Revitalizing the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Brand
Organization:
NSCA
Role:
Creative Manager
Collaborative Project Leadership with:
Marketing Director and Marketing Manager
Creators and Collaborators:
Graphic Designers, Volunteer Audience Members
Challenge
The NSCA’s brand lacked consistency and alignment with its mission of innovative leadership in strength and conditioning. This disconnect, combined with workload inefficiencies, contributed to team overwhelm and limited the organization’s ability to clearly engage its diverse audiences.
Strategy
We began by conducting in-depth audience research, including interviews with strength coaches, researchers, and personal trainers. Through facilitated workshops and surveys, we gathered valuable insights into audience perceptions, needs, and motivations.
To develop a cohesive visual identity, we built a flexible design system featuring a neutral base palette complemented by accent colors and tailored imagery to resonate with specific audience segments—such as orange for coaches and red for the tactical community. This approach maintained a strong, unified brand while allowing for differentiation across key groups.
Solution
NSCA Coaches Podcast
A distinct accent color was used to differentiate the podcast audience, while the branded look emphasized education and professional development tailored to strength and conditioning coaches.
NSCA Tactical Annual Training
We enhanced branding for the Tactical Annual Training program, which serves coaches supporting military personnel. An accent color was defined to distinguish this audience while aligning with the overall brand identity.
NSCA Personal Trainers Conference
By introducing the NSCA’s first virtual conference in 2019, attendance grew dramatically from 150 to 900 participants. Improved branding, communication, and wayfinding contributed to the success of this and subsequent virtual events.
Results
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Improved Brand Consistency: Streamlined branding across events and audiences,
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Reducing design complexity and improved efficiency
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Enhanced Audience Engagement: Tailored messaging and visuals to resonate with specific audience needs
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Increased Event Attendance: Achieved a significant increase at the Personal Trainers
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Conference, paving the way for virtual event success
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Streamlined Workload: Simplified the design process by creating a unified visual system that supports all projects, events, and recertifications
Lessons Learned
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Audience research is essential for creating impactful branding that resonates with target audiences.
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A cohesive core brand can effectively support tailored messaging and visuals for different audience segments.
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Strategic updates to visual identity and content strategy significantly enhance audience engagement and perception while improving internal processes.
