It’s been more than a year in the making.
When given the opportunity to support nonprofit Network of Executive Women (NEW) in their mission to advance all women in business and create more diverse workplaces on the cusp of their 20th anniversary, we were all in.
NEW is now NextUp, and Envisionit was honored to partner on a journey that resulted in their exciting new chapter—complete with a new name, brand messaging, visual identity, website, social content calendar, email comms, branded properties, brand toolkits, and more. In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re thrilled to give a glimpse into the brand transformation.
It’s time to stand out and stand up.
The creative brief, boiled down to two words? Modern and inclusive.
While their mission to advance all women wasn’t changing, the organization realized that the world around them had in the face of the “Shecession” and shifting ideas of success. The reimagined brand needed to connect with a new generation of Gen Z and Millennial women and male allies while representing their powerful network of nearly 15,000 members and 300+ corporate partners. NEW had already begun evolving their program and partnerships to be more innovative and inclusive—but now the brand needed to better reflect that transformation.
The Envisionit team dug in deep and got to work quickly, researching the landscape and interviewing more than 30 NEW stakeholders. To stand out in a crowded space of women-centric and DEI-focused organizations, the new brand needed to be memorable, differentiated, and convey forward momentum while acknowledging the unique aspirations and career trajectories of women today.
New name, elevated look. Same mission.
850+ unique name explored and tested. 9 visual directions pressure tested. 20+ logo directions explored. Testing and focus group discussions with hundreds of internal stakeholders and external professionals. The result? A name and visual identity that more strongly reflects who the organization is now and next.
“At NextUp, we are so excited to celebrate our new brand, our same mission, and our community of nearly 15k amazing women and men. Our partnership with Envisionit supported the future focus positioning our mission deserves and we are so excited to celebrate it EVERY day to truly impact the lives of our members and the cultures in Corporate America to be more inclusive.”
Julie Basile, VP Marketing & Regions, NextUp
Brand activation
A brand transformation of this magnitude needed a web destination that makes an impact. Our goal was to create a rich web experience that feels inclusive, inspires engagement, and makes a meaningful connection with prospective and current members as well as corporate partners. We worked to replicate the community and support that members and partners feel as they engage with inspiring content and thought leadership, register for events, connect with their region, and search for jobs. See the new website for yourself.
Beyond the new website, we helped NextUp spread the word about their transformation through social content and strategy, email support, partner and regional member toolkits, blog content, launch concepts, and stakeholder communication.
Here’s to what’s new and next.
While the new brand just launched, it’s already receiving rave reviews from members and partners alike. We were thrilled to partner with NEW’s transition to NextUp in a way that helped them own their voice in the space, elevate the strength of their existing community, and connect with a new, more diverse generation of women and allies.
Here’s to the next 20 years and beyond!
