case study

Establishing a new brand for a new program
Establishing a new brand for a new program

client

5th Year by Junior Achievement

5th Year is a program of Junior Achievement, a national organization that focuses on youth work readiness and entrepreneurship. The program was created in 2023 to address the workforce and skills gap in Northwest Ohio. 5th Year is intended for recent high school graduates and provides career exploration, internships, job shadowing and practical skills training. It’s centered around promoting independence and equipping young adults with resources and connections to make informed decisions about their future. design2influence started working with 5th Year in 2023.

services

logo development
brand identity
strategy
public relations
collateral
welcome kit
website
social media templates
photography
videography

what is a trailblazer?

Trailblazer is a term we use to describe the young adults who joined 5th Year. We needed to identify a word to define those individuals without grouping them with “students.” A trailblazer is an individual who forges their own way and defines their path to success, which is unique to each person.

brand strategy

The client wanted to prevent 5th Year from being misidentified as a “gap year” or college readiness course. We faced a challenge in separating 5th Year from existing post-secondary options, including college and work programs.

design2influence created the name to establish 5th Year as an extension to the post-high school journey of identifying individual professional goals through education, internships and life skills.

The iconography incorporated elements from Junior Achievement’s brand to showcase the connection and partnership between the two entities.

printing / collateral

Our team created a portfolio to provide potential donors and sponsors with details about 5th Year and the importance of supporting the program. The case for support included branded inserts with background information and investment opportunities. We also designed custom letterhead and business cards to equip the 5th Year staff with branded collateral for internal and external communication.

welcome kit

Each trailblazer received a branded welcome kit. Our team designed the boxes according to 5th Year’s colors, iconography and brand guidelines. Each welcome kit contained branded items, including a mug, notebook, yard sign, pen, stickers and a certificate of acceptance.

digital

As the inaugural semester approached, the client needed a hub of information where participants, parents and business partners could learn about 5th Year. We designed a website that included photo and video content shot by our team during an event to welcome trailblazers. The design2influence team also produced social media templates so the client could make cohesive, branded posts.

public relations

We worked with the client to set up a press conference in January 2024 with local media entities to introduce the program to regional school districts. The event served as an opportunity to record interviews with interested parties that were used on the website. We also organized interviews for TV and print news publications to increase awareness and spread the word about 5th Year in the community.

videos

5th Year was unknown, so there weren’t previous sources for testimonials. Our videography team attended various events to crowdsource opinions and expectations from attendees. Having those first-hand accounts allowed us to provide brevity and perspective to website visitors who were curious about the program. We capitalized on the client’s “Inspire” introduction event to create video content to showcase what the program was all about. Our team also used videography to further define the concept of becoming a trailblazer to engage potential participants.