Wray Ward was awarded Honorable Mention in PR Daily’s Nonprofit Communications Awards in the Corporate-Nonprofit Partnership category for its work with We Rock Charlotte, a nonprofit organization that inspires youth to find their voice and develop as musicians and creators in a collaborative space through camps, workshops and other programs. A recipient of a Wray Ward EmpoWWer service grant, We Rock Charlotte received probono strategic planning and creative assets to help guide the organization in its rebranding from Girls Rock to a new identity that promotes inclusivity among gender-diverse youth.

“We want to always reflect and celebrate the youth we serve, but we had a complex problem to solve in that we were reconciling a proud history with an ever-changing language and culture,” said Kelly Finley, founder and board member of We Rock Charlotte. “Wray Ward helped us articulate our vision and bring it to life in a way that truly captures our message and mission.”

For the project, Wray Ward tapped into the young professionals in its FORM internship, pairing the interns with mentors in several of the agency’s service areas (public relations/social media, video, photography, insights, copywriting, UX design/development, digital media, project management, graphic design). The project team delivered an audience and situational analysis, a detailed strategic foundation, and new brand positioning; the work culminated in more than 15 name and logo options and a creative and marketing communications campaign to support the rebrand launch. The work debuted in January 2022 and, as a result of the social media and PR campaign, We Rock

Charlotte’s teen rock camp was filled to capacity; the organization gained more than 200 new followers on Instagram and Facebook. Additionally, the rebrand helped the organization raise $13,000 through the blitz relaunch campaign.

"The success of We Rock Charlotte’s rebrand and the absolute joy we saw in the youth and volunteers at the launch party reaffirms why we created EmpoWWer: to give our community’s nonprofits the strategic and creative marketing resources they need to make the world a better place," said Wray Ward President and Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Appleby. "Our seasoned team of professionals and our talented class of FORM interns were able to give We Rock Charlotte powerful support, and we’re thrilled that PR Daily recognizes the importance of this community work."

Ragan and PR Daily Award programs celebrate the most successful campaigns, initiatives, people and teams in the communication, PR, marketing and employee wellbeing industries. PR Daily’s Nonprofit Communications Awards winners represent the people, teams and organizations whose campaigns, partnerships and projects helped build awareness of or raise funds for important causes, initiatives, organizations and programs.