Rebranding NEKIA: A New Direction for a New Era in Education R&D

1. Rebranding NEKIA:A New Direction for a New Era in Education R&D February 7, 2007

2. Rodney Ferguson Managing Director & Principal Lipman Hearne Team Lipman Hearne Team Patrick Riccards Vice President

3. About Lipman Hearne • Lipman Hearne • Nation’s largest marketing and communications firm representing the education and nonprofit sectors • 75 professionals in Washington and Chicago • Majority of clients from the education sector • Extensive experience in developing and executing branding programs • Full-service

4. The NEKIA Advantage The NEKIA Advantage • Ten-year history • Established reputation with industry thought leaders • Quantitative and qualitative focus • Positioned as relevant and cutting edge

5. The Education Landscape in 2007 The Education Landscape in 2007 • NCLB reauthorization • New Commission on Skills and the American Workforce report • NCLB Commission recommendations • Increased authority of IES

6. Approaches to Rebranding Philosophies for Organizational Rebranding • Keep Your Name • Representational • Industry-centric - the “Ed-____” • Identify with a “aspirational” image • Invented word • The acronomic approach • Named for a person

7. NEKIA Rebranding Strategy NEKIA Rebranding Strategy • Name/tagline development • Mission statement/guiding principles • Web site enhancement • Printed materials • Outreach/conferences • Financing/sponsorship

8. Name/Tagline Development Name/Tagline Development • Identify the strongest messages and verbiage that resonates with NEKIA’s core stakeholders • Determine NEKIA’s core strengths to ensure that name and tagline crosswalk with audience understanding and appreciation • Equip NEKIA with a series of recommended names for the organization • Provide NEKIA with a series of recommended taglines for the organization

9. Mission Statement/Guiding Principles Mission Statement/Guiding Principles • Review existing mission statement, guiding principles, and related vision documents • Provide recommendations to enhance current documents and messages to crosswalk with new tagline and organizational focus • Develop recommendations for how to further cement NEKIA mission and guiding principles in future materials and outreach activities

10. Web Site Enhancement Web Site Enhancement • Review current Web site and provide a Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis of the current site • Review Web sites for like-minded organizations and government offices to measure for compatibility • Provide specific recommendations for improving the visual look of the NEKIA site • Provide specific recommendations for improving the navigation of the NEKIA site • Provide specific recommendations for improving the editorial content of the NEKIA site

11. Printed Materials Enhancement Printed Materials Enhancement • Review current printed materials and provide a Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis of current print products • Review select print materials from like-minded organizations and government offices to measure for compatibility • Provide specific recommendations for improving the visual look of NEKIA materials • Provide specific recommendation for improving the editorial content of NEKIA materials • Provide recommendations for additional print products that should be development by NEKIA to support campaign goals

12. Outreach/Conferences Outreach/Conferences • Identify those audiences/constituencies where future NEKIA members most likely identify • Develop specific recommendations for DC-based conferences, roundtable discussions, forums, and related events designed to increase NEKIA’s reputation and broaden its reach to key audiences • Develop specific recommendations for potential NEKIA partners (for events, information distribution, sponsorships, etc.) • Create a 2007-08 conference/events calendar for NEKIA planning purposes • Identify priority conferences for NEKIA exhibits, speaking opportunities, and sponsorships in 2008

13. Financing/Sponsorships Financing/Sponsorships • Identify those private-sector corporations, philanthropies, and non-profits that have made significant contributions to education R&D issues in the last five years • Identify federal funding opportunities for NEKIA and NEKIA programs (both at U.S. Department of Education/IES and Congress) • Identify state-level funding opportunities for NEKIA programs • Identify potential organizational partner organizations to help “share” costs for NEKIA projects • Examine current NEKIA membership for new membership substreams or opportunities to pursue specific funding projects • Develop a prioritized list of private- and public-sector funding opportunities to pursue in 2007-08

14. Lipman Hearne Timeline Rebranding Timeline • Official Project Kickoff with Board February 7 • Interviews/Research Completed February 16 • Draft Names/Taglines Completed February 23 • Mission/Principles Recommendations Completed February 28 • Names/Taglines Finalized March 2 • Draft Web Site Strategy Completed March 23 • Draft Printed Materials Strategy Completed March 23 • Draft Outreach Strategy Completed March 30 • Draft Financing Strategy Completed March 30 • Strategies Finalized April 6 • Strategies Presented to Board April 9

15. Moving Forward Moving Forward: Building on Rebranding Following the completion of the rebranding campaign, NEKIA will be in a position to develop: • A strategic framework for achieving marketing and public affairs goals. • A series of specific strategies that address each program goal. • A prioritized set of tactics to achieve each goal, along with a timeline and budget for each tactic. • A set of specific strategies that address public affairs activities impacting NEKIA fundraising and expansion. • Detailed media relations strategies.

16. Contact Information: Rodney Ferguson rferguson@lipmanhearne.com Patrick Riccards priccards@lipmanhearne.com

17. Discussion