‘Senior Living’ Dropped From Name
With the arrival of spring residents at Meadowood, a non-profit Life Plan community in Worcester Township PA, can walk along 135 acres of gardens and wooded areas filled with birds and wildlife. Spring also ushered in a rebrand by Xhilarate, that included dropping “Senior Living” from the name, a new logo, website, signage, and all touchpoints. “The target audience is getting younger and more active, looking at these communities as lifestyle destinations rather than retirement communities. We also needed the brand to resonate with their families and potential employees,” says Russ Napolitano, partner at the Philadelphia-based design and branding firm.
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“We wanted to partner with an agency that would tell our story authentically, based on our founder’s vision, while also setting us apart from other life plan communities,” says John Kotsatos, VP, Sales & Marketing. When the pandemic started, Kotsatos explains, Meadowood’s website became its front door. Without the benefit of in-person visits, spiking traffic made the team realize that they needed an online presence that better reflected the community’s amenities. The old, copy-heavy website was not effectively telling the current story.
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A key element of the rebrand is the logo. The original goose logo, in place since 1988, was retired. The new logo reflects the community’s expansive grounds and pays homage to the founder’s 3-legged stool philosophy – residents, board, and staff coming together. Three sections form a circular graphic featuring shades of blue skies and lush greenery with a pathway cutting through the center. A clean, modern typeface for Meadowood completes the refresh. The Xhilarate designers recommended bold and vibrant colors along with extensive imagery to better communicate the property’s attributes through the new website. While the previous website was heavy with information, the new version emphasizes the grounds, range of activities, residential living options, its wellness program and the various amenities conducive to an active lifestyle. It’s designed to encourage visitors to either pick up the phone or fill out a form to schedule a visit.
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Xhilarate partner and professional photographer, Zave Smith, was the inspiration for how to effectively use video and real (not stock) photography to convey an authentic sense of place. “We didn’t want to look like anyone else in this category,” says Napolitano. “So, for inspiration, we looked to luxury resorts and spas rather than similar communities,” he says. The new look and feel was extended to internal and external signage, direct mail, marketing materials, and all other brand touchpoints.
