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Peer Recovery Center
of Addison County

Public education through clarity and engagement

The nonprofit formerly known as Turning Point Center of Addison County began fielding increasing questions from donors and community members about its relationship to the (totally unrelated) national Turning Point Center USA organization. The negative attention spurred an urgent need to rename the Vermont-designated Recovery Services Organization for Addison County before beginning its strategic plan implementation.

To enable proactive work to begin on a strategic communications plan, Marketing Partners worked with major stakeholders and partners to select a new organization name and navigate logos, in addition to messaging, positioning, and website strategy to advance the Peer Recovery Center’s mission in Addison County.

Focus Areas

Health & Safety

Social Equity & Community

Related Services

Brand Strategy & Positioning

Content Strategy & Development

Digital Strategy & Web Design

Logo for Peer Recovery Center of Addison County in all white.

 

The Challenge

The Peer Recovery Center of Addison County (previously named the Turning Point Center of Addison County) was looking for more than a visual refresh. The design challenge was maintaining a sense of familiarity with a new name. And an annual fundraising event and a new video were already scheduled and in progress when the decision was made on the new name. The nonprofit needed a name change transition announcement coordinated with the June event and a thoughtful communications process to help better express its purpose, reduce barriers to understanding the community services it provides, and support long-term sustainability in uncertain times by cultivating community engagement and trust.

Insight: Build on existing believers' trust to reach community members not aware of the services available or fearing stigma

Family members and friends want to help those struggling with substance use or addiction. However for those struggling, barriers such as cost and fear of stigma discourage seeking help. Meanwhile the Peer Recovery Center offers group and individual peer counseling services without cost but community members are not aware of these options.

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Strategies

  • Marketing Partners led multiple work sessions with major stakeholders and key employees to establish the positioning of the organization.

  • With a consensus on the positioning, Marketing Partners started a deep-dive into brainstorming potential new names with stakeholders to carefully fit agreed-upon criteria to ensure that the name would accurately reflect the new positioning and strategy.
  • After a successful event and name announcement, plus multiple federal and state funding changes, we returned to collaborating on a strategic communications plan to proactively move the Peer Recovery Center ahead.
  • The 18-month plan meets a dual challenge: sustaining a free service in a tightening healthcare economy, while pioneering a plain-language way to talk about recovery that no other peer center currently offers.
Illustration of three people collaborating at a board covered with colorful notes, with hands writing, reviewing and organizing ideas.

What We Did

We began by collaborating closely with the consultants already working on the fundraising event and video. Once the new name was selected, we prepared the creative brief and worked with the Center's long-time designer to tweak and expand the logo graphic and text to improve accessibility, legibility, and usability for print and digital applications. After the sprint for the event-announcement combined with ongoing state/federal regulatory and funding uncertainty, we developed tactics and collaborated with existing and new PRC staff members to implement a flexible strategic communication plan, including a website content and optimization plan, social media guide, and fall fundraising campaign. 

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Comprehensive 18-month strategic communication plan to lead the organization toward a sustainable future.

Stage at a Peer Recovery Center of Addison County event featuring a presentation screen reading “Supporting Recovery, Strengthening Community,” with green silhouettes holding a growing tree and chairs arranged for a panel discussion.

New Name Unveiling at Event

Assisted in name selection based on new positioning and the communications transition after the June event that included revealing the newly chosen name for the organization.
Peer Recovery Center of Addison County informational materials displayed on a table, including brochures, business cards and a QR code sign inviting visitors to learn more and stay in touch.

Logo Design and Collateral

Strategy, creative brief, and coordination for quickly refreshing the logo and other graphics on the initial collateral assets.
Screenshot of an Action Plan Calendar and Gantt Chart outlining the Peer Recovery Center of Addison County’s 2026–2027 project timeline, including launch activities, communications planning, reporting and website improvements.

Tactics Planned for Implementation

The collaborative Gantt chart with dependencies enables the PRC team to see the impact of pending uncertain changes and adjust as needed.
 

Impact

  • The Peer Recovery Center of Addison County has smoothly made the transition to its new name.
  • Implementation of the website content update to better reflect the new positioning and strategy to the public continues, as does ongoing social media and development tactics to support achieving goals of long-term sustainability and public education to reduce stigma around recovery.
  • The strategic communications plan provides a flexible foundation for the ongoing uncertainty at the federal and state level.
Yellow warning sign reading ‘Uncertainty Ahead’ stands in a barren, rocky landscape beneath dark storm clouds, symbolizing uncertainty and challenges ahead.