Branding a Nonprofit Using the Hero Archetype Within an Industry of Caregivers

What started as a connection over unthinkable experiences of loss has become a rapidly growing community of resilient champions over grief. Co-founded by two incredibly courageous women, Gloves for Grief creates experiences that promote healing and offers an opportunity to come as you are and connect with others who truly understand.

Ashley and Terra needed an online experience that was as impactful as their in-person event experiences. And they needed it FAST because the momentum they’ve been creating in their organization has been unreal. A testament to how important and needed this community is.

On Leveraging Archetypal Brand Strategy to Stand Out in the Industry

We had a really pivotal choice in the positioning of this brand and it was clear that we had to leverage brand archetypes. We could craft a brand experience with the Caregiver archetype, around feelings of compassion, support, and a sort of softness that generally comes with healing brands. Or we could position Gloves for Grief and its people as a resilient Hero brand. Forces to be reckoned with. People fighting for their comeback in the face of loss, pain, and ever-enduring love. Which one sounds more powerful to you? Any guesses which we went with?

The Hero archetype was the clear winner. We chose energetic colors that emulated strength, resilience, and positivity. We chose a bold title font paired with a modern script font for accents to add some softness to the brand. Photography focuses on their action-packed events and also the community and self-care that needs to be taken to keep the hero ready for battle. Overall, this archetypal brand strategy can be seen at all aspects of what this organization does for those moving through their grief.

After strategizing a quick concept…

“Omg Amy! Wow… This is tugging at all my heart strings. I love the direction you are taking us in!!” — Terra

…We hit the ground running to get a home page up in just one day then made our plan of attack for building out pages to:

• bring the event experience to life and answer FAQs
• shoutout their partners and event vendors
• call donors to action with story-driven messaging and design
• and launch a shop pre-order system so they could start moving merchandise while we worked on integrating Shopify e-commerce capabilities with their powerful Showit site.

The end result (so far)? A meaningful online presence that has everyone talking. From event vendors to nonprofit consultants, many people have been congratulating Ashley and Terra on what we’ve been able to create together! When you’re a nonprofit start-up with big goals, a professional and strategic website is a huge win for supporting your efforts and gaining buy-in!

“I am constantly getting compliments on the website. So grateful for you and this impactful page.” — Terra

This Showit template customization using Cape Town by Davey & Krista is a great example of how to choose the right template for your website. When looking for the right template for your needs, focus on the features and structure of the site, more than just the vibe. The vibe can easily be changed by swapping out colors, fonts, and photos in minutes. Versus adding entire sections or pages. In this case, Cape Town is very clean and editorial with lots of neutrals and black-and-white photography. We turned it up about 10 notches with embedded YouTube videos of the event experience and calls for donors, energetic colors, and vibrant action-oriented brand messaging.

Which is great, because these ladies have no intention of slowing down. We recently teamed up with Katie Wyer Art for a virtual fundraising event featuring her incredible piece “A Peaceful Warrior.” With messages to “breathe, believe, release, receive” (and totally on-brand colors!), this 4’x4′ fine art canvas was donated by Katie to support Gloves for Grief. We set up an online raffle space using the Better World platform and the winner was so excited and moved by the piece that she made an unbelievable supplementary donation! This was all such a testament to the incredible things that can happen when your brand, website, and business is so aligned with the needs and desires of your audience.

We also set up donation campaigns within their new fundraising platform, monthly newsletters within the Flodesk email marketing platform, and additional website pages to guide their visitors through the ways to get involved with their organization. It’s an ongoing collaboration that I’m proud to be a part of.

If you’re ready to step into the unbridled form of your own brand or website, let’s talk.