Catholic Medical Mission Board

Revitalizing a 100-year-old global charity through visual and verbal branding

To champion their focus on serving women and children in need while celebrating their heritage, the Catholic Medical Mission Board turned to HA Roth Consulting and PS212 to help create a compelling brand story and refreshed identity

Background
The Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) is a highly respected, faith-based charitable organization founded in 1912 which has expanded its efforts since then to offer global health and family support to communities most in need around the world. As an important part of their offering, they have partnered for many years with leading pharmaceuticals to distribute surplus supplies of medicines and drugs to local healthcare facilities in some of the world’s most remote and health challenged communities.

Yet, for all its success in delivering highly effective aid to those most in need, in the crowded world of health-focused and Catholic-oriented charitable institutions, CMMB has remained largely unknown. It has also sought to distinguish itself from the many Church-directed charities in existence, believing its true mission was to help all people in the most need, regardless of faith, geography or culture.

As it sought to reposition itself, the organization also resolved to solely invest its efforts towards women and children and their communities, believing this focus will bear the most tangible and positive results in the long run. To help them formulate this strategic imperative into a cohesive brand story and presentation, they turned to HARC and PS212.

Phase 1: Brand Positioning
Challenged to help redefine and invigorate CMMB’s mission, vision and values as the foundation for a more relevant and engaging brand platform, PS212 & HARC researched CMMB’s Catholic roots, interviewed its committed staff, volunteers, donors, corporate partners and distinguished board members from around the world and went to work. The result was a strong, clear voice and brand positioning that celebrated CMMB’s heritage while focusing on its vital mission to assist women and children and their communities who are at greatest risk.

Phase 2: Verbal Identity
Our research was conclusive in its findings that “Catholic Medical Mission Board” as a branded name for the organization was generally viewed by its target audiences as somewhat inaccurate, difficult to remember, hard to translate in many of the countries in which they served and cumbersome to work with from a graphic and communications standpoint. Yet the search for a new, “creative” name left many of the organization’s more conservative members very concerned its core Catholic principles, heritage and existing brand equity would be lost in the pursuit of consumer accessibility.

In the end, it was resolved the “CMMB” acronym would be retained as the formal branded name of the entity but that it would fall upon the brand design itself to distinguish it from its peer organizations and communicate the passion and humanity of its mission.

A tall order, but we welcomed the challenge.

Phase 3: Visual Identity
With an impassioned and compelling new brand platform as our inspiration, the HARC/PS212 team transformed CMMB’s simple, type-driven visual system into a warm, engaging and contemporary identity that together captures the core essence and compelling brand story of the organization with grace, dignity and clear purpose.

Imagery

Business Card

Brochure

Presentation Covers

Digital Applications

Vehicle Branding