Saint Paul Public Schools was poised to launch a sweeping, new strategic plan after almost a year of research. The plan called for significant changes to district hallmarks: school choice and site-based management.

BWR advised changing the name to focus on the end goal: Strong Schools, Strong Communities; sensitively framed key messages in three areas: the need for change, what would be different, and how the changes would improve student achievement; and, developed family-friendly overviews that clearly communicated the annual changes in store for each school and each area of the city.

Among others, the plan was publicly endorsed by Mayor Chris Coleman, the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, The Saint Paul Foundation, the African American Leadership Council, and the editorial board of the Pioneer Press. After two months of public engagement, more than 40 large group meetings, and 50 news stories, the School Board unanimously approved the plan.

The Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul’s health departments needed a marketing plan to motivate residents to move more and eat better through their Get Fit Twin Cities campaign.

Over a 100-day period, teams of two to ten people tracked and reported their weekly minutes of activity and fruit and vegetable intake.

To get the word out, BWR secured KARE 11’s media sponsorship and organized a kick-off event featuring Mayors RT Rybak and Chris Coleman, garnering broad media attention.

The ensuing buzz resulted in 1,398 teams with 7,782 total individuals registering for the inaugural Get Fit challenge, all in the midst of our infamous Minnesota winter.

Employee focus groups in Minneapolis Public Schools found that while people were passionate about the work they did, they felt little connection to one another or the district.

BWR created a dynamic employee engagement and recognition program called We are MPS, tapping into the personal commitments and passions of thousands of employees and illustrating how each individual action is tied to something bigger.

The campaign brings out the best in MPS employees through a poster mosaic displayed in every school; a weekly 90-second, online video of an employee testimonial; a weekly everyday achievement in the employee newsletter; and a weekly superintendent recognition of an individual’s work.

Garrison Keillor often reminds listeners that he doesn’t actually make up anything at all, he just writes down what he sees. Truth is, his powers of observation are second only to his masterful storytelling.

Everyone has a story to share, whether it’s the folks from the corner grocery or the corner office. Storytelling in all of its forms – video, print, audio – is more important than ever because audiences are looking for meaningful connections.

Stories allow us to find meaning in ways that traditional marketing pitches cannot. We’ll help you find the compelling narrative that makes your story shine.

As its calling card to the world, an organization’s website has to balance design with useability to keep visitors coming back for more.

BWR maximizes the power of websites by ensuring branding, engagement and functionality are fully integrated.

From bounce rates to SEO, we’ll help you understand how a website can be a tool for gaining insights to better serve your audiences.

When the American Lung Association of Minnesota and its many project partners reached the end of a CDC grant striving to reduce pediatric asthma rates, they knew they needed to establish a new identity to help them carry the work into the future.

Through a brainstorming process with key stakeholders, Partners for Asthma Action was born, providing the alliance of public health leaders with a brand that encompassed a new logo, tagline, key messages, brochure and video to give them a firm foothold among similar efforts and potential funders.

How do you reach over 100,000 adoptees living throughout Minnesota on a slim budget? That was the challenge for Adoptees Have Answers, a non-profit striving to give adoptees a voice while building a supportive community.

By using multiple social media channels, AHA reached adoptees and promoted its range of services while building important connections among this diverse group. From Facebook and Twitter to Meetups and YouTube, adoptees throughout Minnesota now have multiple platforms to share their many questions and answers about being an adopted person.