Heart of Carolina A Cappella

Identity

Heart of Carolina Chorus had been a traditional barbershop harmony group since it was founded. Under a new director, the chorus decided to begin including all genders. Rebranding had to break the stigma of barbership being only for older white males. Heart of Carolina sought becoming an exemplar to show other choruses how incorporating all people positively adds to the a cappella experience.

What we did
Renaming / Identity
Marketing Collateral
Social Media Marketing
Fundraiser Campaigns

Development

We worked with a local marketing firm that conducted a survey about musical interests. Barbershop was not being widely discussed in the music world and had an inherent male association attached. A cappella shows, on the other hand, were already popular events for both males and females so the group’s name was changed from “barbershop” to “a cappella.” We tested each step of the development process to ensure that the changes were indeed portraying an all-inclusive singing group.

The incorporation of women into the chapter was successful. It became a testing community for how mixed music rehearsals could work. The brand recognition grew through the district, regional, and national levels. After other chapters began broadening their membership as well, the Barbershop Harmony Society ultimately changed its rules to include all genders five years ahead of schedule.

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