The Situation

Covenant Retirement Communities is one of the largest senior housing nonprofits in the country, at the time operating 16 communities across 9 states. The brand had served them well, but the organization was ready to evolve, to better reflect its values, attract a new generation of residents and employees, and position itself for future growth, including acquisitions.

A rebrand at this scale isn't just a logo change. It's a decision that touches every community, every resident, every employee, and every piece of collateral in circulation. Getting it wrong would be costly. Getting it right required real research.

The Work

I was the account manager on the Covenant account for five years, overseeing day-to-day lead generation execution for each community's full continuum, including independent living, assisted living, and healthcare, through print, digital, and events. By the time the rebrand project began, I had three years of history with the brand, the communities, and the people behind them. The rebrand was a major project running alongside all of that ongoing work.

For the rebrand specifically, I helped design and execute a series of full-day focus group sessions with retirement-aged participants, public perception research, not residents. I worked with a focus group company to develop the screening questionnaire, conducted the screenings, secured participant releases, and prepared all session materials. During the sessions themselves I was behind the two-way mirror, watching and taking notes as participants responded to logo directions and brand concepts in real time.

That research fed directly into the decision-making process. Working alongside the creative director and client leadership, I helped analyze findings, pressure-test directions, and guide the work toward a final logomark and brand system.

The Result

Covenant Retirement Communities became Covenant Living Communities and Services in 2019, with a new name, a new logo, a new tagline, and a fully rolled out brand system across all 16 communities. The rebrand was built for scale, including future acquisitions, and positioned the organization to connect with a new generation of older adults without losing the Christian heritage at its core.