THINK SMALL
THINK SMALL | REPOSITIONING FOR NATIONAL IMPACT WITHOUT LOSING ITS LOCAL SOUL
Business Consulting of
Think Small Brand Strategy
Research & Brand Strategy
Consumer Segmentation
Persona Development
Communication Platform
Branding
Creative Direction
Website Design & Development
Agency Squid helped Think Small unify its brand, improve the user experience, and create a digital-first platform that made early childhood resources easier to find, understand, and trust.
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The Challenge
The Think Small wasn’t suffering from lack of purpose—it was suffering from a lack of alignment.
The brand served multiple audiences across multiple verticals:
Educators, looking for licensing, training, and support
Parents, seeking scholarships, childcare help, and community resources
Policy advocates, who needed research-backed insights and legislative updates
Each audience had its own needs, touchpoints, and terminology—but Think Small’s brand wasn’t built to support that complexity.
To grow nationally, we had to simplify the story without dumbing it down, consolidate fragmented platforms, and reintroduce Think Small as the country’s most credible and comprehensive resource for early childhood education.
The Solution
Agency Squid built a solution that was equal parts strategic infrastructure and creative inspiration. We started by aligning Think Small’s internal stakeholders around a unified brand purpose, then created a messaging framework flexible enough to serve providers, parents, and policy advocates—without diluting clarity.
From there, we:
- Consolidated brand messaging into a single narrative system that could flex across divisions, channels, and audiences
Developed a fresh visual identity that brought warmth, credibility, and clarity to a historically fragmented brand
Rebuilt the digital experience from the ground up—merging multiple properties into a singular, responsive, multilingual website that served as both a resource hub and a brand centerpiece
Activated a campaign platform rooted in empathy and advocacy—reaffirming Think Small’s role as a champion for early childhood educators, not just early education
- Our work turned Think Small’s complexity into a competitive advantage—elevating their voice, strengthening community trust, and preparing the organization for national visibility and long-term scale.
Branding
Strategy
At the heart of the rebrand was a truth only Think Small could own:
90% of a child’s brain develops by age five.
We built the brand around that insight—turning Think Small’s name into a call to action, a rallying cry, and a POV:
Big change starts small.
Identity
A vibrant color palette that nodded to childhood without skewing juvenile
Clean typography for clarity, accessibility, and professional credibility
A visual system that could adapt across public policy decks, kids’ learning materials, and digital interfaces
The tone? Warm, clear, supportive—with just enough energy to keep up with a five-year-old.
The Work
Digital Transformation
We built a new website designed for accessibility, equity, and action:
Merged two legacy websites, multiple blogs, and third-party tools into a single digital experience
Created custom user journeys for each audience—making it easy for educators, parents, or policymakers to find what they need
Integrated a learning management system for continuing education courses
Ensured content was mobile-first, multilingual, and ADA-compliant
The result? A digital presence that worked harder—so families and educators didn’t have to.
Media Execution
Email Marketing: Behavioral journeys based on open/click activity, tailored by persona
Paid Media: Focused digital spend on social platforms and display targeting providers
Owned Content: Video interviews, testimonials, and blog content that humanized the organization
Offline Touchpoints: Direct mail outreach to long-time providers and potential partners
Brand Photography: Authentic moments of connection captured for cross-channel use
All touchpoints laddered up to one goal: Build clarity. Build connection. Build back trust.
The voice and advocate of Early Childhood educators in Minnesota and Beyond
Results
A SINGLE SOURCE FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS, AND POLICY MAKERS
But the transformation was already clear:
A unified brand identity positioned for national scale
A functional website that empowered action, not confusion
A reinvigorated team and community aligned around a common mission
And a message that says clearly: We haven’t lost ground. We’re gaining it.
