The Upside Contact: Asher Rumack (213)

The Upside

June 22, 2012

The Ojai Foundation Brand Report

Project Summary

The Ojai Foundation has engaged The Upside to help develop its long-term brand identity and positioning strategy, designed to communicate the activities and relevance of the organization more clearly and appealingly to the Foundation’s community (staff, volunteers, partners, donors), prospective donors, program participants and our international audience at large.

The process began with the Brand Workshop, a session in which Ojai Foundation leadership expressed thoughts and feelings about The Ojai Foundation brand—where it stands today, and where it would like to go in the future.

This Brand Report summarizes the findings of the Brand Workshop, expresses the unique positioning and brand essence of the Foundation moving forward, and proposes strategic messaging campaigns designed to bring The Ojai Foundation to a new height of esteem for all of its audiences and communities.

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Part I

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The Ojai Foundation Story

The Ojai Foundation is a mission-focused non-profit organization that has facilitated self-awakening, self-discovery and community development in regions worldwide for over 35 years. Primarily by utilizing the practice of Council and offering personal and group retreats to its Land Sanctuary in the Ojai Valley, the Foundation has become world-renowned for guiding seekers in a re-connection with the natural world, the natural self and their communities. The Ojai Foundation works within a society deeply fractured by the forces of materialism, urbanity and emotional illiteracy to promote community, sustainability, peace, love and social intelligence.

Challenges

From a branding perspective, The Ojai Foundation lacks a strong, centralized brand identity. In addition, the relationship between the Foundation and its three initiatives— the Land Sanctuary, the Center for Council Practice and Council in Schools—can be re-calculated in order to better serve all parties.

Perhaps due to the above inefficacies, the Foundation’s brand presentation and messaging lack clarity. In the absence of clear brand definition, outsiders may find the brand old-fashioned, ‘new-agey,’ ‘cultish’ or idle.

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Audiences

The audiences identified in the Brand Workshop are listed below, sorted as either Primary or Secondary Audience and organized by demographic category.

Primary Audiences

Fundraisers • Activists

• Grantwriters / Donors • High Net Worth Individuals • “The 1%”

Group Planners • Activists • Caregivers

• Community Builders

• Corporate Planners / Business Leaders • Deep Ecologists • Educators • Faith Communities • School Parents • Retreat Coordinators • School Administrators Partners & Allies

• Activists • “Alumni”

• Community Builders

• Corporate Planners / California Business Leaders • Faith Communities

• Local Ojai Business Leaders • Kindred Organizations • Media Partners

• Social Service Non-Profit Directors TOF Community

• Board of Directors

• Ongoing Initiative Participants • Staffs

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Secondary Audiences

Program Participants • Activists • Educators

• Homeschoolers & Online Schoolers • Land Stewards

• Parents / Families • Spiritual Practitioners • “The 99%”

• “The Marginalized”

• Youth / Children / Students Potential Ambassadors / Influencers

• Academics • Activists • Educators • Media At Large • Public Figures Guest Speakers • Healers • Practitioners • Public Figures • Spiritual Leaders

Additional Psychographic Info

Qualities of our audiences: • Seekers

• Busy People

• Alternative Thinkers / “Progressives” • Cultural Creatives

• Early Adopters • Ethically-Minded • People in Transition • Lovers of Earth

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Competitors and Potential Allies

Summary

The Workshop group identified a handful of other organizations in TOF’s landscape. Below is a cross-section of this set, along with a survey of the brand presentation of each. In summary, TOF would appear to have a clear opportunity to distinguish itself through a refreshed brand. Notably, few of the organizations examined below deliver a clear brand or unifying message. Especially in the realm of spiritual retreat and practice organizations, the brands are nearly indistinguishable from one another; three of the four in this category use an uninspiring tan color along with the typecasted ‘Eastern spiritual’ font.

One exemplary brand presentation is Big Brothers / Big Sisters, which uses the line “Start Something” to motivate its constituency. The slogan, which is commendable because of its simultaneous simplicity on the one hand, yet action-inspiring meaning on the other, appears consistently throughout all of the site’s communications, unifying the organization’s diverse public-facing information under one idea.

