Driving U.S. Market Entry for MQF
Creative Direction
Brand Strategy | Art Direction | Messaging
The Client
Headquartered in London, MQ Foundation is the world’s first international mental health research charity funding research advancements to understand, effectively treat, and ultimately prevent mental illness.
Well, there’s your problem
The Crux
MQ had established a strong presence in the U.K., but crossing the Atlantic brought a new set of challenges. Their mission was strong. Their research, respected. But their message was overcomplicated.
In trying to tell the full story, the clarity and emotional power had started to unravel—especially for new U.S. audiences unfamiliar with the brand.
Without dedicated U.S. assets or internal branding support, their small but passionate team was stretched thin. And in a crowded non-profit space, MQ risked blending in instead of standing out.
High-value donors expect clarity, purpose, and a narrative they can believe in—and MQ needed help crafting one.
Scaling the Strategy, Sharpening the Story
The Strategy
This wasn’t about reinventing the brand. It was about refining it—building the tools, strategy, and story to match the scale of their ambition.
Kicking things off, a collaborative brand discovery workshop ensured everyone was aligned on how MQ should show up for U.S. audiences. The session unlocked new insights and reframed how the team could engage major donors in meaningful conversation, cultivate stronger relationships, and ultimately secure higher-value gifts.
The resulting brand roadmap defined high-level positioning, campaign themes, and key messages, guiding everything from donor conversations to digital content.
The result? A practical, flexible framework MQ could use to raise awareness, equip their team, and turn supporters into advocates.
The strategy also uncovered gaps in MQ’s visual toolkit resulting in extending their brand system to include new art direction that could flex across marketing materials—ultimately laying the foundation for a refreshed U.S. website experience.