Work
Change Machine

Uniting the brand of a nonprofit and its social enterprise

Brands
Family and community
Social justice

A nonprofit committed to financial security wanted to reflect on its mission and reinforce its focus on systemic change while also planning the launch of their popular financial technology platform on the Salesforce AppExchange.

From direct service to technology and systemic change.

The Financial Clinic was founded in 2005 as a financial coaching provider focused on building the economic security of people with little to no income. Over time, The Financial Clinic focused on building the capacity of organizations to provide financial coaching and shaping public policies that advance an equitable economy. They created a powerful financial coaching platform for nonprofits and social service agencies called Change Machine. This social enterprise quickly became the main vehicle to scale their mission and make a nationwide impact.

A single name for the entire organization.

With plans to migrate Change Machine to the Salesforce AppExchange, The Financial Clinic began questioning the efficacy of their primary brand and sub-brand (Change Machine had its own name, logo, and visuals). The name, “The Financial Clinic,” no longer reflected their focus, so they called on Big Duck to examine their brand architecture and set their rebrand in motion. We developed a new brand strategy and assets to set them up for a seamless launch, including officially changing their name to Change Machine.

ChangeMachine_Logo
1/7
We developed a logo that united the organization and their social enterprise under one identity.
ChangeMachine_Taglines
2/7
We explored inclusion, equity, and systemic change in their tagline.
ChangeMachine_BrandGuide
3/7
A shareable and accessible online brand guide ensures all staff have the new brand assets on hand.
ChangeMachine_Mission
4/7
We developed a mission statement that explained what they do and reinforced their brand strategy.
ChangeMachine_Templates
5/7
Flexible, easy-to-use templates save time and ensure consistency.
ChangeMachine_Salesforce2
6/7
New brand assets were developed to work well on the Salesforce AppExchange.
ChangeMachine_Banner
7/7
We ensured the brand would stand out in both digital and physical contexts.

Technology for an equitable economy

Big Duck developed their visionary tagline, Technology for an equitable economy, as well as comprehensive messaging that clearly articulated their story and the systemic issues they’re working to solve. With this strong starting point, staff and board members found it easier to write and talk about what Change Machine does and why.

Two voices become one

After conducting and evaluating research and analyzing their strategic direction, we advised The Financial Clinic toward a simpler brand architecture strategy (i.e., one brand, no clear sub-brands). The key feature of this approach was using the “Change Machine” name organization-wide. Streamlining their brand architecture and building on the visibility and strength of “Change Machine” offered the organization a flexible system for communicating about future products and initiatives cohesively. It also meant they would also save time and resources maintaining their brand.

Easy to navigate and understand

Big Duck collaborated with Change Machine’s web developer, Cloudred, to ensure their new site reflected the strategy and dynamic design we established.

With Big Duck’s expertise, we had the focus and clarity to define who we are and what we stand for, and express it in powerful ways both verbally and visually.

— Mae Watson Grote, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Change Machine

The results

Change Machine successfully launched their platform on the Salesforce AppExchange and flipped the switch on their new website and materials using their new brand assets and rollout plan. In the first year of their launch, they are building stronger relationships with potential donors and partners who believe in an economy in which we all thrive.

Related Service

Brands

We clarify brand strategy and develop powerful brand assets to help you speak and write in more compelling ways.

• Audience research
• Brand strategy
• Naming and tagline
• Logo and visual system
• Brand architecture strategy and solutions
• Vision, mission, and values statements
• Key messages, boilerplate, and elevator pitch
• Issue area narrative analysis and development
• Rollout plan
• Digital brand guide
• Marketing collateral
• Website consulting

Related Content

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