Case Study

THE SITUATION

Cranford Public Schools intended to hold a referendum soon after leading community listening sessions and administering a pre-referendum survey in 2018-19, but the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the vote plans. When the district finally received state approval to proceed with a January 2024 vote, many community members had long forgotten about the groundwork laid five years earlier. The district knew a strong, creative marketing and branding campaign was needed to revitalize community support, create unity and pride in the community and district, and engage all registered voters.

THE STRATEGY

Laura Bishop Communications (LBC) was part of the district’s team and designed a customized logo for the bond referendum campaign. The logo centered around the Cranford Cougar mascot, a familiar symbol in the community. It featured the district’s color palette and spotlighted the January 23 vote date. The tagline “Our Schools, Our Future” helped convey what was at stake in the special election and a sense of community ownership. 

The logo became a recognizable element of the campaign and was used across various digital and print marketing materials to reach a variety of audiences. Local coffee-buyers saw the message on cup sleeves. In addition to being used on the dedicated referendum website and marketing video, it was used on several print collateral materials. A “vote yes” campaign coordinated by Cranford citizens also used the logo as a launching point for creating their version to encourage voters to pass the referendum.