Survey Findings

CASEL

Communications Platform: (n/a) Color Palette: Blue and White

Mission Statement: To establish social and emotional learning as an essential part of

education.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Advance the science of social and emotional

learning; be a leader in the field of SEL.

Comments: Scientific/methodological/instructional approach to public-facing image,

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Responsive Classroom

Communications Platform: Educators creating safe, challenging and joyful elementary

schools

Color Palette: Blue, yellow, white

Mission Statement: The Responsive Classroom approach is a widely used,

research-backed approach to elementary education that increases academic achievement, decreases problem behaviors, improves social skills, and leads to more high-quality instruction.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Provides tools for parents/educators to

improve their schools

Comments: Youthful look that borders on juvenile, to go with elementary website

design. Literature on site targets parents, teachers and administrators, promoting a grassroots implementation of their theory. Feels energetic and purposeful, but small.

Achievement First

Communications Platform: Education = Freedom Color Palette: Blue and White

Mission Statement: The mission of Achievement First is to deliver on the promise of

equal educational opportunity for all of America’s children.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Charter school education focused on closing

achievement gap.

Comments: None.

Green Dot

Communications Platform: (n/a) Color Palette: Green and white

Mission Statement: Green Dot Public Schools is committed to changing the landscape

of public education in Los Angeles so that every child can go to a good school and be successful in college, leadership, and life.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Charter schools aimed at educating the

underserved and raising the standard for public school education.

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Agape

Communications Platform: A community… A practice… An embodiment of evolving

consciousness

Color Palette: (n/a)

Mission Statement: A movement that would take a stand for love, for peace, for being a

beneficial presence on the planet.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Literature, workshops and spiritual teachings Comments: Very weak messaging, feels outdated and small. Public image leans heavily

on founder Michael Bernard Beckwith, who is probably not recognizable enough to appeal to new audiences. Openly denominational with a habit for soft/obscure wording.

Non-Violent Communication

Communications Platform: (n/a) Color Palette: (n/a)

Mission Statement: The Center for Nonviolent Communication is a global organization

that supports the learning and sharing of NVC, and helps people peacefully and effectively resolve conflicts in personal, organizational, and political settings.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Practice groups, instructor training.

Comments: Site presentation is cluttered and confusing. Brand lacks any consistency.

Tree People

Communications Platform: (n/a) Color Palette: Various greens and white

Mission Statement: TreePeople’s mission is to inspire, engage and support people to

take personal responsibility for the urban environment, making it safe, healthy, fun and sustainable and to share the process as a model for the world.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Action-oriented links from homepage; educate

and advance environmental issues; centered on one property of land.

Comments: Despite a lack of overt brand message, has a great graphic presentation and

simple communication of the brand. Perhaps the organization name is descriptive enough to accommodate the absence of messaging.

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Fetzer Institute

Communications Platform: love – forgiveness - compassion Color Palette: Blue, charcoal, white, orange

Mission Statement: We engage with people around the world to foster awareness of the

power of love and forgiveness in our global community.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Scientific research; Michigan retreat centers. Comments: Does a great job of strongly driving home the themes of love and

forgiveness throughout the site.

Big Brothers / Big Sisters

Communications Platform: Start Something Color Palette: (n/a)

Mission Statement: Provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring,

professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Youth mentoring

Comments: Extremely compelling presentation, big attractive images, consistent

messaging. Name describes the functionality so tagline functions inspirationally. Bold without losing integrity / authenticity. Speaks strongly to both potential donor and potential volunteer audiences.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Communications Platform: Unity – Service – Recovery Color Palette: (n/a)

Mission Statement: Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to

achieve sobriety.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: 12-step recovery program, testimonials Comments: More than any other organization, AA captures and owns the notion of

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TED

Communications Platform: Ideas worth spreading Color Palette: Red, black, white

Mission Statement: Spreading ideas.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Marquee offering is online lecture videos from

experts on a variety of subjects

Comments: Incredibly strong brand, remains simple and lets the product do the

speaking. Builds equity through strength of guest speakers and quality of video.

