Branding for Behavioral Health Success Story
Branding Challenge
The story of OneEighty began as the combination of two distinct organizations, STEPS at Liberty Center and Every Woman’s House, under one umbrella. The ambition was to establish a dynamic, integrated health system for people experiencing addiction, mental health, and domestic violence issues. However, the challenge was finding ways to unite everyone (internal and external) around a common identity.
After two years of trying to rebrand themselves as Liberty Center Connections, the name gained little traction or loyalty. Both leaders and employees wanted to retain their old identities, creating further confusion about who they were and what they did. As a result, they turned to designRoom to help them establish a new brand that would signal their evolution while building on existing equities and reinforcing their commitment to the community.
Branding Insight
The organization had completed some research during previous branding work, and we enriched the existing data through a collaborative, two-day discovery session with key stakeholders – the CEO, key staff members, and the branding committee – to uncover mutual values, attributes, and strengths of the combined organizations.
Branding Solution
After analyzing the synergies between the organizations, we determined that they shared a common thread of empowering their clients to shift the direction of their lives. The universal theme of changing direction, or doing a 180 degree turn, led to the creation of the name OneEighty.
Beyond the name, we created a new visual system and tagline inspired by the idea of helping people change directions. The multicolored logo represents the blending of two organizations and services, while the arch or half circle signifies the 180-degree turn, as well as an individual’s path to recovery.
Branding Impact
Today, OneEighty is a united organization that possesses greater credibility and momentum within their community.
The new brand was unveiled at an annual event in 2016, receiving universal applause and positive feedback.
Even more importantly, the brand positioned OneEighty to quickly launch their $2 million capital Campaign for Recovery, which supports the development of a new residential treatment center for women. As the organization continues to seek community support and funding, it can do so as a cohesive unit that shares a common purpose and aligned values.
“We were never quite sure how to connect the dots for the local community to the many life-saving services we provide. We hated to see people traveling to the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center when there was high-quality care in their backyard. Through our improved digital marketing efforts, we are making strides in our community and gaining traction for our many beneficial services and programs.”