Case Studies.

Based in Homestead, PA, TCLB’s core operations and property restorations were already underway, but the organization sought to enliven its marketing and communications to members and the communities they serve.

As a new start up organization, TCLB recognized the need for marketing capacity and joined with five other nonprofit organizations to establish the elevate412 Marketing Collaborative. Following TrailBlaze’s Marketing Director in Residence^SM model, the elevate412 partnership receives embedded marketing support and personnel as integrated staff members of the organization, offering strategic, executive-level guidance for the duration of the contract. The TrailBlaze team provided organization-wide coordination of marketing activities, including communications, social media, website redevelopment, and the marketing of properties for sale. Input from TCLB during initial sessions led to TrailBlaze’s comprehensive redevelopment of the TCLB website to incorporate more user-friendly features. One prominent upgrade was the implementation of an integrated property management platform. The TrailBlaze staff actively marketed TCLB’s properties and developed extensive membership materials for use with communities and school districts seeking to collaborate with TCLB. TrailBlaze likewise assisted in providing professional photography services to better promote TCLB’s properties and brand. As these various improvements unfolded, TCLB also expressed a need for further assistance in designing its annual report, submitted yearly to the Commonwealth. With guidance from TrailBlaze, this document was developed into an aesthetically appealing, easily readable, and interpretable report swiftly delivered to the Commonwealth for review.

As a result of choosing TrailBlaze’s Marketing Director in Residence^SM model, TCLB benefitted from TrailBlaze’s strategy development and establishment of a multifaceted digital marketing infrastructure, which TCLB now uses to continue to promote its operations and brand. As a direct result of collaboration with TrailBlaze, TCLB recognized the value of possessing the internal capacity to manage marketing and communications and has since hired a staff member to accentuate the work being accomplished through collaboration with TrailBlaze. Importantly, as a result of TrailBlaze’s website upgrades and digital marketing work, the TCLB website is more user-friendly, member-accommodating, and highly navigable for TCLB staff as they make content changes and property listings. TrailBlaze’s development of digital marketing collateral and increased engagement with communities and school districts has heightened public awareness of TCLB’s work in the region. In further recognition of TrailBlaze’s contributions to TCLB’s mission, the 2020 annual report submitted to the Commonwealth was recently awarded a Davey Award – Silver Award in the category of Design & Print Collateral – Annual Report.