We always love doing work for nonprofits and we recently finished developing a nonprofit brand from the ground up. What was formerly CollegeSUCCESS will be Beyond12 in a few weeks once their new Web site and brand goes live. We sat down with founder and CEO Alex Bernadotte to ask her some questions about her company’s brand, her background, and Beyond12. Beyond12 is true social entrepreneurship–it is a national nonprofit organization looking to increase the number of first generation, underrepresented and low-income students who graduate from colleges and universities. If you have any other questions for Alex, please comment here.

 Why did you decide to hire Corey as your branding firm?

I had worked with Chris Klaehn and Corey previously on several projects and was very impressed and satisfied with their work. Since Beyond 12 is my “baby” so to speak, I wanted to work with a firm that I already had trust and confidence in, so naturally I turned to Corey first.

What was the most important message you were looking to convey with the redesign of your Web site?

Beyond 12 is a new organization so Corey developed our brand from scratch – our name, our logo, our tagline, our brochure and other collateral, and our website. As a nonprofit startup, it was really important for us to drive home the point that we are a mission-driven “experienced” and “exciting” brand. Because we work with several stakeholders (high school and college administrators, college students, policymakers, etc.) we needed a brand and website that appeals to a very diverse audience. This is never an easy task, but Corey was able to help us prioritize and synthesize our message.

What did you like most about Corey’s thoughtful process?

I love the fact that Corey listened to us. What a novelty?! The team spent a lot of time with us initially to get a sense of who we are and to understand our mission and vision. They asked a lot of difficult questions, provided expert guidance but, in the end, they let us drive the process. As result, we ended up with a brand and materials that are truly reflective of who we are and what our organization aspires to be.

 Why did you decide to start Beyond12?

Many social entrepreneurs talk about having a “moment of obligation” that leads them to start their organizations. My “moment of obligation” began when I was a freshman at Dartmouth. Because I was the first person in my family to attend college, my transition from high school to college was difficult. My focus for 17 years in high school had been on getting in to college, but then I was not prepared for the journey after admission. But through a combination of hard work and peer support, I succeeded in also becoming the first in my family to graduate from college. My difficulties at Dartmouth planted the seed for my personal and professional commitment to ensure that all students have access to a college education and are given the tools to successfully navigate their college careers. Four years ago, during a meeting with a mentee, my moment of obligation crystallized. This young lady had just begun her sophomore year and was struggling to understand how and why she would succeed when so many of her friends had already dropped out. I was confident that I could help her realize her dream to graduate from college, but what about all her friends and other students like her who needed my help? I decided then that the field needed an organization to address these college retention challenges on a systemic level and so began Beyond12.

How did you get into the education industry?

I started working in education immediately after college and I’ve worked in this field in various capacities and for a variety of organizations, both for-profit and nonprofit, ever since.  

What was the most challenging part of starting a company?

The most challenging part of starting a company is managing the hundreds of competing priorities. On any given day, my “to do” list consists of about 100+ items that are all critical and there are, unfortunately, only 24 hours in a day. So, learning not to sweat the small stuff has been a real challenge, as has operating on 3 hours of sleep a night! However…no matter how challenging of a day I am having, I never forget that it is a privilege to wake up every day and actually call what I am doing “work.”

 What advice does Beyond12 give to students?

We work with our students to help them have the most successful college experience possible and to ensure that they are effective both in and out of the classroom. Ultimately, our goal is to make sure that our students graduate from college with a degree that provides them with meaningful economic and personal prospects - one that allows them to provide for their families, contribute to society, and break the cycle of poverty for the next generation. Some words that you’ll probably hear us say a lot to our students:

·       “College is not a destination but a steppingstone” – we remind them that the goal is to earn a degree that they can translate into a rewarding future. We encourage them to build a road map for their college journey and beyond

·       “College should not be a solitary experience” – we encourage our students to use all of the resources on their campuses, to visit their professors and advisors during office hours and, most importantly, to ask for help.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is getting up every day and doing something that I absolutely LOVE and am so passionate about. Not many people have the opportunity to combine their personal and professional passions so I consider myself very lucky.  

A week and a half ago, we at Corey hosted AIGA’s AFTA event at Barlow’s in South Boston for an evening of libations and a thoughtfully good time. AFTA is an agenda-free, social gathering of creative people in Boston area. Each month, a volunteer firm selects a location to host the event after work. 

To help folks mingle and strike up conversation with strangers (which, as many of us know,  does not come naturally to everyone), we created a game called Designergram, based on the ever popular “Bananagrams” game. Here’s how our game worked:

Each attendee selected a very cool designed letter printed on a circular sticker and wore it on his or her clothing.  They were asked to form any word or phrase with other people and their letters, then take a picture and email it to us.

