Franklin & Marshall College

From stalled to soaring: A campaign reborn in just 12 weeks.

Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) had been through two other vendors when it came to Mackey Strategies with an urgent request: Could we help rescue its campaign messaging and deliver a full suite of campaign materials in time for an immovable launch weekend only 12 weeks away? The launch would coincide with Homecoming and the inauguration of its new president.

We love a challenge, so we said, “Yes.” We brought in the design firm Transit Authority Figures (TAF) and got to work.

Only a few weeks later, we met with the campaign leadership and presented the campaign theme, “Now to Next,” and TAF presented the accompanying logo. They were a hit, and the real race began. Mackey Strategies started writing the case and interviewed students, faculty, and alumni to develop our concept for tandem profiles that would embody the “Now to Next” theme. TAF, meanwhile, captured the participants’ photographs and built out a comprehensive portfolio of design materials. By September’s end, the case was off to print, and our intensive work continued with F&M for what became a magnificent launch event.

The case statement—every word, every interview, every photo—came together in just six weeks. The result was most exciting: a new president energized by the message, a board enthusiastic about the campaign’s direction, and an F&M community proudly embracing the “Now to Next” approach.