A young boy with glasses smiling and looking out of a vehicle window.

Government-led Community Initiative

Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative

Logo of the Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative with the initials IAQLI in black and red and the full name below.

Community Engagement, Media Relations, Design

The Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative (IAAQLI) is a program committed to enriching the lives of African American residents in Indianapolis. This is a partnership between the National Urban League, the Indianapolis Urban League, and the African American Coalition of Indianapolis. Being funded by the Lilly Endowment, the IAAQLI aims to resolve community concerns, amplify voices, and create lasting impact through research, engagement, and programming. 

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OUR WORK IN ACTION.

CHALLENGE:

The IAAQLI sought a comprehensive brand identity and communication strategy to engage and encourage community involvement. A significant hurdle was to ensure the visual identity and outreach efforts made an impact with the community and stayed consistent with the National Urban League and Indianapolis Urban League branding.

SOLUTION:

Herd Strategies served as the agency of record for IAAQLI, delivering complete guidance and implementation for branding, design, media relations, and community engagement. Keeping the community we served in mind, we developed a visual identity that reflected the perspectives of program partners and incorporated Afro-centric graphics to honor and support. We also created digital assets, managed media relations, campaigns, and created approaches to engage residents in influencing program priorities.

HOW WE HELPED

  • Herd Strategies’ contributions included:

    Brand Design & Logo Creation: We developed a logo and visual identity that remained consistent with partner organizations while remaining true to IAAQLI’s unique identity.

    Community Engagement: Conducted research and hosted meetings to implement priorities and cultivate trust, including:

    • 15 Community Ambassadors engaged

    • 10 Community Leadership Meetings

    • 10 Public Meetings

    • 30 One-on-One Interviews

    • 1,800 Community Survey Respondents

    • 1 Televised Youth Forum

    • 1 Youth Focus Group

    • 5 Radio Forums

    Media Relations: Implemented a media campaign to promote funding opportunities, milestones, and grant awards, including:

    • 6 Press Releases

    • 3 Press Events

    • 275 Total Mentions

    • 28.3M Total Reach

    • $210K Total Publicity Value

  • Herd Strategies strengthened the IAAQLI’s visual identity, deepened community connections, and amplified awareness of its initiatives. The campaign fostered trust within community members by reaching 28.3 M, and boosting a total publicity value of $210k. 

  • Herd Strategies helped IAAQLI communicate effectively with both residents and stakeholders by providing strategic design, media relations, and community engagement support. Our strategies ensured the program would effectively reach underserved communities, cultivate participation, and ensure long-term impact on the quality of life for African American residents in Indianapolis. 

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Community Engagement by Activity

Community engagement connected participants through forums, focus groups, surveys and more, ensuring diverse voices were heard and represented. Surveys conducted during the forums gathered input from 1,800 participants.
Red cover page with white text displayed.

Media Coverage Results

This media campaign generated widespread awareness of the initiative, securing 275 media mentions, reaching over 28 million people, and gaining $210K in publicity value.

Logo Design

Various logo designs for the Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative, including primary, secondary, and alternative versions with different colors and styles.
Four variations of the logo for IAAQLI, each with different color schemes and background styles, accompanied by the text 'In partnership with Indianapolis Urban League & the African American Coalition of Indianapolis'.

VIEW ALL CASE STUDIES.

  • Green and silver IndyGo Rapid bus arriving at a bus stop with a modern shelter. The bus displays route information. The bus shelter has a red and gray sign with a white dash and an 'R'. Green trees and a cloudy sky are visible in the background.

    Red Line

  • A large illuminated Ferris wheel with enclosed gondolas at night, situated outdoors in front of a children's museum in Indianapolis.

    The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

  • A historic monument with a sculpture at the top, a fountain with water flowing, and an overlay of the letters 'IAAQLI' in red and black on the fountain. The background includes cloudy skies and city buildings.

    IAAQLI (Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative)

  • Two men smiling and holding gardening tools in a lush green outdoor setting, with a sign that says "Welcome to Belmont Beach."

    Haughville Riverfront Vision Plan Belmont Beach

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