Our goal was to engage the local Boston design community in an informal and easy way; the concept of AFTA itself, paired with the Designergram and our request for attendees to submit their photographs, is centered around social connection and immersion. When the event brought social media to an intriguing level, we knew we had succeeded: Throughout the evening, photos and updates from AFTA would appear in real-time on the Twitter and Facebook feeds of those in attendance and their friends.  One of our favorite Tweets, for example, was a photo of eight people lined up to spell “Typeface” with the accompanying text, “You know you’re with designers when…” 

 And, everyone had a wonderful time; we have photographic evidence.

Our Flickr page for the event

We are excited to introduce Julie Elanjian to our team! Julie is our newest Project Manager and works directly with our clients and the Corey team to ensure all aspects of our projects remain on schedule and budget. Julie joins us from iRobot where she was the Marketing Communications Manager. We have gotten to know Julie over the past few weeks, but we recently conducted a Q&A with her so everyone else can learn more about her. Feel free to let us know if you have any additional questions and enjoy.

Why did you join Corey?
I got the chance to work with Corey on a branding project with my previous employer, iRobot. I enjoyed working with the team, and had a great deal of respect for their methodology and talent. Each person on the Corey team was passionate and dedicated to delivering a quality job, which always leaves a great impression of a company. Having worked on the client side for many years, I also joined Corey to learn more by being on the agency side of the world.

What does brand mean to me?
To me, “brand” is a feeling. A brand speaks to its consumer and evokes emotion.

How do you inspire others?
By remaining positive and happy.

What’s your favorite quote?
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.” - Source Unknown

What are your passions outside of work?
Music is my #1 passion….listening, not playing:) I’m pretty much a chameleon when it comes to types of music I like, but my favorite is the blues.

How do you stay motivated?
Exercise and always looking for what’s next.

What are you most excited about in joining Corey?
The opportunity to work with such a talented group of people.

We are excited to introduce Emily Bottis, formerly with the Boston Science Museum. Emily comes to us with an in-depth understanding of technology. Learn more about Emily in this recent Q&A with her. Feel free to let us know if you have any additional questions!

Why did you decide to join Corey McPherson Nash?
As a technology professional I was excited to join Corey because I know their solutions are rooted in thoughtful marketing and business strategy. Creating any type of interactive, be it a website, mobile application or Facebook game - with well defined goals and strategy makes the end product much more usable and valuable. Corey also has a very strong and distinctive visual sense and I was excited to become part of their creative process and to combine technology with their outstanding design.

What does the word “brand” mean to you?
Brand to me is a living and changing embodiment of a company’s products, ideals, and actions. This definition really shines with social media - I love the idea of a brand following people, having friends, expressing opinions, and retweeting, etc. - it makes brands seem more approachable and alive.

What are your favorite brands?
Apple, of course! And Patagonia and HBO. I also like how social movements are branded, especially the “buy local” and slow food movements.

What are three things that make a brand successful?
1. Purpose. Brands need to do something and stand for something to be relevant and draw interest.

2. Attention to detail. Details matter across all the brand touch points. From pixels to serial commas, brands that pay attention to the small things seem to get the bigger things right.

3. Consistency. As ubiquitous contact becomes more and more prevalent across devices and sites, it is important for brands to be consistent in quality and message across platforms. It doesn’t make sense to have a great brand experience in person and then have a terrible iPhone application. Brands also need to play to the strengths of these different platforms.

Outside of work, what are your passions?
I come from a family of farmers so growing vegetables and gardening is a very strong passion. My family and I compete (mostly with each other) at country fairs with the produce we grow. It is old fashioned and hilarious - my mother is the big winner in the family. I am also into photography - I recently purchased an old Brownie camera from the 1950’s and have enjoyed shooting with it.

In today’s jobless recovery, applying for jobs and hiring employees is stressful. Job seekers send resumes out hoping their document will rise to the top of the pile, but not very confident it will. And employers prepare themselves to slog through applications hoping to find the right match.

In the midst of this tense environment, Monster.com, the premier global online employment site, asked us to create an interactive demo. The demo connects employers with quality job seekers at all levels and provides personalized career advice to consumers globally. Through its online media sites and services, Monster delivers qualified local candidates to business of all sizes.

The demo is designed to show the value of Monster’s hiring tools and how easy and effective they can be for companies of all sizes. The tone of the demo is fun and funky, but it also gives visitors the opportunity to halt the animation and to spend time exploring each of the tools. The demo concludes with a video of testimonials from enthusiastic customers.

Monster understands the true essence of its brand and we are proud to collaborate with them on projects that are core to their continued success. The demo is not just an employment tool. It is an extension of what sets Monster apart from other companies – a commitment to help both job seekers and employers get the advantage they need. And that, is thoughtful.