Overview
The strategy forms a foundation for positioning FFA in the minds of those whom we need to reach. It’s a valuable resource that we should refer to for marketing, communications, campaigns, and fundraising initiatives. In short, it’s the blueprint for building a compelling and authentic brand.
Overview
Our positioning What we stand for
Defines how we want to be thought of in the minds of our most important audiences.
Our audiences Who we engage
Categorizes who we communicate with to help target our messaging.
Our messaging What we offer and why it matters
Organizes our key ideas so that our communications are clear, consistent, and compelling.
Our personality How we look, feel, and sound
Captures our character and defines the tone of our brand.
Statement
Our brand positioning statement articulates what we’re all here to do. This is the commitment we make collectively and deliver individually. Internally, this true statement helps us all come together around the same idea — giving everyone at FFA a grounding for the work that we do every day.
The next generation of leaders who will change the world.
FFA is the top school-based youth leadership development organization in the country.
We transform the lives of middle and high school students through a unique combination of classroom curriculum; experiential work-based learning and; leadership and life skills.
FFA provides young people with a community of support and opens up a world of opportunities.
Differentiators
Our positioning is aspirational yet true, and has the potential to attract attention in a powerful way. Here, we identify key aspects of the FFA experience that inform our positioning. These important factors allow FFA to stand apart from other youth leadership development opportunities.
How is FFA unique?
Life-changing
FFA facilitates formative experiences, altering the course of students’ lives for the better.
School-based
FFA is intracurricular: members must be enrolled in an agricultural education class. Career-readiness FFA members develop the necessary skills to continue their education in college or to enter the workforce immediately.
Global purpose
FFA prepares members to be globally conscious citizens of their community, their state, their country, and the world.
Agricultural focus
FFA provides opportunities to demonstrate literacy, advocacy, and technical skills in agriculture, food, and natural resources.
Essence and Clarity Statements
When we consider how to tell our story, it’s helpful to start from these clear and concise statements. They articulate the conceptual core of our brand and serve as an underpinning for everything we say and do. Working from these fundamental statements, we can more clearly and consistently articulate the driving principles of our organization.
Our brand essence distills all of these ideas into a succinct, memorable phrase. This is not meant to be a tagline, a slogan, or a headline, but rather a mental prompt for starting a conversation. It serves as a gut-check for the decisions we make and the spirit of everything we create.
OUR BRAND ESSENCE
What we grow changes how the world grows.
WHO ARE WE?
FFA is the top school-based youth leadership development organization in the country.
HOW DO WE DO IT?
Through a unique combination of education, experiences, and service, rooted in agriculture.
WHY DO WE DO IT?
Because we believe that a young mind is the most fertile ground for growing a better world.
WHAT DO WE DO?
We fortify classroom learning, empowering a more courageous sense of self.
WHOM DO WE DO IT FOR?
We serve middle and high school students across the country who are pursuing their best selves.
Audiences
FFA engages with a profoundly diverse collection of audiences and individuals. By understanding exactly what we’re “selling” to each audience, we can achieve greater focus and clarity about our communications and interactions.
Keep in mind that audiences can be grouped in many ways. As you seek to engage with each group, the ideas that you focus on will shift, based on what you’re trying to achieve — like increasing awareness, building reputation, driving recruitment, or raising funds.
Shared value
The idea that FFA and corporate America can achieve results to fulfill both mission and business objectives.
Societal impact
Being part of a solution that together we are uniquely qualified to address.
Community connection
Reconnecting with those who made a difference in their lives and with those they can impact in turn.
Identity, opportunity, and access
Finding out who I am, who I want to become, and how I can make an impact.
Choices
Preparation that enables their children to choose their future path (education as the way to a better life).
Lifelong ROI
An investment of resources that results in a life-changing educational experience for their students.
Messaging
Messaging is important to telling our story, and it illustrates what we offer and why it matters. Our story is always focused on our core value proposition.
messaging map overview
The messaging map provides the foundation for brand messages that are clear, consistent and compelling. Our message map is built from the three key message themes that support our core value proposition. Our secondary messages create a point of view for our story, and specific support points prove our message true in very real and specific ways.
Attributes
Our secondary messages, or attributes, are what we offer to our audiences. They create a point of view for our story. Attributes include things like programs, facilities, culture and experiences.
Benefits
A benefit is what our audiences get. It’s the specific support points that prove the value of the attributes we offer and why they matter in very real and specific ways.
Core Value Proposition
FFA cultivates and nurtures future leaders who go on to change how the world grows.
Messaging Map
EDUCATION
FFA cultivates and nurtures future leaders by feeding intellectual growth and curiosity. Who go on to change how the world grows through increased agricultural literacy.
LEADERSHIP
FFA cultivates and nurtures future leaders by fueling personal and professional development. Who go on to change how the world grows through preparation for an ever-changing future.
SERVICE
FFA cultivates and nurtures future leaders by being the fiber that strengthens family and community. Who go on to change how the world grows through courageous acts of selflessness and citizenship.
Personality
Personality is what humanizes our brand and gives our story emotional resonance.
Today, we are:
Grounded
Real, pragmatic, and dependable
Our duty is to serve as the backbone of America.
Steeped in Tradition
Timeless, honorable, and steady
Our history and legacy are important, and they inform what moves us forward.
Human
Friendly, sincere, and personable
We pour our whole heart into everything we do.
Industrious
Hard-working, diligent, and productive
Today’s challenges aren’t going to solve themselves.
We’re growing to become more:
Optimistic
Hopeful, visionary, and promising
The world is changing; our duty is to make sure it’s for the better.
Forward-Thinking
Tech-enabled, innovative, and adaptable
Working smarter reduces waste and improves our yield.
Energetic
Dynamic, lively, and vibrant
We carry a youthful presence, and we’re full of life.
Inclusive
Welcoming, open-minded, and nonjudgmental
We open our heart to everyone we can serve.