Greater Sandusky Partnership
Unifying regional efforts with a shared vision
to elevate opportunities for all.
Launching the Greater Sandusky Partnership marked a new era for this region located on the shores of Lake Erie: a merging of three significant organizations and a number of targeted initiatives all sharing the aim of improving the economy and the quality of life in the city of Sandusky and across Erie County and beyond. They came to BasedOn to find clarity in defining their diverse services and impact, and to help shape a fresh brand identity that would bring everybody together with one voice while making space for all.
Just twelve months after launching their new brand identity with effective and consistent experiences, stakeholder understanding completely flipped: brand clarity rose from just 20% to 75%, while those who felt confused about it all dropped from 80% to just 5%.
STRATEGY
The Greater Sandusky Partnership (GSP) itself was a bold new strategy in a community that had invested decades of effort into several key organizations: the Erie County Economic Development Corporation, Destination Sandusky tourism, and the Erie County Chamber of Commerce. This complex network also included relationships with the Erie County Port Authority, notable workforce and entrepreneur development initiatives, minority business empowerment, a young professionals network, and downtown business and community events.
In clarifying GSP’s key strategies, we could then align everything toward their single clear purpose: as an economic vitality catalyst advancing the region’s economic and community vitality for all. This newly structured organization serves business and community change-makers by delivering collaborative strategies, skilled resources, and innovative tools so the region can thrive.
An economic vitality catalyst advancing the region’s economic and community vitality for all
Brand Idea
We soon realized that GSP’s formative experiences reflected the region itself: in an unequalled position where all the elements come together like nowhere else in the state. Sandusky and Erie County are at the top of the state where land and lake, city and rural, industry and recreation, history and future all converge and open up dynamic opportunities. Inspired by this parallel to their work, together we found their brand idea:
Elevating
- Embodies raising up, putting into focus, clear perspective, strategic motion
- Embraces the region’s physical location of “top” and “up”
- Reinforces our vision, professional leadership, and raising the bar
Opportunities
- Encompasses investments, innovations, participation, possibilities
- Creates space for new people and ideas, optimism and openness
- Assures being skilled and prepared when opportunities arise
A simple, directional idea that captures the region’s vantage point, its upward momentum, and its openness to new people and ideas. The brand idea embodies clarity, perspective, and strategic motion—operating as both an inspired internal beacon and a short and impactful public declaration.
Brand Pillars
Three brand pillars uphold the brand idea, giving it depth and distinction.
- Clarity assures an impactful path
- Creativity opens opportunities
- Confidence energizes us all
Brand Personality
Together, this brand framework comes to life through their distinctive personality. GSP is a go-getter inspired by their surroundings and making the most of every opportunity. They are strategic, optimistic, multi-talented and open—with optimism and smart approaches they effectively turn ideas into reality.
Verbal Identity
Our strategy and writing team organized their story and messaging with the three pillars in mind: communicating with clarity, creativity and confidence.
About Us Narrative
We are Greater Sandusky Partnership. As the economic vitality catalyst, GSP is committed to developing a thriving Greater Sandusky Bay Region. With 560+ members and growing, GSP elevates opportunities by focusing our clear vision and impact in three key areas: Growth, Talent and Vibrancy. Our skilled team puts GSP’s collaborative strategies and innovative tools into action, a sustainable force for communities to flourish. Because when we work together, great things happen for our region.
Descriptor Line
- Regional Growth.
- Vibrant Communitites.
A powerful statement that, when paired with the brandmark and used as an endorsement tag, raises immediate awareness as well as the regional pride that unites stakeholders across the diverse municipalities and counties that encompass the greater Sandusky region.
Brand Messaging
We also developed messaging around their brand idea and pillars to help people learn about and understand the Greater Sandusky Partnership’s purpose, programming and value. Such messaging also provides clear and inspiring consistency that helps build momentum.
- This is where it all comes together.
- When we work together, great things happen.
- Elevating opportunities for business and community to thrive.
VISUAL IDENTITY
Our designers created a new Greater Sandusky Partnership brandmark which expresses the unification of the diverse elements of their region. The bold, geometric shapes of the brandmark embody confidence and creativity, symbolize balance and convergence, and emphasize GSP’s role in fostering collaboration.
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Before
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After
Their navy blue and teal green palette creates an optimistic and assured presence that works easily across digital and environmental touchpoints. They convey confidence and trust, along with innovation, and are inspired by Lake Erie and their region’s natural landscape. The upward-facing forms embody the growth and optimism of Elevating Opportunities.
Clean, modern typography reinforces clarity and purpose. Overall, the brandmark embodies the organization’s focus on strategic, impactful action for the vitality of their region.
SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT
To turn Greater Sandusky Partnership’s brand strategy and identity work into practical, daily and objective-oriented use, we created a plug-and-play social media toolkit. Our team created post templates for key platforms including Facebook and LinkedIn; sample headline and content formulas aligned with key positioning statements; and content formats, layouts and suggestions tied to GSP’s key audiences and engagements including business membership, development opportunities, local events, and organizational news.
“The Greater Sandusky Partnership utilized BasedOn to undertake a complicated rebranding process tied to the integration of two longstanding organizations. BasedOn led our stakeholders through a thoughtful process and we launched a successful new branding of our organization in October of 2023. At the outset of the rebranding process, over 80 percent of organizational stakeholders were confused about what Greater Sandusky Partnership did. Within one year of the rebrand launch, 75% of stakeholders said they had a clear understanding of Greater Sandusky Partnership and its programs. We believe this turnaround was made possible by the process led by BasedOn.”
— Eric Wobser, CEO, Greater Sandusky Partnership
Summary
BasedOn’s approach to an evolved Greater Sandusky Partnership brand and identity made Greater Sandusky Partnership easier to understand, easier to appreciate, and easier to join. Online, in-market and across the greater Sandusky region, audiences now encounter the same purpose, voice, and visual system—an economic catalyst with comprehensive economic development services—from homepage to event flyers to partner announcements. That coherence is confident momentum, and it’s moving Greater Sandusky forward.