Esalen

Communications Platform: (n/a) Color Palette: Tan, black

Mission Statement: Esalen is a leading center for exploring and realizing human

potential through experience, education, and research.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Workshops, land visits, hot springs,

alternative/experiential education, research, conferences

Comments: Despite its large reputation, Esalen’s brand presentation feels small. Tan

and black color scheme is drab, almost depressing; the site overestimates web visitor’s patience—way too much to read on the site and navigation is not user-friendly or clear.

Omega Institute

Communications Platform: Awakening the best in the human spirit Color Palette: Aqua-blue and white

Mission Statement: Through innovative educational experiences that awaken the best in

the human spirit, Omega provides hope and healing for individuals and society.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Training, workshops, retreats, education,

scholarships, work-study

Comments: Site shows a compelling, brand-driven slideshow of photos with supporting

brand headlines. Color scheme is attractive and uplifting but messaging could be improved.

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Tassajara

Communications Platform: Find the rhythm of your breath… Color Palette: Tan and black

Mission Statement: The purpose of San Francisco Zen Center is to make accessible and

embody the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha as expressed in the Soto Zen tradition established by Dogen Zenji in 13th-century Japan and conveyed to us by Suzuki Roshi and other Buddhist teachers.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Retreats, work-study, training, guest stays. Comments: The Tassajara brand architecture uses the ‘Driver’ model, separating the

SFZC brand wholly from Tassajara. All in all, Tassajara hardly distinguishes itself from Esalen in branding terms, but to its credit the tagline is appealing and focused.

Upaya

Communications Platform: (n/a) Color Palette: Crimson and tan

Mission Statement: Upaya’s Mission is to support a sincere and dedicated practice

community to serve others by providing training, service, and programs for social and individual transformation.

Key Services & Engagement Strategies: Retreats, education, podcasts & videos,

training

Comments: Simple presentation that can be wordy at times. Follows other spiritual’s

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Brand Architecture

The Workshop group discussed at length The Ojai Foundation’s Brand Architecture, which is perhaps the most crucial unanswered question for the brand strategy going forward. Specifically, how will The Ojai Foundation as a “macro” brand relate to each of its three initiatives?

The two favored options from which each initiative may choose its ultimate relationship to The Ojai Foundation are:

1. Endorser Model (e.g. “Doubletree Suites by Hilton”)

a. The initiative possesses visual priority and is accompanied by a line associating it with The Ojai Foundation – “A program of The Ojai Foundation”

2. Co-Driver Model (e.g. “Hilton Garden Inn”)

a. The initiative shares roughly equal visual significance with The Ojai Foundation – “The Ojai Foundation’s Land Sanctuary”

Some factors to consider in deciding which model best serves The Ojai Foundation are: • Which brand—the initiative or the Foundation—has most equity in the

environment(s) in which it will be used?

• How closely should our audiences associate the initiative with the Foundation? Is it a “daughter” brand or a “nephew?”

• Is the Foundation’s brand strength different in Ojai then it may be, for example, in inner-city Los Angeles?

In order for the group to gain further contextual substance in advance of this decision, Upside will continue researching examples of existing companies that use varying models of the above options. This is a decision that ultimately will need to be made early in the rebranding process.

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Part II

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Brand Dimensions

Brand Dimensions are the pillars that make up the Foundation for the brand’s meaning— the supporting ideas for the brand essence. They contain the “personality traits” that define the brand and shape how we behave and are perceived. The components of The Ojai Foundation brand from which all tangible and intangible benefits derive are:

• The Three Initiatives – carrying out the mission of the Foundation

• Empathy and Compassion – we’re driven by mutual support and understanding • Balance and Reciprocity – the calm of mutual security, happiness and peace • Having A Voice and Being Heard – an overlooked rarity in a multitasking world • ‘Disruptive Technology’ – against-the-grain solutions for modern problems • Collective Intelligence and Emotion – in a circle we’re ever more capable • Wisdom of the Group – togetherness as a vehicle for empowerment • Awaken and Discover – expanding our consciousness and reconnecting • Heartful Intelligence – tapping the potential of communicating from the heart • Meeting A Basic Human Need – emotional fortitude is essential for survival • The Whole Person, The Whole Community – a healthy ecosystem needs both • Heritage Of The Land – earth-based spirituality is where it all started

