCFV’s business card is appropriately conservative. The use of
a serif font makes it easier to read. The company’s logo is present on both the front and back of
the card. This is good for brand recognition, regardless of which way the card is facing. Though
not evident in the screenshots below, the weight of the paper used is adequate to portray
professionalism without being excessive. Excessive paper weight suggests high quality, but in
the case of a nonprofit can be perceived as wasteful. The layout itself is standard. There is
nothing excessively creative about the format; however, the card serves its purpose well and
provides adequate information in a legible format. As the ELCFV brand does not ascribe to the
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
Tagline
The aim of a tagline is to add a unique and clever take on a brand’s raison d’être. “In a
few choice words, the tagline should epitomize what you're all about” (McGinty). ELCFV’s
existing tagline is “Never too early to learn…” The intent of this tagline is to explain the need for
early education of young children in the community; however, the message is not successful. The
focus on early education stems from the knowledge that the vast majority of neural pathways are
created between birth and three. The phrasing of “Never too early to learn” fails to adequately
express that children need to learn early. The tagline also fails to describe why ELCFV is
The recommendation is to replace the existing tagline with one that more succinctly
captures the spirit of why ELCFV is engaged in its work, such as “Success starts at birth” or “A
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better tomorrow starts at birth.” These taglines are more successful, because they focus on the
Brand Messaging
Brand Archetype
Defining a brand’s archetype helps to center messaging and create a cohesive face of the
brand. According to results of the Brand Archetype quiz, available through Kate Payum website,
The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc. scored highest in the
Caregiver and Girl/Guy Next Door archetypes. Upon further exploration, the definition of the
Culturetalk.com defines the Caregiver archetype as “the first ones to lend a hand, an ear,
or a shoulder…They want to see their employees and customers learn and grow and they’ll
support them unconditionally.” The aspects of the brand that are consistent with this archetype
include: core values, services provided, physical office space, and most social media
communication.
Employees are introduced to the Core Values of ELCFV from day one of employment
and coached through ways to better exemplify them at work. The list of these values is
1. Assume Positive Intent: By assuming positive intent in all communication, employees are
able to focus on the client’s needs without prejudice. This is in line with Caregiver
values.
2. Be Effective: Effective use of time and resources allows ELCFV to allocate the
maximum amount of funding and resources to helping clients. This places the focus on
what is best for the client, which means it is in line with Caregiver values.
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
the issue at hand, regardless of whose “fault” it is. This value is more in line with the
Ruler archetype, which focuses on leading the way to what is right, regardless of what is
popular. Because this falls into an archetype outside of Caregiver, it can be perceived as
4. Deliver Excellent Customer Service: Ensuring all clients feel welcomed and cared for is
part of excellent customer service. When clients feel ELCFV employees truly care, they
are more likely to perceive the ELCFV brand as unconditionally supportive, which is in
5. Embrace Your Fun: This directive is for employees. Burnout is common in the nonprofit
industry, especially in the area of child welfare. Maintaining a fun working environment
where possible helps prevent the shadow side of the Caregiver archetype. For this reason,
6. Find the Solution that Best Helps the Child: Focus on the welfare of each child is perhaps
the most central of the core values at ELCFV. This ensures decisions are based on what is
best for children and not necessarily what is least inconvenient for the adults in the
ELCFV exists to help families in need. They offer services in a safe environment, with
trauma-informed care. Their interview style is conversational, and they ask follow-up questions,
placing emphasis on all client needs, not just childcare services. Those things are all consistent
Some aspects of the brand’s expression fall short of this ideal, such as the website’s tone
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
the core values and personality of ELCFV place clients, employees and partners above all
else. The brand exists to support families and encourage the healthy development of children.
Mission Statement
A mission statement is defined in The Brand Gap as “a concise statement of the purpose
activity of the brand, short in nature, and easily understood. According to Do Mission Statements
Matter for Nonprofit Performance: “nonprofit leaders should craft mission statements that
convey the activities of their organization.” A well-written statement will not use convoluted
The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc. has a current mission
statement. As found on the homepage of their website, its mission is “To enhance children’s
school readiness by providing opportunities for quality early learning, while strengthening family
mission statement, this statement is far too long. In addition to its excessive length, the structure
used is convoluted and contains a grammar error. The existing mission statement refers to four
(4) different focuses of the organization: (1) enhancing children’s school readiness, (2) providing
opportunities for quality early learning, (3) strengthening families, and (4) the health of the
community. It is recommended that a more concise mission statement replace the existing
statement.
