“The “Only-ness” exercise was especially helpful, as its results made clear how much care and expertise is necessary to thread the messaging needle for our organization. The Cottage supports survivors of sexual assault and child abuse, which means we address a desperate need in the community about forms of violence that are deeply stigmatized and often erased in everyday discourse. The RPS team helped us craft clear language that dispelled the stigma and empowered our audience.”
Stephanie Rountree, President, Board of Directors at The Cottage
What started as a brand and messaging workshop evolved into a full rebrand and website redesign, equipping The Cottage with a clearer voice, stronger donor communication and a more accessible experience for survivors.
As The Cottage continued to grow and evolve, their brand and website no longer reflected who they had become as an organization. They were seeking clarity with their messaging when speaking to key audiences, particularly donors. During this process, their team decided that their visual identity and digital presence no longer fully encompassed their mission.
They needed more than updated materials. They needed alignment, internally and externally, to ensure their brand, messaging and outreach efforts were all working together to support both survivors and the broader community.
We began with a Brand Personality & Positioning Workshop and a Messaging Workshop to help The Cottage define who they are, how they communicate and how to better connect with their donor target audience.
As we worked through the exercises, the conversation went deeper than just words. The team began asking thoughtful questions about how their messaging connected to their visuals, how certain words aligned with icons, and what their audience might interpret from those pairings. With a clearer, more intentional story emerging, it prompted moments of reflection like, “If this is who we are now, why doesn’t our brand reflect that?”
This curiosity became a turning point. Through the workshops, we walked through our process, starting with words and meaning first, then translating that into visuals. This helped The Cottage begin to evaluate their existing logo, website and brand elements through a new lens. What they realized was a growing disconnect between their evolved messaging, tone and the visuals representing them.
From there, the work naturally evolved into a full rebrand, including:
A new logo and visual identity (colors, typography and design system)
A redesigned website and content support (currently in progress) to better serve both survivors and supporters
Every element was developed with intention, balancing clarity, sensitivity and accessibility while ensuring the organization could communicate its mission through visuals and communication.
Through these collaborative sessions, it became clear that their existing brand and website no longer aligned with their current impact, growth or future goals.
The groundwork laid through the Brand Personality & Positioning and Messaging Workshops has given The Cottage a brand and digital presence that accurately reflects who they are today and where they’re going through:
Stronger donor communication with clearer, more compelling messaging
Improved online accessibility for survivors, creating a more welcoming and supportive experience
Aligned internal teams, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints
A scalable brand that supports future growth and outreach
“The team at RPS have done an amazing job leading and guiding our nonprofit on our re-branding journey! Their staff is knowledgeable, thoughtful, dedicated, and thorough in helping ensure we have all the tools and resources necessary to be as successful as possible.”
What began as a workshop became a foundational shift, turning their brand into a tool that actively supports their mission. The next phase of their rebrand includes a new website to better connect with their audiences, launching in summer 2026.
