This blog includes takeaways from recent story with Community Rec, Daxko, and the YMCA of Greater Houston

At the start of the pandemic, many organizations were left to re-envision their purpose in the communities they served. The YMCA of Greater Houston was no different.  

A New Era for YMCAs

YMCAs have long depended on membership revenue to drive their organizations forward, but with facilities forced to close, that revenue was no longer guaranteed, and associations had to shift to different business models to be able to continue carrying out mission-critical work.  

Despite the challenges they faced, the Y never stopped. The Houston Y shifted away from the traditional service model that places facilities and fitness programs at the heart. John Cardone, Executive Vice President of Brand Experience at the Houston Y, shared that now “the YMCA will become more people-centric and take a holistic perspective on health and wellness that encompasses all aspects of people’s lives. Moving away from a purely physical understanding of well-being gives the YMCA the ability to discuss all initiatives and programs under this expanded umbrella.”

To summarize, John Cardone shared the four attributes he views as critical to reframing how the YMCA is viewed by stakeholders:  

  • Leader: Houston has long strived to lead by example in the areas of health, societal issues, racial justice, and intergenerational programming, and this continues to be a goal for them.
  • Advocate: Houston is an advocate that amplifies voices in their community, in the words of Cardone, “because our success is directly tied to the success of our community.”  
  • Doer: Cardone shared, “Our core purpose is to contribute positively to society and accelerate positivity; be known as a positive force for change in everything we do.”
  • Self-Discovery: Cardone hopes that the YMCA can be the brand the community knows to lean into for development and self-discovery.

A Digital Marketing Partnership: Daxko and the Houston Y

To be able to realize their goals, the YMCA of Greater Houston is messaging to its community that their organization is a purpose, not a place. With the help of Daxko’s digital marketing offerings, including market research, data management, member experience mapping and digital marketing tactics — such as paid ads, SEO, etc. — as well as a fully custom web design, the Houston Y is able to get their message out to their community.

In conversation with Cardone, Chief Marketing Officer at Daxko, Joe Grieshop, said, “Ultimately, the vision for the digital marketing agency at Daxko is to help leaders throughout the movement translate their vision and impact throughout all digital platforms in order to drive greater community transformation.”  

Maximizing Resources, Driving Action

Alongside Daxko’s digital marketing agency, Cardone and his association are able to maximize resources while driving action. “For a community service organization, every dollar counts and brand awareness is key,” Cardone said. “Utilizing a unified set of tools and hyper-targeted messaging, we are able to seamlessly move an individual from prospect to connected member.”

Together, Daxko and the Houston Y hope to affect over eight million lives in the Houston community and spread awareness of the Y’s mission and impact.

Find the full story in Community Rec Magazine or open a conversation with our Digital Marketing Agency.

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