Classroom Central
A full rebrand breathes new life into this non-profit
Brief
We had been working with Classroom Central for several years in both a partner and pro bono capacity when they approached us with a huge challenge. How do we rebrand this multi-million dollar non-profit while still holding true to their mission, getting a buy-in from the team and volunteers and still making sure their corporate donors recognize them? Challenge accepted!
Colorful Creative was thrilled to build a new brand from the ground up with values exercises that initiated the staff buy-in, created a unique and powerful brand guide for them to use with vendors, media and partners, and created dynamic interior graphics to bring the brand to life in their newly renovated space.
We helped support many of their large fundraising events with targeted marketing and materials, and watched their returns multiply year after year. We also had the pleasure of helping launch an annual giving society a few years back by creating the logo and materials for the program and Mandy even had the opportunity to paint an original piece for them to create prints from to give as gifts to the society’s members.
Deliverables
Our work at Classroom Central’s spans the spectrum of services offered at Colorful Creative and then some! Not only have they used our branding services extensively, but we have also contributed writing, campaign ideas, branding, coding, project management, interior space design, and connected them with partners that have also helped them reach their goals. And because we are so passionate about their mission, Mandy Barrett also volunteers her time on Classroom Central’s Marketing Committee and Classroom Central is one of the original members of the Colorful Creative Collective (whew, that’s a lot of C’s) and we now contribute financially to them each year.
Results
Our consistent branding and messaging helped Classroom Central in their massive funding efforts in 2019. Having an easy to navigate wordpress website enabled them to quickly change course in what they were offering in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and they were able to continue to help teachers and students despite the major shifts in business model. And when it was time to rebrand the business, we made a huge splash in the community with the new look and the new facility and Classroom Central had it’s most successful fundraising year ever in 2022. And because they had a brand that was easy to implement across all of their platforms, when they hired a new marketing person to their staff, it was easy for her to quickly learn the brand and take their social media in a confident direction while incorporating her strengths to come up with more messaging to move the companies message forward.
“When Classroom Central decided to create a formal society for multi-year, major donors, we worked with Mandy to completely brand the program. In addition to creating the logo for Society for Excellent Education (SEED), Mandy created all of the branding, brochures, and even painted an original piece to be given away to the inaugural members. As a direct result of the branding and marketing that Mandy created, 52 families signed up in the first five months, resulting in committed gifts exceeding $670,000.”
– Beth Cup, Director of Development
I have worked with Mandy Barrett at Colorful Creative over the past 16 years, in my roles at advertising/marketing agencies, for-profit companies and charitable organizations – I have brought her with me to every job I have taken and for good reason. In my 35 years of working professionally, Mandy is one of the few creative people I have come across who understand business. Her strategic direction is as keen as her creative eye, and her follow-through stands against any marketing director I’ve ever encountered. She gets s(&%t done! I have recommended Mandy to numerous other people and have received the same positive feedback from each and every one of them. Whether it’s designing a logo, branding a new company, rebranding an existing company or creating compelling materials to make people take action, Mandy can make it happen
Mandy Barrett at Colorful Creative brings a unique suite of skills combining creativity, discipline, excellent interaction with the staff, and a commitment to quality and follow-through. Most recently Colorful Creative rebuilt and rebranded our web site and the work was on time, on budget, and resulted in a beautiful, inviting, and functional interface. We are grateful to Mandy and her team for their outstanding service and commitment to Davidson Lands Conservancy.
Working with Mandy has been a wonderful experience. Her keen eye for design allows her to transform a simple idea into something that is truly amazing. She is an unbelievable artist and continues to impress me with her creativity, dedication and passion for her work. In addition, she is a genuine person who is always willing to jump-in and help the team out. From project management, client and vendor relations, IT support, copywriting, you name it she has done it successfully. Simply put, Mandy is the complete package and I would recommend her in a heartbeat.
A true visionary when it comes to design, Mandy Barrett has a unique talent for identifying the needs of her clients—often before they even know themselves! Not only is her work impeccable, but the passion she has for her profession is obvious from the moment you meet her. Press time can be tremendously stressful, but Mandy handles everything in stride, always positive and upbeat. In fact, her personality makes her super fun and easy to work with. If I only had two words to describe Mandy, they would be Crazy Creative! She has a knack for seeing things other designers don’t and she knows how to bring layouts alive through her extensive knowledge of typography, color theory, and composition. You should see the beautiful redesign she did for our publication! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mandy for any design project. If you hire her, you won’t be disappointed!
Mandy is the most creative person I have ever worked with! She is an excellent leader and a fantastic team member because she sees each project in its entirety. Whether Mandy is taking the lead or contributing to the whole she is a graphic designer that can make any project successful. Her broad knowledge base encompasses sales, marketing, public relations, print, TV, on-line, social media, newsletters, blogs, ad/coupon creation, website design and more. If you have a need for a graphic designer that thinks out of the box and is not afraid to offer advice, then you’ve come to the right place.
Quite simply, Mandy is one of those very rare individuals who is both creative and analytical. Mandy has a great sense of style and can translate ideas into clean, simple and elegant design. She is highly skilled as a designer and possesses excellent communication skills. In addition, unlike most designers, Mandy is also quite adept at managing the production process for front end web design, email integration and virtually any print deliverable. She is a dedicated professional and a very pleasant, energetic person.