Dimensions T H RE E IN IT IA T IV E S E M P A T H Y A N D CO M P A S S IO N BA L A N CE A N D RE CIP RO CIT Y H A V IN G A V O ICE A N D BE IN G H E A RD D IS RU P T IV E T E CH N O L O G Y CO L L E CT IV E IN T E L L IG E N CE A N D E M O T IO N W IS D O M O F T H E G RO U P A W A K E N A N D D IS CO V E R H E A RT F U L IN T E L L IG E N CE M E E T IN G A BA S IC H U M A N N E E D WHOLE P E RS O N , W H O L E CO M M U N IT Y H E RIT A G E O F T H E L A N D

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Brand Essence

A brand’s essence is its core. The essence describes the key differentiating thoughts, feelings and associations by which an organization’s audiences should most simply understand it. The brand essence, derived directly from themes found within the brand dimensions, is a vital part of branding as it influences every expression and manifestation of the brand, whether in advertising or in organizational culture. The central phrases that encapsulate the mission, values and personality of The Ojai Foundation brand are:

• Harmony

o Finding peace with ourselves, each other, our communities and the natural world

o Everyone has an important role – each story is significant, each voice is unique

o The Ojai Foundation community flourishes with teamwork, collaboration and co-creation

• Social Capital for Social Justice

o The wisdom of the group is more powerful than the wisdom of one o Social and emotional literacy help shape the ‘whole person’ within a

community

o Experiences in Council and on the Land provide powerful and unforgettable moments of growth

• The Health of Connecting

o The Foundation provides an often-overlooked basic human need: community

o Council and connections with nature give us intangible tools to help us survive and thrive as human beings

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Dimensions and Essence

HARMONY SOCIAL CAPITAL FOR

SOCIAL JUSTICE THE HEALTH OF CONNECTING T H RE E IN IT IA T IV E S E M P A T H Y A N D CO M P A S S IO N BA L A N CE A N D RE CIP RO CIT Y H A V IN G A V O ICE A N D BE IN G H E A RD D IS RU P T IV E T E CH N O L O G Y CO L L E CT IV E IN T E L L IG E N CE A N D E M O T IO N W IS D O M O F T H E G RO U P A W A K E N A N D D IS CO V E R H E A RT F U L IN T E L L IG E N CE M E E T IN G A BA S IC H U M A N N E E D W H O L E P E RS O N , W H O L E CO M M U N IT Y H E RIT A G E O F T H E L A N D

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Long-Term Communications Platform

Our Essence and Dimensions serve as long-term brand definers. Atop our

communications platform, we have a flexible space for short-term messages. We will from time to time select single thoughts, presented as campaigns, to lead our marketing messaging. The ideal campaign speaks to the brand elements below it as clearly and accurately as possible while driving consumer / partner interest in the organization.

Communications Platform

?

[Key Message / Campaign Line]

HARMONY SOCIAL CAPITAL FOR _{SOCIAL JUSTICE} THE HEALTH OF _CONNECTING

T H RE E IN IT IA T IV E S E M P A T H Y A N D CO M P A S S IO N BA L A N CE A N D RE CIP RO CIT Y H A V IN G A V O ICE A N D BE IN G H E A RD D IS RU P T IV E T E CH N O L O G Y CO L L E CT IV E IN T E L L IG E N CE A N D E M O T IO N W IS D O M O F T H E G RO U P A W A K E N A N D D IS CO V E R H E A RT F U L IN T E L L IG E N CE M E E T IN G A BA S IC H U M A N N E E D W H O L E P E RS O N , W H O L E CO M M U N IT Y H E RIT A G E O F T H E L A N D

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Part III

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Suggested Messages and Campaigns

