Solutions That Drive Results

Building a Brand to Build Community & End Social Isolation
Founded in 2013, the Fraser Valley Bus Cooperative (FVBC) was formed by three seniors-serving agencies in Langley, BC.
This social enterprise startup set out to reduce the social and physical isolation of seniors, differently-abled and other members of their region. Together, they created a vision for an inspirational transportation model that would connect communities and reduce isolation. This vision could be replicated in other cities.
The FVBC’s concept was unique in North America, and as a result there were no models in place for how to successfully launch such a service. In addition, the Co-op lacked the in house communications experience to position this social enterprise and in a simple way for people in the community to understand it, especially potential strategic partners, funders and the agencies and individuals aimed to help with their service.
PROBLEMS & CHALLENGES:
PROJECT SCOPE:
“Big Bold Brand met us where we were at and made it a fun and collaborative! And through their process they were able to help us establish clarity for how three quite different organizations could partner and work effectively to achieve one vision!”
Approach & Solution:
A series of discovery sessions with founding members provided insights into their shared beliefs and the potential community benefits that their vision offered. We were able to weave their combined perspectives into inspiring messaging for the co-op.
We also learned through this process that the team was unsure of how to define their target audiences, having no previous marketing or sales experience. They welcomed an opportunity to have us coach them on how to determine and define target audiences. This work uncovered two new potential audience groups who would go on to help FVBC grow and thrive.
During the facilitation sessions, participants began referring to the co-op as ‘bus co-op’, and from there, the name “The Bus Co-op” was born.
The design and development of The Bus Co-op’s visual identity was fun for us all, as the team wanted to create an approachable, vibrant and fun identity.
The group wanted a visual identity that was approachable, vibrant, fun and inviting. In creating this identity, we incorporated this spirit of fun into our process. We used bright colours and created an inclusive and inviting logo and visual brand. When The Bus Co-op’s vehicles were wrapped in this new identity, they stood out from city transportation and got people across the region talking about the Co-op.
Impact:
Through an effective launch and communications, The Bus Co-op was able to secure the funding and attract the partners it needed to launch its service.
ROI:
“Big Bold Brand engaged our diverse stakeholder team in deeper conversations and got us to explore perspectives we hadn’t even considered – driving great results for The Bus Co-op. Distilling complicated concepts down to clear and compelling messaging and visuals is definitely a strength of theirs.”