The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama—a non-profit, non-partisan, public policy research group—has been giving lawmakers the information needed to make wise decisions since 1988. PARCA’s budget analyses have saved the state millions in taxpayer dollars, their reports on state test scores have contributed to rising graduation rates, and their just-the-facts-ma’am approach to government has helped promote best practices at all levels of government. The problem is, hardly anybody outside of Montgomery has heard of them.
Our team at Lewis Communications was charged with ushering PARCA, at long last, into the 21st century. They were a tricky client not only because of their objective, independent positioning but also because maintaining 501(c)3 status requires that an organization push no political agenda. When you’re trying to draw attention to your measured, reasonable research in a climate of partisan furor, it’s hard to say much of anything without sounding like an advocate.
Our approach, then, was to streamline and modernize both their look and the way they communicate. It’s important to PARCA that they not change their messaging, and so I sought to broaden their reach while maintaining their integrity. This project culminated in a total brand redesign and a streamlining of their core messaging.
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