public health learning network

Brand Identity Development and Launch

As the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training (NCCPHT), the National Network of Public Health Institute’s (NNPHI) role is to promote a new degree of cohesion among training centers in the U.S. public health training program. Ultimately, the Public Health Learning Network (PHLN) (a network of the nation's ten regional public health training centers) aims to connect all public health professionals to high quality training resources and services. The NCCPHT wants to ensure that these professionals know where and how to access high-quality training and that all ten regional public health training centers are telling the PHLN story using a consistent and unified message.

Our preliminary market research suggested huge gaps between what public health professionals know about quality training opportunities and what they know about the capacity of the nation’s network of regional public health training centers to provide those opportunities.

Based on this knowledge, we aimed to reintroduce the national public health training center program as the PHLN and establish it as a national resource for high-quality, relevant, and accessible public health training among influencers in the public health workforce and key funding organizations.

As NNPHI/NCCPHT Communications Strategist with a budget of $70,000 for all 2016 PHLN communications initiatives, I leveraged low-cost and no-cost content development resources and platforms, network-wide cost sharing strategies, and the resourcefulness of a wonderful, loose-knit team of vendors and NNPHI colleagues.

Stakeholder Management

1. Communications Workgroup: I led a workgroup of communications professionals across the PHLN’s ten regional public health training centers and worked with these colleagues to implement communications plans, strategies, and tactics. This work included data aggregation, the dissemination of the communications kit content I developed, and the implementation of an exhibition plan for large national meetings.

2. Communications Capacity Assessment: I developed and deployed a survey of communications capacity and resources across the PHLN. My analysis of the survey data established that email communication and opportunities for in-person connection (at meetings and conferences) would be most effective in reaching our target audiences.

brand identity development

1. Market research: I helped to manage the NCCPHT’s collaborative work with McKinley Advisors (McKinley) to conduct a survey with public health practitioners. McKinley collaborated with me and the NCCPHT's director to identify perceptions around public health training today and the ideal state of public health training and education. Result: More than 800 public health practitioners responded to the survey and helped inform the creation of a brand strategy and recommendations report.

2. Stakeholder Buy-in and Guidance in Brand Development: I managed several rounds of stakeholder feedback and deliberation with more than 25 decision-makers and secured a final version of the PHLN’s brand identity and logo. I provided creative direction for StudioGrafik in the development of a visual identity, style, and co-branding guide, including eight logo lockups, typography guidelines, the color palette and corresponding CMYK, RGB, and HEX codes, and co-branding guidelines.

3. Brand Launch Communications Toolkit: To announce the PHLN, I managed development of, edited, and distributed a toolkit containing tips, tools and templates for building awareness about the PHLN. The toolkit includes: messaging concepts and segmentation, branding best practices, a press release, email engagement copy, social media copy and guidance, social media images, PowerPoint slides, and an implementation schedule for the brand launch campaign.

4. Print Collateral Development: I developed copy for an 8-page, 8.5" x 11" informational booklet, four 33.5" x 79" retractable banners and provided creative direction for Cherry Blossom Creative’s work on photo selection and layout. I also produced copy for and designed posters and other printed material distributed at national exhibitions and meetings.

5. Website Content Development and Management: I developed content for and built a dedicated section of nnphi.org for the PHLN.

6. Exhibition Development: The NCCPHT partnered with Meeting Achievements to plan and execute exhibitions at premier public health conferences. I provided creative direction for booth banner development and developed talking points, messages, benchmarks, and follow-up plans to move interested conference goers up a ladder of engagement that culminates in the uptake of training and in the development of new organizational relationships.

DIGITAL STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

1. Digital Strategy Development: I championed and managed development of  PHLN’s digital marketing strategy—a collaboration between NNPHI and Region 10 Northwest Public Health Training Center (NWPHTC)—to establish the Public Health Learning Network as a national resource for quality, relevant, and accessible public health training among influencers in the public health workforce and key funding organizations.

2. Email Marketing: I led the development and launch of a quarterly publication targeting directors, administrators, and health officers at state and local health departments, as well as and training, workforce development, quality improvement, and accreditation staff at the National Association of County and City Health Officials, the Association of State and Territorial Health Organizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Health and Human Services. See the September 2016  and February 2017 issues.

3. PHLN Syndication Widget: Collaborating with Region 10 – NWPHTC on widget strategy and design, I managed development of and then launched a PHLN-branded syndication widget that aggregates tagged content from the PHLN website and automatically updates when new content is posted, and enabling all PHTCs to feature the same messages, concurrently.

4. Digital Communications Kit Development: I developed content (including newsletter copy, social media copy, social media images, press releases, email copy, and implementation guides) for six media kits across our three-phase 2016 communications plan.