Insights, strategy & action for OMS Foundation

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation had ambitious goals. We developed a strategy and an action plan to transform the brand.

Heading into its 56th year and recognizing a plateau in new memberships and renewals, the Foundation asked us to help multiply its ranks and revenues over the coming five years.

Founded to support basic research and mentorship in the field, the Foundation is the much smaller offspring of the well-heeled AAOMS (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons) in which nearly all oral surgeons maintain a professional membership.

The Foundation yearned for a larger and more engaged community of supporters, higher impact on the medical specialty, and a more certain financial future. But to reach these goals, the Foundation had to address significant challenges in brand recognition, visibility, and messaging.

We began with an intensive month of discovery, including a full brand audit, analysis of existing member survey data, and our own additional qualitative research, which included in-depth interviews with Foundation leadership, donors, annual members, non-donors, and former recipients of grants, scholarships, and awards.

We learned that brand awareness was low beyond current Foundation members, most of whom were nearing retirement. Many long-time AAOMS members who were aware of the Foundation mistakenly assumed their AAOMS dues supported the Foundation and therefore did not join as Foundation members.

We presented our findings and recommendations at a meeting of the Board of Directors in Dallas. We proposed increasing the level of member engagement and enthusiasm by routinely recognizing members—especially younger members—who represent the Foundation’s values as well as those who could demonstrate the impact of the Foundation’s grants on their research or career path. We also proposed a brighter, more energetic visual language to symbolize the two pillars of the foundation: passion for the profession and investment in the future.

Our plan for rebranding and marketing was well-received. The ambitious implementation phase was completed in less than eight months and launched in time for the AAOMS 97th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. The complete rebranding included a new position, messaging system, identity system and brand standards guide, an annual report, new photography of numerous surgeons, print collateral, direct mail and email campaigns, and a website redesign.