Marketing Support
ISM - Twin Cities
How a unified strategy and refined design elevated association marketing to new levels
Project Overview
ISM Twin Cities, a professional association serving supply management professionals across the region, partnered with Mercury Creative Group in 2023 to address a critical challenge: fragmented marketing that failed to reflect the strength of its brand or the needs of its members. What began with a strategic foundation through our Launchpad Brand Strategy has grown into an ongoing collaboration focused on aligning every touchpoint of ISM’s communications.
With a strategy-first approach rooted in deep association expertise, our team worked with ISM to realign their brand voice, unify design across platforms, and refine content for greater impact. From foundational messaging and marketing planning to conference materials and website content, ISM’s member-facing presence has been transformed.
The Challenge of Disjointed Marketing Before Collaboration
Prior to engaging Mercury, ISM struggled with inconsistent messaging and a lack of cohesion across its marketing materials. Each initiative—whether it was website content, event promotion, or member outreach—felt disconnected from the next. The result was a brand that didn’t match the professionalism of the organization or meet the expectations of its ideal members.
There was a clear opportunity to bring order, intentionality, and polish to ISM’s entire marketing ecosystem.
Why ISM Chose a Strategy-First Approach with Mercury
ISM chose Mercury for our proven expertise in association marketing and our strategy-first approach. Our partnership began in 2023 with the Launchpad Brand Strategy project, which laid the groundwork for all future marketing efforts. We conducted stakeholder surveys and workshops to define ISM’s value proposition, primary audiences, and key messaging pillars—capturing it all in a comprehensive Brand Strategy Brief.
From there, we developed a tactical marketing plan with recommended channels, content cadence, and a project timeline aligned with their goals and budget. We wrapped the engagement with strategic recommendations for design and communications execution. This strong foundation set the stage for a cohesive, impactful brand and marketing strategy that ISM continues to build on today.
How ISM Used Strategic Branding to Create Impact
Building on the strategy work, Mercury continued to support ISM throughout 2025 by executing against the plan and refining its communications across core areas:
- Website Content Alignment – Refreshed the website to highlight member value, professional development, and organizational credibility.
- Fall Conference Materials – Elevated the visual identity and message consistency across sponsor packets, promotional materials, and on-site assets.
- Marketing Documents – Introduced a clean visual system with color, iconography, and layout improvements for clarity and appeal.
By staying anchored in the core messaging pillars and ideal audience definition from the Launchpad project, every piece of collateral now speaks with one voice—enhancing clarity and reinforcing ISM’s value proposition.
Results
The results from this collaborative, strategy-first approach speak for themselves:
- Year-over-year increase in membership
- Significant boost in fall conference sponsorships
- More professional, member-facing materials that support recruitment and retention
- Board-level praise – Alan, ISM’s Board Chair, noted:
“This is the most professional the materials have ever looked.” - Dramatic improvements in visual appeal and readability
- Use of icons and color made key points stand out
- Designs now align with modern, member-centered branding standards
Final Thoughts
ISM Twin Cities now has a unified brand presence across all its marketing channels, enabling them to better attract members, retain sponsors, and lead with confidence in the professional association space.
If your organization is ready to transform its marketing and engage your ideal audience more effectively, Mercury Creative Group is ready to help.