Rhonda Smith

It was April of 2020 in Park Ridge, New Jersey and the COVID-19 virus was wreaking its havoc. Like our clients, we left our office space and began to work remotely. We were fortunate to be safe at home, and, thanks to the PPP Grant gainfully employed. We decided the best way to justify our good fortune was to give back by donating our services to a neighboring Bergen County company or organization.

We created the C.A.R.E. (Creative Aid for Recovering Enterprises) Package – a gift of up to $25,000 in marketing and creative services. Although many deserving companies applied, we granted it to Greater Bergen Community Action, Inc., (GBCA) a nonprofit organization that annually serves approximately 50,000 underserved residents of northern New Jersey. Since August of 2020, Words and Pictures has worked with the leaders of GBCA to rebrand and develop digital marketing campaigns.

Lives Changed Here

“Greater Bergen Community Action, Inc. (GBCA) has been looked to as a critical response source for the thousands upon thousands of residents who have found themselves facing a myriad of new perils as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic” said Lynne Algrant, GBCA Vice President of Planning, Development, and Communications.

The brand identity at a glance is a quick reference guide which was developed to ensure consistent branding and tone-of-voice. GBCA’s internal marketing team can use this for reference as well as marketing agencies and partners.
The “Brand Identity at a Glance” document is a quick reference guide for the GBCA marketing team and was developed to ensure consistent branding and tone-of-voice.

Understanding the breadth of services they provide and learning what a welcoming resource they are for people in need, reinforced our decision to award them this gift.

“Words and Pictures helped us find our organizational voice. It is such an empowering experience, finding one’s voice,” said Algrant. “We see it happen with our clients. But, I don’t think we realized how important it is for us as an organization and a staff,” she added.

Examples of web display ads and a layered Photoshop template that can be used by GBCA to efficiently create future display ads in five of the most commonly used sizes.
Digital display ad designs provided as a layered Photoshop template can be used to efficiently create display ads in five of the most commonly used sizes.

The C.A.R.E Package was borne from the challenges of the pandemic. The campaign encompassed brand identity (visual style and tone of voice), a new tagline, and a toolkit of digital assets and templates for social media content, banner ads, and email marketing.

Social media templates for three types of posts; Key Statistics, Enrollment, and Testimonials. GBCA can easily update these to feature fresh content on a scheduled basis.
Social media templates were created for three types of posts: Key Statistics, Enrollment, and Testimonials, which can easily be updated to feature fresh content on a regular basis.

“As we rolled out our new brand and our new voice, I watched my colleagues sit up taller, square their shoulders, and take renewed pride in our work. “Lives Changed Here” is both powerful and empowering,” said Algrant. “The folks at Words and Pictures will say it was in us all along, but sometimes you need a coach or a guide to find your way. We are so grateful to Words and Pictures for being our guide.”

Email templates were created which make it easy for GBCA to send out consistently branded communications.
Email templates were developed to make it easy for GBCA to send out consistently branded communications using their email platform.

Pro bono work has always been part of who we are. As the health of the people and the economy begins to recover, we realize that creating the C.A.R.E. Package was as valuable to us – the giver – as it was to the recipient, and that, giving back really is paying forward.

For more information about Greater Bergen Community Action, Inc., go to www.greaterbergen.org