(Chelsea Update would like to thank Lisa French for the information in this story.)
The marketing team of senior living organization Brio Living Services was recently honored by the Central Michigan Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (CMPRSA) at its 36th annual 2022 PACE Awards ceremony in East Lansing.
Led by Chief Sales and Marketing Officer James Kelly, the Brio Living Services marketing team received a PACE Award for Excellence in the Organizational Relations category.
This award recognized Brio Living Services for its work on the organization’s corporate rebranding campaign which launched on March 1, 2022. Formerly United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC) & Porter Hills, Brio Living Services is the new brand and name for the organization’s corporate umbrella.
Following a 10-month process during which strategic leadership gathered insights from residents and families, team members, and communities, the organization’s board approved a new brand that reflected its mission, ‘welcoming all, partnering together, enriching lives’ and vision of ‘a world in which all are empowered to age well.’
“The behind-the-scenes planning and design of the marketing and communications plan was crucial,” said Kelly in a press release. “For an organization that’s been in existence since 1906, we knew how important it was to announce the new name to a variety of audiences, in a way that resonated with each, and which would get people excited about it – including the older adults we serve, their families, and our devoted team members.”
The Brio Living Services team utilized a multi-media approach to create interest and excitement, with “teasers” leading up to the announcement including written messages and memos, social media, website, stickers with the new logo placed strategically around the various communities, and a series of videos that featured Kelly.
“The word ‘brio’ means vivacity, verve, enthusiasm – the very aspects of joyful living that we aim to bring to the older adults we serve,” said Kelly. “Therefore, we wanted our rebranding approach to include that same sense of joy and celebration. I feel our plan accomplished what we had envisioned.”
Judged by peers from around the country, “the PACE Awards are mid-Michigan’s highest honor of public relations activities and are awarded annually to those who have successfully addressed a contemporary issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity, and resourcefulness (per the website).”
Based in New York City, PRSA is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals.
Said Kelly, “The PACE Award for Excellence is such an honor, and I am so proud of our team.”
To learn more about Brio Living Services, visit www.MyBrio.org.
