Lighthouse Guild
Where vision and health connect
Opportunity
In 2013, Lighthouse International and Jewish Guild for the Blind came together to form Lighthouse Guild, a nonprofit committed to ensuring that people affected by vision loss have the resources they need to live fully and independently. In a highly fragmented field with dozens of other unrelated “Lighthouses,” brand confusion was widespread. Additionally, despite its prevalence, vision loss lacked relevancy and urgency as an issue and cause.
As two brands with powerful legacies coming together, Lighthouse Guild had an opportunity to not only reach more people with vision loss, but also elevate the issue and unify the field.
Strategy
In late 2016, Lighthouse Guild engaged Additive in an organization-wide process to understand its audiences, clarify its story and amplify its impact. To inform our work, we conducted extensive research with key audiences, including healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers and donors, as well as board members and staff. These conversations culminated in a refocused strategy, reenergized messaging and a refreshed look and feel.
Research confirmed that Lighthouse Guild offered what audiences seek —to be connected to care, confidence and community. However, it needed to tell its story and present its offerings in a more intuitive and inspiring way. The brand strategy, “where care and confidence connect,” elevates Lighthouse Guild as a comprehensive resource that brings together the right people, programs and partners, so everyone affected by vision loss can live fully and independently.
To bring the brand strategy to life, we developed a dynamic look and feel, built around a powerful new mark. In a space where literal “lighthouses” are ubiquitous, the new visual identity was an opportunity to stand out. Inspired by a building block, while also signifying an arrow, the logo symbol projects a sense of movement from a position of strength. The two pieces coming together reinforce Lighthouse Guild’s role as a connector. And the arrow symbolizes how Lighthouse Guild shows the way to a full, meaningful and productive life.
The color palette honors Lighthouse Guild’s legacy blue, while shifting to a more approachable purple and vibrant green. While the purple evokes trust for patients, practitioners and professionals, the green infuses the system with a sense of vitality, underscoring the organization’s commitment to vision as a window to people’s health. Through a robust set of iconography, illustration and photography styles, as well as graphic elements and patterns, the visual toolkit helps Lighthouse Guild show its impact story more efficiently and effectively.
Finally, we recommended a more intuitive way to connect Lighthouse Guild’s diverse offerings, both visually and verbally, so people can find the resources they need more easily, and understand the breadth of the organization’s impact more completely.
Key Deliverables
- Brand Strategy
- Brand Architecture
- Strategic Messaging
- Customer Journey Mapping
- Brand Activation Planning
- Logo and Visual Identity
- Brand Guidelines
- Collateral Design
- Template Development
Results
In the fall of 2017, Lighthouse Guild launched its revitalized brand to coincide with the opening of its new central location. With Additive’s support, Lighthouse Guild has begun implementing their new identity across all points of interaction, from patient outreach and donor communications to professional conferences and fundraising events. Additionally, Lighthouse Guild will also be launching a new website in its new look and feel in 2018.
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