RiseBoro
Reinventing an Iconic Organization
In the 1970s, the Bushwick neighborhood was a far cry from the vibrant, diverse and thriving corner of Brooklyn that it is today. Entire blocks lay abandoned, buildings burned, and many people believed the community would never rebound. But a group of local residents refused to give up on Bushwick. To protect their most vulnerable neighbors, they founded the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council and began the long journey of community rebuilding. 40 years later, “Ridgewood-Bushwick” had expanded beyond seniors to encompass affordable housing, rehabilitation, home meals, youth programs and more. Its horizons were expanding but the name and story were locked in the past.
The Ridgewood-Bushwick team asked BBMG to help re-imagine the brand, rename the organization and share its success story with the world. Our work led to a bolder brand name and story that honors the organization’s 40-year legacy and positions it for the next 40 years: RiseBoro Community Partnership.
The new brand message, image and experience fueled a 35 percent increase in applicants for employment opportunities, unprecedented online donations and social media engagement that beat industry benchmarks.
Where opportunity meets resilience, everyone thrives
Our exploration with community members and staff revealed just what you might expect: that this was an organization that had realized opportunities for thousands of people over four decades. But something else emerged that would become a crucial part of the story. This was an organization with real resilience. The kind of resilience that had weathered recessions, political turbulence and the naysayers who said it couldn’t be done. This was an organization that was determined to help communities thrive, no matter the odds.
Audience Research
Brand Strategy
Brand Architecture
Brand Design
Naming
Brand Identity & Guidelines
A success story everyone can be a part of
Team members from across the organization immediately saw themselves in the name RiseBoro Community Partnership, with “rise” denoting the optimism of this community on the up and “boro” a nod to their roots in the heart of Brooklyn. And the RB embedded in the name reminded everyone that this was a brand that had grown from the first pioneering projects of Ridgewood-Bushwick.
“With a diverse group of stakeholders, the BBMG team helped us get to clarity and consensus. The brand they created reflects our heritage and paves the way for a new era of the organization.”