YMCA Southcoast Wins Workshop and Learns Why IMAGE COUNTS™

January 16, 2009, New Bedford, MA— On Thursday, January 8, 2009, the YMCA Southcoast hosted a two-hour workshop which the organization won at the SouthCoast Business Expo in October. The workshop, titled IMAGE COUNTS™, was presented by BER inc, a creative design company in Mattapoisett, MA, at the YMCA’s 18 South Water Street location in downtown New Bedford.

Twenty-five program and development directors from the Dartmouth, Fall River, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, and Wareham YMCAs attended the workshop, starting the new year by learning how to build a stronger, more unified image. “I really feel that our directors walked away with a new appreciation and understanding of brand identity and the importance of consistency in all our marketing materials,” Sarah Kendrigan, graphic designer and marketing assistant for the YMCA Southcoast, noted.

IMAGE COUNTS™ is an educational program that teaches business professionals how to increase brand recognition and the equitable value of their brands. “Hundreds of business professionals from all over the country have attended this workshop,” commented Kerrin Adrian, executive director of BER inc. “Our audiences range from small businesses to national companies, nonprofits to entrepreneurs, marketing directors to office managers, even individuals seeking guidance on how to promote themselves.”

Attendees have an opportunity to appraise the strengths and weaknesses of their own brands and obtain helpful advice on how to improve their image, positioning, and profits. “What made the YMCA Southcoast workshop unique is that we weren’t there to assess the strength of the YMCA brand; it’s a strong brand. Rather, our goal was to help their directors understand how each one of them plays a vital role in the success of the YMCA brand, in addition to showing them how to make more effective design choices when creating flyers and brochures,” Adrian said.

“Many people think a brand is a logo, but everyone who experiences IMAGE COUNTS™ learns otherwise,” Adrian continued. “A brand is a promise. A logo is a device that communicates your brand promise. Yet, if you don’t know what your brand promise is, then how can you communicate with customers, or in the Y’s case, with members?”

Kendrigan submitted the YMCA Southcoast for BER inc’s Expo giveaway and won. For five years BER inc has been a proud exhibitor at the SouthCoast Business Expo, which is sponsored by the New Bedford and Fall River Chambers of Commerce. This was the first year BER inc offered a complimentary workshop. “We are always learning at our own workshops,” said Adrian. “At this one we learned what an extraordinary brand the YMCA is. The staff is not only dedicated to the Y’s core values—honesty, respect, responsibility, and caring—they are happy people. And this is our reward, to have confirmation that branding works.”

Chief operating officer of the YMCA Southcoast, Nancy Bonell, played an integral role in tailoring the workshop for the YMCA staff. She and Kendrigan organized the training space so that people who wore the same hats in different branches sat together and worked together on the appraisal process. Bonell praised the program for its “outstanding” real-world education and for the hands-on tools her staff was able to take back to their YMCA branches.

Since 1963, BER inc has owned and operated six successful brands. In 2004, the company decided to share its knowledge with other businesses by offering comprehensive branding services and developing its educational program, IMAGE COUNTS™. “I knew we had built a valuable program the first time I looked out into an audience and saw light bulbs illuminating above people’s heads,” Adrian reminisces.

BER inc specializes in corporate branding and developing identity programs for companies, organizations, and individuals. As a socially responsible investor, BER inc serves the community through its CSR program, making comprehensive branding services affordable to nonprofit organizations, and by offering educational workshops that teach business professionals how to build a more successful brand.

To host an IMAGE COUNTS™ workshop or receive information about upcoming workshops, please call Kerrin Adrian at (508) 758-2345 or send an email with your contact information to info@BERinc.us. Learn more about IMAGE COUNTS™ by visiting www.berinc.us/about-seminars.htm.