Creating Opportunity For All With Goodwill Columbus

Goodwill Columbus is one of Central Ohio’s longest-standing nonprofits and employers. Since 1939, they’ve impacted thousands of lives in the community by providing free, welcoming, and accessible services and resources that support the people and businesses within our region. But when most people think of Goodwill, they classify it primarily as a thrift store.

While their retail and donation centers are a critical part of their business, they are only one piece that makes up a wide-ranging organization. The reality is that every time someone comes into a Goodwill Columbus location, their purchases and donations actually become the catalyst that funds job trainings, workforce development programs, support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), and more, all at no cost.

To help educate more people in the community about the breadth of the services, success stories, and values of Goodwill Columbus, Origo Branding was engaged to develop a new Brand Story that aimed to create a dynamic new way to showcase how the organization supports individuals to live a more empowered life, all through the “power of work.”

Solidifying a New Brand Story

Through creative exploration with the Goodwill Columbus team, the need became clear that the new brand story promoted public awareness of its services, inspired excitement throughout the community, and differentiated it from similar organizations.

As a result of these efforts, as well as testing different conceptual approaches, Origo created the brand strategy of Opportunity For All. The spirit of this new branded campaign emphasized the positive change that comes from the “power of work,” highlighting Goodwill’s efforts to connect individuals with the tools and resources they need to make a positive change in their careers and lives.   

The new messaging focused on uplifting individuals while educating them on how its many services can help get them where they want to be. With every headline and call-to-action, we worked to create an ethos of encouragement, engagement, and support.

One of the main ways this came to life was from a unique vertical headline structure. With each headline, the design and copy team worked together to instill a sense of positivity, choosing one “feeling” to emphasize with each piece, including everything from “Purpose” and “Empowerment” to “Potential” and “Transformation.” 

To complement our messaging strategy, we created a distinct visual direction for the brand. The design strategy played an integral role in the new story of Goodwill Columbus, capitalizing on empowering graphical elements and photography that recognized the individuals in real-life settings while evoking a sense of inspiration and community.

Origo created graphic elements and details that added dimension to the brand’s visual identity. This included a bank of sleek, custom iconography that demonstrated core values with a consistent look and feel. We also established a way to represent the four distinctive pillars of Goodwill’s services with a colorful approach of four “dots” displayed on walls, print collateral, and more.

Bringing New Opportunities to Life

Upon official approval of the new brand, we started focusing on internal communications ahead of an official public launch. We created a wide range of internal assets like brand guidelines and a company fact sheet for current employees and new hires to become more familiar with Goodwill Columbus and its new brand, along with informational signage and employee handouts. 

Once the internal push was complete, Goodwill Columbus took the new brand to the public. To support this effort, we created print and digital marketing materials, including tri-fold brochures explaining Goodwill’s Workforce Development programs, Business Services, and services for individuals with I/DD. We also refreshed Goodwill’s website to align with the new brand through engaging photography and clear, consistent messaging. 

Goodwill Columbus hosts many events throughout the year, so we designed custom logos for two significant ones – GoodFriends and their Extraordinary People Luncheon. We also created an impact report covering the financials of the last year while emphasizing individual stories of the people positively impacted by Goodwill’s services. 

The retail stores and donation locations are the most well-known aspects of Goodwill Columbus, but a refresh was needed in order for those locations to correspond with the new brand. Goodwill and Origo worked together to create an entire suite of retail assets, including wall art, cash register wraps, clothes rack toppers, and more. We created this strategically in order to educate customers about how they play an active role in furthering Goodwill’s mission. 

To push this new brand out to the public eye even more, we created a media plan, complete with social media posts, environmental ads, and more. 

A part of this was an in-depth photoshoot that focused on the individuals the organization serves and how they found opportunities within the walls of Goodwill Columbus. A full video team also shot a mission video that emphasized the organization’s vision and included individuals positively impacted by Goodwill.

A Future Full of Opportunity

Now, Goodwill Columbus has a brand that showcases the unique, life-changing opportunities they provide people while educating the general public on how their involvement makes a difference every day. Origo was proud to have partnered with this organization and looks forward to continuing to do so in the future.

Do you want to reinvent your brand?

Reach out to our team to see how we can help.