Better Portland

Brand Identity System / Brand Guidelines / WebSITE
Bold blue background with silhouettes of birds flying, a statue of a man on horseback holding a flag, a tall monument, and trees, with the text 'Better Portland' in the center.

Better Portland works to advance the growth and impact of the Portland community by fostering clarity in its mission and creating positive, engaging change.

  • SITUATION

    Better Portland approached us with a request to help rethink and relaunch their organization following several significant changes. The most pivotal change was the appointment of a new Executive Director, Stephen Green. Stephen, known for his visionary leadership, aimed to prepare Better Portland for the next decade of growth and impact, ensuring the organization could adapt to the evolving needs of the community it serves.

    PROBLEM

    Despite having a steadfast mission, Better Portland's positioning and messaging lacked clarity and coherence. The board frequently struggled to succinctly and clearly communicate the organization's purpose to stakeholders, partners, and the community. Additionally, the general public often found their previous name, "Business for a Better Portland," hard to pronounce and remember, which hindered engagement and support.

    SOLUTION

    We embarked on a comprehensive rebrand initiative, meticulously reconstructing the brand from its core foundation: brand name, mission, vision, values, tone and voice, brand visual system, and a completely new website. This process involved deep collaboration with the board and key stakeholders to ensure every aspect of the brand resonated with their goals and objectives. One of the greatest achievements was the clarity we provided, which empowered the board members to confidently articulate what Better Portland stands for, its purpose, and how it plans to make a lasting impact on the community. The new branding elements were designed to be memorable, engaging, and reflective of the organization's renewed commitment to growth and positive change.

Close-up of a printed page with large bold text highlighted in blue background, with part of the sentence reading 'In the business of making Portland better'.
Close-up of a smartphone screen displaying an Instagram profile with the username 'wearebetterpdx', profile picture with a yellow background and black question mark, 347 posts, 11k followers, and 78 following, with a yellow background.
A woman smiling with long wavy hair in front of a stylized illustration of a building with two towers, surrounded by flying birds on a blue background.
A person holding a smartphone displaying a graphic of a city skyline, a woman with gray hair, and green birds, with the text 'Real Impact' at the bottom.
A screenshot of a website titled 'Better Portland' with images of three diverse people, a city skyline, trees, and a yellow background. The site has a navigation menu with links to About us, Events, Podcast, Directory, and a blue button to 'Become a member'. The main text reads 'Business together makes Portland better'.
A light-colored outdoor kiosk with a bright yellow sign that reads, 'In the business of making Portland better.' There is a grassy hillside with small yellow flowers and bushes in the background.
A political sign leaning against plants and a metal structure with the message: 'Business together makes Portland better.' The sign includes photos of three people, each with a colored outline, and the 'Better Portland' logo at the bottom.
Person holding an orange tote bag with the Better Portland logo standing against a metal fence background.

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