Empowering an Established Consulting Firm to Reach New Strategic Heights Through Rebranding
Project Overview
Canopy Strategic Partners (formerly Zoo Advisors) is a full-service planning and consulting firm dedicated to helping mission-driven organizations, including zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, conservation organizations and other public green spaces to create a better future for the planet.
In 2022, senior leadership at Canopy Strategic Partners embarked on a comprehensive rebranding initiative in partnership with our team at Bailey. The journey spanned many months and was deeply rooted in a desire to define and deliver on the organization’s core purpose: to passionately support mission-based organizations and the people who lead them.
What We Did
Over a period of months, the Bailey team worked closely with Canopy’s senior leadership to fully immerse ourselves in the brand. We led in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in order to form a clearer understanding of the organization from the inside out. Then we moved on to external interviews and conducted a comprehensive competitive audit to gain an objective perspective on the organization and the category. Our team leveraged the insights we uncovered to develop formal brand positioning materials, including ownable attributes, key messaging and actionable pillars of success.
Armed with a comprehensive understanding of the core characteristics of the brand, we then embarked on a naming initiative, vetting hundreds of possibilities in close collaboration with the leadership team. After weeks of collaborative ideation and exploration, “Canopy” emerged as the clear favorite.
The definition of the word conveys so much of what we had come to learn about Canopy’s work, their corporate philosophy and the people who make it possible. In short, a canopy is a diverse, organic network of branches, leaves and foliage that envelopes, encompasses and supports the growth and development of other ecospheres. Thus, the name “Canopy” speaks to the organization’s commitment to elevating the leaders of today and tomorrow by providing them with the tools, insights and information they need to further their mission and grow their business to new heights. “Canopy” also vividly illustrates a passion for helping organizations foster powerful connections within their own communities.
Results:
Following completion of the naming initiative, the final step for our team was to bring the refreshed positioning, vision and messaging to life through a vibrant new visual identity that has been implemented at both the brand level and across every page of the fabulous new Canopy website. The new logo reinforces the meaning behind the name and visualizes a range of natural elements—a pair of leaves, the tail of a fish, an arching treetop—as a nod to organic growth. All three elements are combined into a single circle to suggest the power of harmony and community in which everyone can thrive.
