Main Spotlight: How to Create a Strong Foundation for Powerful Communications

This year, Heart of Biddeford (HOB) in Biddeford, Maine, is celebrating its 20^th anniversary as a Main Street organization, marking two decades of significant community impact, including winning the Great American Main Street Award in 2022. However, like many nonprofits and small brands, we faced the challenge of scattered information and undocumented practices. We decided to consolidate our marketing and communication practices into cohesive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), brand guidelines, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles. This foundational work has enabled us to enhance our marketing efforts, foster precise collaboration, and embark on a brand update that will guide us for the next 20 years and beyond. Outlined below is the process we used to develop these policies.

Step 1: Form a Strategic Communications Committee with Strong Leadership

Our first and most crucial step was assembling a Strategic Communications Committee (SCC) led by individuals with diverse expertise and backgrounds in marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), design, video production, and branding. This committee was originally tasked with creating comprehensive and user-friendly guidelines for HOB, ensuring they would serve as a North Star for current and future staff.

Briana Campbell, co-founder of Time & Tide Coffee on Main Street in Biddeford and former strategist for Fortune 500 brands, was the ideal leader for our SCC. Her extensive experience in high-level advertising and marketing provided the strategic insight needed to guide this initiative. Other members included Ian Garcia Grant, who works in video marketing and has experience with SEO, and Kaya Zimmer, a design professional. The experience of all our committee members was crucial in the success of this project.

Step 2: Gather Existing Materials

Next, we consolidated all existing materials into a single document. We began by collecting the current procedures we had available, including branding, website management, email newsletters, social media information, Google analytics, and event marketing materials. This provided an overview of the state of our current efforts that we could use as a foundation for our new policies and procedures.

Then, we engaged in a series of voice and personality discussions to explore the look and feel of our brand and the ways we operated on various platforms. Much of this information only existed in the minds of the staff members who managed these platforms, and these discussions helped get everyone on the same page and made sure that all the unspoken norms and procedures were recorded. 

Step 3: Fill in the Gaps

Once we understood our existing materials and practices, the committee and staff divided responsibilities to fill in missing pieces. Tasks included writing out guidelines on writing tone and style for social media, drafting new DEI practices for communications, and adding a lot of additional detail to our existing strategies and procedures. For example, while we all knew the purpose of the newsletter and our staff understood the process of developing each edition, we had never taken the time to write out step-by-step instructions.

This process was iterative and collaborative. We engaged in monthly check-ins with the committee to track progress toward different goals, address questions that arose throughout the process, and ensure consistency across our different tasks. We also leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) to help create a consistent voice across our materials. We did this using AI tools that scanned drafts and edited them for consistency across the entire document. This ensured uniformity in our communications. 

Step 4: Ensure Messaging and Brand Reflect Current Needs

A key part of this process was our brand refresh. As we approached HOB’s 20^th anniversary, it became clear that our brand needed an update, and this process was the perfect opportunity. Strategic Communications Committee Chair Briana emphasized the importance of strategically understanding what we needed to convey and to whom.

We decided to redesign our logo to meet these new needs. Committee member Kanya Zillmer of Seven Tree Co., spearheaded the redesign of our logo. The new design reflects the maturity of HOB and our role as the Main Street organization. We unveiled this updated brand at our 20^th Birthday Party on June 26, 2024. 

We also conducted a brand case study to dive into those communication needs and audiences. This helped us understand the trajectory of our organization and how that impacts our brand. Over the years, Heart of Biddeford has transitioned from a cheerleader for underdogs to a nuanced community influencer. Our existing brand identity, created in 2006, represented an earlier stage of our journey — one that was open, hopeful, and full of heart for a downtown that had been through hard times. However, by 2024, it was clear our brand needed to evolve to better reflect our current identity and mission.

Central to our updated branding strategy was the idea that Heart of Biddeford is the heartbeat of the city. When we support the downtown core, it strengthens the entire community. The refreshed logo, inspired by the Victoria Gordon-painted mural in our office, features a friendly, approachable design with a hand-drawn illustration and custom font that quickly conveys the idea of ​“Downtown Biddeford.” We retained the heart symbol to remind us of the vibrancy, vitality, and community spirit that have always been core to HOB.

Step 5: Integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Principles

An integral part of our updated guidelines included a strong focus on DEI principles. Our goal was to ensure that our practices not only reflected, but actively promoted, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our DEI implementation steps include diversifying outreach efforts and partnerships, ensuring accessibility in digital content and events, using inclusive language, adding alternative text for images, practicing ethical storytelling, and obtaining consent for photography.

Step 6: Make a Realistic Implementation Plan

An implementation plan is crucial for a successful launch. In each section of the SOP document, we crafted realistic plans to ensure the longevity and sustainability of our efforts. These plans included both practical considerations and promotional efforts:

• Defined Responsibilities: Each section of the SOP includes a detailed list of responsibilities, specifying who is accountable for each action.
• Staying Practical: While there was enthusiasm for adding new platforms, we only adopted new tasks that we could sustain long-term. For instance, we opted not to build a YouTube channel with a summer intern, knowing we couldn’t maintain that level of content production after the intern’s tenure.
• A Runway to Launch: To launch the new brand, we created a list of tasks, including adding the new logo to all existing print and digital materials, purchasing promotional swag, drafting press releases, and hosting a launch event. Biddeford’s longest running business, Reilly’s Bakery, was featured at the event with a cake that features the new logo.

Conclusion: The Impact of Comprehensive Guidelines

The process of revamping our communications processes and refreshing our brand identity has been transformative for Heart of Biddeford. By bringing together a team of dedicated and skilled individuals, consolidating existing materials, filling in gaps, ensuring our messaging reflects our current needs, and integrating DEI principles, we have laid a solid foundation for our next 20 years.

This groundwork has not only streamlined our operations but has also empowered us to embark on a significant brand update. As we celebrate our 20^th anniversary and the unveiling of our new brand, we are excited about the future and confident in our ability to continue making a positive impact in our community.

By sharing our journey, we hope to inspire other organizations facing similar challenges to undertake their own comprehensive review and update processes. While it may not be the most glamorous project, the results speak for themselves — a solid foundation for a stronger, more cohesive, and more effective organization.