From reactive to strategic: ISC’s journey to a stronger brand and smarter marketing.
“Working with Authentic has been a true gift for an organization the size of ISC–we have big marketing goals without the budget for a Chief Marketing Officer. [Our CMO] was a trusted partner, mentor to staff, and active member of our leadership team. Our organization now has a robust marketing strategy and the structure to achieve it, even beyond our engagement with Authentic.”
Rebecca Kaduru, President, Institute for Sustainable Communities
Institute for Sustainable Communities at a Glance
- Company size: 45 employees
- Industry: Non-Profit / Associations / Membership
- Business model: Business-to-business, Business-to-Consumer, Distribution / Network
- Headquarters: Montpelier, Vermont
- Authentic Growth® Drivers:
- Sharpen Market Focus and Value Proposition / Brand Messaging
- Make Tactical Marketing Execution More Strategic
- Build a Strong Marketing Team (Right People in the Right Seats)
- Adapt to Changing Market Dynamics
The Problem
The Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening communities by providing expertise, funding, and partnerships to help local leaders build resilience and drive environmental and economic sustainability.
Despite its meaningful mission, ISC struggled with an unclear brand identity and an underdeveloped marketing function. When new leadership sought to establish a more strategic approach, they turned to an Authentic Fractional CMO™ for expert guidance.
The Solution
Authentic® led ISC through a multi-phase marketing transformation aimed at strengthening its brand and marketing infrastructure.
Key Initiatives included:
- Brand refresh: ISC redefined its mission, messaging, and value propositions, resulting in a unified brand narrative.
- Marketing department restructuring: ISC shifted from reactive to a proactive marketing and communications department, clarifying roles and hiring new team members.
- Standardized marketing processes: New tools and systems were introduced, including a marketing tracker, quarterly reviews, and data-driven analytics for social media and engagement.
- Website redesign: ISC is launching a major website overhaul soon, improving navigation, messaging clarity, and accessibility to better reflect its mission and impact.
The Results
The transformation of ISC’s marketing and branding efforts led to significant improvements:
- A 58% increase in post views, and 33.2% more engagements on social media.
- A cohesive and consistent brand identity that accurately reflects ISC’s mission and differentiates it in the nonprofit space.
- A stronger, more structured marketing function that operates strategically rather than reactively.
- Increased clarity and alignment among internal teams and external partners regarding ISC’s role and impact.
- Enhanced efficiency and tracking through new reporting processes and marketing performance metrics.
ISC’s rebranding and marketing improvements positioned the organization to adapt to unexpected challenges. When facing external funding factors and evolving federal regulations, the newly defined brand and messaging framework allowed ISC to pivot quickly while maintaining credibility and transparency with stakeholders.
