We’ve just returned from the annual Museums in Conversation conference where Upstate History Alliance announced the results of a six-month project with Paperkite Creative Communications to change its name and visual identity.

Why change?

Upstate History Alliance is an organization that serves museums and heritage organizations throughout New York with best practices, regular professional development and a popular regranting program.

In short, they had a name that not only was inaccurate, but actually limited their reach. Staff and board members constantly found themselves explaining that the organization was all over the state – not just upstate. And membership was open to all types of museums, not just history museums and historic sites.

They have as much to offer people working in a children’s museum in Westchester as they do a historic house in the Catskills.

How we approached it

Changing a name is probably the most dramatic and potentially nerve-jangling activity that any organization can undergo. Our hats are off to this organization’s leadership for being so engaged and hands-on in this process. Without the kind of genuine collaboration we experienced in this project, there is no way we could have done the work we did and come to a conclusion that pleased as many people as this one did.

We kicked-off this project at the board’s annual retreat at Great Camp Sagamore, and that set a tone for the relationship like nothing else could. We spent a full day in a beautiful setting that allowed creativity to flow, ideas to flourish and conversation to happen.

It was hard work, but by the end of the day, we had a DNA chart that spoke to the essence of the organization. That chart served as the basis for determining whether anything else we did on the project was successful. We were always asking whether we were hitting the truth we had identified in the beginning.

The result

As of April, 2010, Upstate History Alliance has become Museumwise. The name reflects both the constituency and the character of the organization while remaining inclusive and welcoming. Museumwise’s executive director and board president, Catherine Gilbert and Andrew Kitzmann,  unveiled its name Sunday evening at the opening reception of the Museums in Conversation conference, and board members handed out lapel buttons with the new graphics and the words “I Am Museumwise.”

We are so happy for Museumwise and everyone involved. Our work isn’t quite finished, as we’re moving forward now to update the Museumwise website. Stay tuned for the website launch in May!

The short version is this:

We offer creative marketing services with a conscience to businesses and organizations driven by a passion to improve lives and communities. That means non-profits, arts and cultural organizations, museums, schools and businesses of all sizes that are driven by a cause.

We maintain a small and selective client list so that we are able to give each client the attention it deserves.

We also support and nurture creativity in our community through workshops in all types of creative arts. The workshops provide children and adults with new avenues of learning and expression, while giving talented creative teachers a financially sustainable way to share their gifts.

Of course, the story of how we got here is more complicated, and more interesting.

Paperkite operates on a very simple ideal: The work we do should make a difference. Not only should it make a difference for our clients’ bottom lines (that’s a given), but it should contribute real value to the world.

It’s a pretty radical idea for an industry that brings into the world such things as Alex the Stroh’s dog.

How we aim to do that is a little different as well.

You don’t have to count the alcoholics on Mad Men to know that ad and marketing “creatives” have long struggled with the meaningfulness of their work. For me, personally, I have frequently felt a tension between creating something and marketing something that someone else has created.

That’s because traditional marketing is pretty icky – like tapping strangers on the shoulder in the middle of their suppers and shouting in their faces about a product or service they probably don’t need.

If you’re interrupting good people’s lives with spammy, irritating campaigns, it’s never going to feel as good as creating something new and valuable, helping people solve real problems and performing a genuinely helpful service.

We want our work to make people feel good – that includes our clients’ customers, our clients and ourselves.

If you think we would be a good fit for your marketing needs, drop us an e-mail at hello@paperkitecreative.com. We would love to talk.