Question

Topic: Taglines/Names

Tagline For Non Profit, Mental Health Organization

Posted by hotbuttons on 7/28/2014 at 8:13 PM ET 500 Points
MEIA Collective utilizes the arts to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness. As a non profit organization, we intend to provide youth and emerging adults with a platform to openly address mental health concerns in a creative (and public) manner. They will lead the discussion, create the campaigns, and speak out in an effort to highlight the need for straight forward dialogue on the importance of emotional well being and asking for help when needed.

MEIA "Mental Health Empowerment, Innovation, and Advocacy through the Arts"

Looking for a strong tagline that will resonate with youth as well as corporate backing.

I had toyed with 'Engage, inspire, address" however that speaks to me as an adult, not a teen.

Thanks for your help!

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RESPONSES

  • Posted by mgoodman on 7/28/2014 at 8:38 PM Accepted
    Since most of us are adults, not teens, it would probably make sense to talk with teens directly -- either one-on-one or in focus groups of 10-12 -- to see how they respond to the concept, what words they use to describe their attitudes toward mental health, and what other outlets they think are worthwhile to address the issue(s). By definition, their opinions are worth a lot more than ours when it comes to something like this.

    There's also an issue with the name -- since MEIA doesn't say or mean anything unless you spell out the full name, and even then it's a mouthful without an explicit benefit for anyone. What this means is that the entire burden of positioning the organization falls to the tagline. The actual name -- MEIA Collective -- is a throw-away (from a marketing perspective).

    As for 'Engage, inspire, address," it's hard to know what it means if the only other clue you have is "MEIA." You need to be clear about what the organization is/does and what the benefit might be for your target audience. Don't worry so much about clever buzzwords. Deliver an important and meaningful benefit to your target audience.


    P.S. What does "collective" contribute to the communication? It sounds like a fancy word for "organization" or "group" unless I'm missing something.
  • Posted by hotbuttons on 7/28/2014 at 8:48 PM Author
    Thanks mgoodman!

    Collective is used to illustrate the collaboration or group effort that is taking place amongst individual supporters, mental health service providers and corporate/government funders. This is not a stand alone agency but rather a partnership of many who see the value in using creative means to highlight a problem that is growing yet still subject to taboo and a reluctance to openly discuss.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 7/28/2014 at 9:18 PM Accepted
    I'm with Michael on his points. While you might be asking for a simple tagline, there's a lot of thinking necessary to ensure we're on-target.

    Since mental health covers a wide swath, what type of problems are you likely focusing on: suicide, depression, schizophrenia, feelings of not belonging, or something else?

    For the youth, what's the attraction to your organization: to receive mental health information, to provide peer-to-peer information, or to share their stories with the general public?

    From a funding perspective, why should what you do matter to them? It doesn't sound like you're doing research or raising funds for research, but instead sharing a social message about mental health. But other organizations in your region are likely also covering this territory as well. What will make your non-profit unique? And, do you have examples of similar programs in other regions that are successful?
  • Posted by hotbuttons on 7/29/2014 at 2:20 PM Author
    Hi!

    The uniqueness of the organization is that art (whether it be painting/drawing, digital, photography, music) is used not only as a conduit to open and direct conversation about mental illness and well being, it also showcases the talents of those affected. The attraction to youth is that they get to share their stories, create the awareness campaigns and have their voices heard.

    Art exhibitions touting the anti stigma campaign messages will then be made available in highly public places whether it be city hall, shopping malls, corporate buildings, schools, etc. The mission is to allow affected youth and their supporters an opportunity to come forward without feeling shame, guilt or embarrassment and to be confident enough to ask for help when needed.

    Why start with art? Basically it is a safe manner in which to express inner emotion and communicate without words.

    While MEIA does not directly offer support services, it does provide information on local organizations who do. An online service directory and community forum is currently being created where information can readily be found.

    The closest concept that I could find for you is www.mindyourmind.ca however it should be noted that MEIA was created as there is nothing like it currently available.

    Perhaps a tagline is not suitable for such an endeavour?
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 7/29/2014 at 4:12 PM Member
    A tagline is likely something that your organization desperately needs, because the name doesn't mean anything to the general public. But the challenge you face is that you need to identify who specifically the name needs to appeal to and a key benefit that they'd recognize in your offerings. For example, "Youth Art For Mental Health Advocacy".
  • Posted by saul.dobney on 7/30/2014 at 9:21 AM Accepted
    Open your mind to Mental Health

    Freedom to express your inner self

    Discovering/Understanding Mental Wellbeing through the Arts
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