Fruitful Brands: The Access Period Case Study
We talk about the idea of fruitfulness a lot, not because it’s our name and we want to shamelessly promote ourselves, but because it’s integral to our brand identity. To be fruitful is to spread good to others, multiply, and influence change.
We believe in abundance, isn’t just one of our core values, it’s how we conduct ourselves in everything we do and what we truly believe about every client interaction we have.
Fruitful Designer Bre Marsh (left) with Kristin Lowrey (right) of Access Period.
That’s why when Kristin Lowrey, founder of Access Period approached us to create a brand and website for the non-profit, it just made sense to work together on such a fruitful mission.
Access Period is a non-profit organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska working to destigmatize the discussion around menstruation and bring awareness to the unrealized issue of period poverty. 1 in 4 people who menstruate have experienced a lack of access to period products in their lifetime. This can mean the inability to live a normal life and the results can be far-reaching, often affecting one's ability to perform at work or school, suffering embarrassing accidents, isolation, and mental health struggles. This issue is often hidden, yet it affects 22 million people.
Access Period is part of a network of nonprofit organizations across the country creating awareness and bringing period products to schools and workplaces to help those who don’t have access. We asked Kristin about her mission and her experience working with Fruitful:
What inspired you to start Access Period?
Lily Tomlin said, ‘I always wondered why someone doesn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was someone.’ I think everyone has a problem or issue that sticks with them, which makes them think, “why is this still a problem in my community?” For me, it’s been access to menstrual products.
Why did you reach out to Fruitful?
This was truly a case of the right place/right time. Looking at the successful (and well-branded!) companies Fruitful works with, I would not have thought we could afford to work with them. I would never have reached out on my own. I’m so grateful that Fruitful made a solid brand message and design accessible to us - and the people we serve are benefitting!
How did you and the Fruitful team work together to create the brand identity?
Working through the Story Brand process was exhilarating! I’d say something really messy - that didn’t make sense to anyone but me - and then Raj [Lulla] would work his magic and turn it into something clear that really speaks to people. Describing a problem and a solution that most people have never thought about can be difficult, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it on my own. The team was always consultative, patient, and curious.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a non-profit about something they're passionate about?
Start today! Don’t wait to apply for 501c3 status, or to get a big donation, or to put together a powerful board of directors. Just start doing the thing that needs to be done and then figure out the details. There are plenty of amazing mutual-aid organizations that are making huge impacts without any kind of official status. They’re just people doing the work.
How to clarify your messaging.
When approaching the design elements for Access Period, our design team had to be strategic about the use of imagery that represented the brand.
The often stigmatized topic of menstruation can be hard to represent in an impactful and unique way. We wanted to capture the organization’s mission to normalize the subject while remaining approachable, alluding to femininity but being inclusive of all who menstruate, not just women. When choosing the final mark and supporting elements, we chose simple, geometric lines to form a flower, representative of growth and confidence for the individuals who will benefit from the donations. The flower also symbolizes the growth of awareness about the topic of period poverty.
The friendly illustrations add movement to the site and offer a welcoming relatability to the topic without making light of the seriousness of the issue.
Brand identity isn't just about visuals. Clear messaging is essential to ensure customers recognize your value and know what they can expect when working with you. By conveying the right message, you'll not only clearly articulate who you are as a brand but also successfully convey which industry your business serves and why it matters for them.
As a StoryBrand Certified Agency, we utilize one of the most potent messaging frameworks in the industry. What makes StoryBrand so powerful? StoryBrand uses the seven elements of the hero’s journey, a storytelling structure used for thousands of years, to tell your customer’s story as it relates to your brand. Notice how I said customer’s story and not your brand’s story? That’s because this story isn’t about you. When it comes to the messaging on your website, the customer is the hero.
Access Period’s Hero Story
How do you create impactful messaging about a stigmatized topic? By talking about it, as clearly as possible. Access Period’s StoryBrand journey began by developing its StoryBrand BrandScript, the foundation for its messaging. The BrandScript is the roadmap for the seven elements of the hero’s transformation from wanting something, to achieving success after doing business with your company.
The Character
The first step is identifying the hero, the main character of the story. For Access Period, the hero is someone who wants to help those who may be experiencing period poverty have access to hygiene products. By placing the individual who wants to help in the position of the hero, your messaging appeals to them in a way that calls them to action: in this case, to act on their desire to help.
Has a Problem
Every great story needs conflict to make it interesting and compelling. If Luke had never found the hologram of Princess Leia, Star Wars would have been very boring, who wants to watch a whiny teenager clean droids and farm water vapor?
For Access Period, the conflict, referred to in the BrandScript as the problem, is the hero not having the ability or not knowing how to connect with those experiencing period poverty. The problem, the second element of the BrandScript, causes an internal emotional response in the hero which leads to them either taking action and achieving success or doing nothing and experiencing failure. Feelings of frustration and being stuck are common internal problems and are exactly the internal problems Access Period identified for its hero.
And Meets a Guide
You may be wondering, when do I come into the story? Until this point, the story has been about your customer's needs, success and transformation. Your business enters the stage but only to reinforce the hero’s story and transformation as it relates to your brand. The first mention of your brand is with two empathetic statements: the philosophical part of the problem statement followed by the introduction to your brand as the guide. Access Period serves as a guide for those who want to help alleviate period poverty but don’t know where to begin. How this looks in the BrandScript is a statement that shows empathy and demonstrates that your brand has both the experience and authority to solve the problem.
Who Gives Them a Plan
The guide gives the hero a plan of action- a way to achieve success. The next part of the BrandScript should be as simple and concise as possible, a three-step plan to help them reach success. For Access Period, its three-step plan is just that: simple and concise:
Donate
Help People
Become a Supporter
If you give your customer too many steps, you complicate how easy it is to do business with you and want it to be as easy as possible.
And Calls Them To Action
Speaking of making it easy to do business with you, how does your customer do business with you? You have to call them to action! The call to action should be clear and straight to the point. If you sell custom garden sheds a click of a button won’t magically make one appear in your customer’s backyard but your call to action shouldn’t be too many steps removed from the final product. It’s a common mistake for brands to be shy when it comes to the call to action but this can confuse the customer. Access Period’s clear call to action, a simple, bold, “donate” button removes any ambiguity about how to take the first step toward success and takes them straight to the register for “check out.”
There are times when having a transitional call to action, a less direct approach, is appropriate. A transitional CTA allows your customer to gain value by only giving their email address. Typically, in the form of a free downloadable PDF or booklet. A transitional CTA is a great tool for your sales funnel, it gives you a direct channel to stay in communication with the customer in the hope of eventually earning their business.
That Ends In Success
This is what it’s all about. Success for Access Period’s hero is meeting the needs of those suffering from period poverty and making an impact. Painting the picture of success helps drive the aspirational identity of what their life could be like after working with your brand. But what are the stakes? What could their life look if they don’t do business with you?
And Helps Them Avoid Failure
Just as important as painting the picture of success is painting the picture of failure. Your customer has to know what the stakes are of not doing business with you. This section can seem negative but it gives your brand a pain point to lean into by pointing out how much worse the problem can be. Failure for the Access Period hero is inaction, knowing there is a need but not taking action to fix it, perpetuating the problem in their community.
When Kristin found Fruitful, she had a one-page website, a placeholder logo, and a strong mission to help those in need. Access Period was able to tell the hero’s story with the StoryBrand BrandScript and create a brand and website that are clear and compelling. To learn more about Access Period and how you can combat period poverty, check out their StoryBrand-powered website at www.accessperiod.com and learn how you can host a packing party, donate or become involved in other ways in your community.
