The Flourish Lab

Entrepreneurs Amy Brady and Lana Hailemariam sought more than just a skilled marketing company; they wanted a team that shared their core values of relationship, equity, and emotional intelligence. After launching StandUp, a successful community-centric coaching business that helps individuals and teams to rise to their best, the founders were ready to launch The Flourish Lab, an eLearning platform to help out-of-school time (OST) professionals  guide youth in proven social-emotional practices.

Their local search for an appropriate marketing partner came up short, and they were reluctant to go with a company out of state. Yet when they met JJR Marketing, their reluctance quickly faded as they found the perfect fit of experience, expertise, and a kindred belief in TFL’s core values. Together we were able to co-dream with Amy and Lana to create a multi-pronged marketing approach that achieved more than expected.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Since trade show attendance was an essential part of the plan, we went to work on their foundational marketing pieces so they could maximize the promotion of their presence at the show. We created their new website and launched new social media accounts for LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. In the first three months we acquired 138 followers on Facebook with a reach of 3,667 and 83 Instagram followers with a reach of 5,090 people, the Out-of-School time market is very niche, so it was important for us to make meaningful connections for quality over quantity.

We also created a press kit to introduce TFL and provide background information for the media.  We announced the new venture to the media, and to date we have secured about 250 media placements nationwide, as well as podcast interviews, including “After School Hours Podcast” and “Getting Down to Business” with Shalom Klein.

HITTING THE FLOOR

We also researched and recommended the best trade shows to attend and created a tour plan for them. Since they needed creative ideas to make their presence at the show as interactive as possible, we recommended a photo booth in their space to continue the #IMatter campaign that was already in full swing on their social media platforms. The #IMatter campaign was aimed at OST professionals. Participants would fill in the blank on “I matter because….”and post a selfie holding the paper. About 55 people total participated.

The founders also believe in recognizing good work in the OST community, so we developed  the “Heart of OST” awards program. It was yet another vehicle to gain awareness for TFL.  We collected 45 nominations from around the country for deserving recipients of the awards and planned a dynamic, virtual event to announce the winner that was attended by over 55 people.

Meanwhile, we were steadily building the email program for TFL. Our mailing list was compiled from a combination of organic, purchased, and trade show-supplied contacts. The campaign began a dialogue with the audience we wanted to reach most—OST influencers.

AN EXPERIENCE IN A BOX!

The idea behind creating a special kit for influencers was to forge a relationship between the founders and industry influencers. We designed the box that housed unique, custom made, branded items for the influencers. They included:

• A copy of the new book by Amy and Lana, entitled Flourish: Twelve Guiding Principles for Out-of-School Time Professionals. We published the book through our sister company, Fig Factor Media and it is now available on Amazon.
• An interactive card deck designed to create meaningful conversation. We wrote, designed, and printed the cards.
• An introduction letter from the founders with a QR code to set up a meeting
• A personal invitation to nominate someone for their “Heart of OST Award”A beautiful branded journal with pen
• The Flourish Lab Manifesto to explain their mission to the influencers

We packaged and shipped out over 80 influencer kits. The initiative made a splash and built a solid foundation for TFL partnerships. Our client was overwhelmed with the assets we had created and the response to them.

“JJR came with an energy that we needed. The JJR team had a way of keeping us excited and holding us accountable without making it all feel like one more thing to do. We learned so much about what we could achieve with JJR as our partner. They listened and responded in a way that honored who we are and what we needed.

Everything that JJR said they would do, they did! Every. Single. Thing. That demonstrates their integrity and I think that is how we built trust so quickly. They were patient and they adapted on the spot to make everything work. That really impressed me about their work ethic and philosophy. JJR sees the humans doing the work, not just the work itself.”  – Lana Hailemariam