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Challenge
Houston’s nonprofit ESCAPE Family Resource Center, in its 25th year, decided to venture courageously into the world of marketing communications. Happily for us, Edge was selected as ESCAPE’s partner. We all immediately acknowledged that a key obstacle was presented by the organization’s name, which provides no clue to ESCAPE’s mission of preventing child abuse and neglect in Houston. With possible solutions in our sights, we felt quite honored when asked to develop a communications plan, a budget, a messaging matrix, and a variety of new assets for ESCAPE to use in raising its profile and heightening its effectiveness. |
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Contributions
After a comprehensive marketing communications audit, Edge developed a plan of action for year one. The adoption of a more informative and memorable url for showcasing ESCAPE’s new web site – you can now find it at www.LearnToParent.org – provided a centerpiece for the year’s initial activities. The new url enabled us to circumvent the organization’s problematic name. The ESCAPE board of directors elected also to buttress their organization’s messaging by publishing a donor-directed 2007 annual report, advertising on two outdoor boards on major freeways, and becoming a supporter of KUHF-FM, Houston’s NPR affiliate, thereby gaining on-air mentions. Concurrently, ESCAPE published the first edition of a newly designed e-newsletter, which re-connected the organization with supporters, volunteers, referral sources and service collaborators in early winter, 2007. As results of this early marketing push are monitored, additional activities are being planned for 2008. |
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Summing Up
Our partnership with ESCAPE is young and promising. We look forward to collaborating with the organization’s leaders and producing ideas, materials and other resources, with the goal of enhancing and enlarging ESCAPE’s public profile, while expanding both its family of supporters and the community of Houstonians ESCAPE serves. |
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I want to thank you on behalf of all ESCAPE's staff, board and families we serve for being one heart and one mind with us. You creativity and caring, your professionalism and attention to detail, are greatly appreciated."
Lidya K. Osadchey
Chief Executive Officer, ESCAPE Family Resource Center |
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