A good mission statement for The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia
Counties, Inc. will focus on the main mission of the organization. It will portray a genuine focus
on others. The recommendation is to replace the existing twenty-word statement with the
following: “To reduce barriers to quality early learning experiences for local children”. This
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
statement focuses on one action, namely reducing barriers, and is sufficiently specific without
Brand Story
Defined in The Brand Gap, the Brand Story is “The articulation of a brand as a narrative;
a coherent set of messages that articulate the meaning of a brand”. An effective brand story will
be emotionally appealing and portray the core values of the brand. This story was produced by
The Brand Story followed a typical client experience. A single mother of two young
children was working full time at minimum wage. Because she worked full time, she needed care
for her two children. The typical cost of licensed child care for her two children was more than
she brought home. When she came to The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia
Counties, Inc., she did not know what to do. ELCFV helped her by helping her pay for care and
providing resources to help her rise out of poverty. Her entire family benefited from their
experience with ELCFV: one child was entering kindergarten ready to learn, and the client
Based on this one story, ELCFV is portrayed as a helpful, welcoming brand where
families get the resources they need. In this story, ELCFV means quality early learning,
Promotion Plan
The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc. benefits from a fair
amount of brand recognition in the nonprofit realm. Much of this recognition has been hard won
through face-to-face interaction. Recently, ELCFV activity on Instagram and Facebook has
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
increased. To continue to increase brand awareness, ELCFV will need to focus on the following
additional strategies:
1. Social Media
a. YouTube: The brand currently has a channel; however, the videos include some
will increase traffic and brand awareness while helping boost the credibility rating
b. Twitter: ELCFV does not currently have an account on Twitter. Use of Twitter
and strategic hashtags will increase brand awareness and allow for live
2. Email Marketing
a. Mailchimp: The brand currently uses Mailchimp for general newsletter sent to all
donors. Promoting newsletter signups and segmenting these donors will allow for
When searching Google for “help paying daycare daytona beach fl”, the ELCFV
only the homepage appears on Google instead of the more appropriate “School
Readiness” page. Investing in an upgraded website that does not block SEO
crawlers with complicated HTML and focusing on quality copy with defined key
words for each page will improve usability and the customer experience.
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
b. Content Marketing: Once the website is updated and optimized, quality articles
about ELCFV activity and services which link to quality outside sources will be
beneficial to driving traffic to the site and increasing authority. Quality content
will also increase the brand’s credibility in the minds of clients and potential
donors.
4. Events
month. While the focus of these events is on services for potential clients, cross-
promotion for potential volunteers and donors will lead to increased community
Target Market
The Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc. has several target
audiences. For the purposes of this analysis, the target audience analyzed is the potential donors.
The target market consists of residents of the Flagler and Volusia Counties, located on the east
coast of north Florida. They are families and potential families who care about the future of local
economy and children. They make 300% or more the Federal Poverty Level, meaning they are
financial stable.
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ELCFV Brand Strategy
more likely to donate than those who perceive themselves to be less generous and/or less
financially stable.
Competitive Differentiators
To preface this section, the nature of ELCFV’s work uses community partnerships which
are leveraged for the greater good of the entire community. The term “competitor” for this
analysis is used to identify those nonprofits whose services are similar to those of ELCFV and
thus could be appealing to the same pool of local donors. All of the named competitors hold
contracts and/or memoranda of understanding with ELCFV for various funding and services.
These competitors are Mid Florida Community Services Head Start/Early Head Start, Easterseals
Northeast Central Florida, and United Way Volusia-Flagler for their Help Me Grow Florida
program.
One competitive advantage is rooted in its very existence. The Early Learning Coalition
of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc. is the designated administrator of the School Readiness
(SR) and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs. It is the only entity receiving federal
funding passed through the states to manage local child care contracts and administer subsidies
wasting resources on duplicative services, ELCFV maintains partnerships with its perceived
competitors, allowing it to leverage its funding where the community need is greatest. One
example of this leverage of partnerships is with the local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
programs. Representatives from Mid Florida Community Services Head Start/Early Head Start
and United Way Volusia-Flagler serve on the Task Force for this program while ELCFV is the
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Luffarelli, J., Stamatogiannakis, A., & Yang, H. (2019). The Visual Asymmetry Effect: An
Interplay of Logo Design and Brand Personality on Brand Equity. Journal of Marketing
Lwin, M., Phau, I., & Lim, A. (2014). An Investigation of the Characteristics of Australian
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https://doi.org/10.1080/10495142.2014.965074
Marco, J. (2017, November 14). 12 Archetypes Guide Culture, Communications and Change.
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business-card/
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Pandey, S., Kim, M., & Pandey, S. K. (2017). Do Mission Statements Matter for Nonprofit
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