For more than 35 years, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has been a fundraising success for children’s hospitals, with a proven model that has yielded record-breaking fundraising, year after year. To sustain and grow this success, we need to future-proof; one way to ensure we are future-proofing is to analyze our brand strategies and identify opportunities to adapt to fuel growth.

The charitable landscape, particularly among children’s charities, is more competitive than ever and more charities are shifting their focus to social impact, defining how donations are addressing community and societal issues. With this in mind, a year ago we began evaluating how our brand could better define our relevancy — what we do and why we do it. The goal: differentiate us from children’s health charities in the marketplace. To continue to be successful and raise as much money as possible for member hospitals, we feel it necessary to raise the profile of the CMN Hospitals’ story in a way that is inspiring, galvanizing and distinctive.

Over the past year, we worked with Edelman, a well-regarded, international communications firm to revise our brand narrative and develop a brand refresh. Edelman conducted numerous focus group conversations with leaders throughout all aspects of the network, as well as two in-depth quantitative research studies. The research looked at the CMN Hospitals brand and sub-brands (Extra Life, Dance Marathon, Play Yellow and Radiothon), our marketplace awareness, brand messaging and general consumer sentiments. As a result of the conversations and data, the brand refresh focused on two key areas:

Brand uniformity. There is a strong need for brand consistency – in tone, voice and visual representation.

Brand connection. People do not know CMN Hospitals’ programs ladder up to the main brand and the many ways an individual donor can engage throughout their lifetime with the overall organization and its cause. We need to find space for the master brand.

The brand refresh more clearly defines Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ role in children’s healthcare by making the experience of giving as motivating as the impact it has and by strengthening participants’ relationships with CMN Hospitals, local hospitals, programs and partners.

“We know that when we improve treatments and facilities, we can address the most challenging health issues of today while preventing and preparing for those to come. When we fund pioneering research, we transform how we care for children, not just in their youth but throughout their lives. When we make it easy and exciting for people to support local hospitals, our impact grows exponentially. When we change kids’ health, we change the future — for all of us.” 

Visually, the CMN Hospitals logo has been revised slightly and program logos have been revised to better reflect and tie to the main brand. You can view the revised logo and new brand guidelines here.

This brand refresh will happen gradually. We ask that you revise assets that include the CMN Hospitals logo as convenient, i.e., as new materials are updated.

We are hosting a webinar in April to share more about the brand refresh, revised guidelines and updating marketing materials. Please encourage program directors to rsvp for one of the following dates and invite marketing colleagues, as appropriate.

12:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. MT, April 27: https://cmnhospitals.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yR30CqIdTf6LytxpvB3toA

2 p.m. ET/noon MT, April 28: https://cmnhospitals.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AzloKoLTQCGmFvBrlPDLrg

CMN Hospitals’ programs will introduce revised logos and guidelines over the next few months, as noted below. (Revised program assets will be made available to you closer to these dates.)

Play Yellow —Memorial Tournament, May 31-June 6

Credit Unions for Kids —virtual anniversary event, June 2

Dance Marathon — Dance Marathon Leadership Conference, July 16-17

Extra Life — social rollout beginning July 1

Radiothon — rollout to stations and hospitals beginning May 1

Please reach out to your market director with questions.

Tags:

• CMN Hospitals Brand Refresh