Consistent with the Long-Term Communications Platform, Campaigns are shorter-term brand communications that speak to one or two overarching ideas by which target audiences should identify the organization. The most successful campaigns are:

• Simple • On-brand

• Catchy/Appealing • Extendable/Versatile

• Executed throughout messaging

It is worth reiterating here that Campaign efforts are wholly separate from the Brand Essence, and are optional by definition. Brand building is certainly aided by an effective campaign, and the two can work in conjunction, but they should be thought of as two separate initiatives. The simplest way to distinguish them is to say that a Brand Essence is basically permanent, while a Campaign is basically temporary.

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Key Message 1: Circle

Rationale:

- Based on extremely powerful and extendable symbol of the circle, representative

of wholeness, balance, unity, cycle of life, medicine wheel

- Lends itself to clear visual influence on graphic logo, website, promotional

materials and Council methodology. Great potential for differentiating theme (e.g. circular brochures)

CAMPAIGN: CIRCLE UP

- Utilizes the casual phrase ‘Circle Up’ meant to encourage cooperation of a gathering of people. Probably spoken before each council.

- Command tense is inspirational, active

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Key Message 2: Whole

Rationale:

- Touches on each of the three key tenets of the Brand Essence

- Connotes healing, equilibrium, community, cooperation, nature, purity, perfection CAMPAIGN: A WHOLE WORLD

- Double meaning: points to both the magnitude/reach of the Foundation’s impact (whole meaning entire) AND to the concept of wholeness (whole meaning complete, fulfilled)

- Plays on the oft-used phrase “the whole world”

- Describes both who we are today and who we are aspirationally

- Specifically does not include a verb, because TOF is already sustaining / practicing “a whole world” – TOF is synonymous with a whole world

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Key Message 3: Voice

Rationale

- Foregrounds TOF brand attributes: having a voice and being heard, open

communication, connection, self-expression, belonging, etc

- As our most basic form of communication, voice is inextricably linked with power CAMPAIGN: SO GOOD TO HEAR YOUR VOICE

- Speaker is intentionally unspecific – hearing your voice is good for the Foundation, good for the group, good for you, and good in general

- Uses affectionate phrase spoken when one person feels connection via vocal communication

- Implies openness, transparency, a willingness to listen – all of which are attributes of TOF’s offerings as well as TOF’s relations with the outside world

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Tactical Branding And Marketing Recommendations

1. Rebrand The Ojai Foundation and its initiatives within a system in accordance with leadership’s pending decision on Brand Architecture.

2. Reconsider the tagline “Timeless Wisdom – Timely Action.” The current tagline is meaningful, but passive. Stand apart from much of the competition by using commands or more active words/phrasings.

3. Center marketing activities around the new communications platform. (As this is highly campaign-specific, more details will follow.)

4. Ensure that the organization is constantly radiating the brand essence as defined above. The brand essence should always inform business decisions and the day-to-day actions, both on staff and broader company levels:

a. Reflect it in both internal- and external-facing messaging such as website, staff training philosophies, Land offices, organizational literature,

automated phone recordings

b. Always consider it as part of public relations strategies, media strategies and business partnerships

c. When making decisions and shaping strategy, always ask ‘Is this

consistent with the Brand Essence?’; ‘How can I more strongly reiterate the brand?’

5. Enhance the Foundation’s digital presence, including the following: a. Re-fashion the website to include improved messaging and simpler

presentation of information.

b. Social media, to the extent possible, should be fully integrated to maintain a conversation with the Foundation’s audiences. Facebook Connect should be incorporated into site pages.

c. Seathos.org and Bbbs.org are terrific design and messaging models to follow.

d. ‘Donate’ and ‘Get Involved’ calls to action should be the most inviting links.

e. Provide original content – blog or otherwise – in order to position the Foundation as an authority on spirituality, Council, land stewardship, etc. Upload video content in the model of TED (e.g. guest speaker lectures and other meaningful Foundation events).

6. Seek out strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations (whether for- or non-profit) to reach our audiences and connect more deeply with current constituents.