WRL Pivots to Help Bloom Senior Living Center Serve Immediate Needs
Bloom Senior Living Center, a family-owned and operated company, has been serving the senior community for nearly 50 years. The vibrant living center specializes in independent living, assisted living and memory care. Currently, Bloom has nine different locations operating in five states. WRL’s initial work with Bloom just over two years ago focused on the design of print media, digital media and interior design. However, last year when COVID-19 reared its ugly head, WRL’s work with Bloom quickly changed. With daily procedural changes, social distancing and constant updates, Bloom needed a new way to connect, motivate, encourage and inform their residents. WRL quickly stepped in to help provide Bloom with the solutions they needed.
WRL originally partnered with Bloom in 2018 designing posters, flyers, videos, graphics and most importantly, the Bloom Education Room. The Bloom Education Room was to serve as a resource for Bloom U – a University formed solely for Bloom associates providing them with educational training to ensure flourishing life-long careers at Bloom. The design was led by WRL’s Creative Director, Norio Saneshige. Saneshige began constructing the design using a virtual 3D walkthrough concept. The inspiration for Saneshige’s design came from Bloom’s existing culture and identity. His focus was to bring Bloom to life inside the four walls and guarantee new employees fully understood the company’s mission and beliefs. The finished product featured an acrylic panel displaying a timeline of Bloom’s rich history, detailed wall art, a branding wall, a large conference table, and a portable media center for video display and conference calling. Bloom was extremely pleased with Saneshige’s design and eager to start construction. However, not long after Saneshige finished the design, the project was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shortly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloom’s marketing strategy and overall focus quickly shifted. The health and well-being of the community became their top priority. Quarantine and social distancing left the once lively community detached and uneasy. Bloom quickly needed a way to connect their community once again. Eager to help, WRL was ready to put less pressing projects aside and assist Bloom with whatever they needed. WRL’s Director of Web Development, Bobby Lipps began by helping Bloom virtually unite their residents with friends and family. In less than 24 hours, Lipps was able to develop and implement an online web application to schedule visits via Skype. The easy-to-use application gave friends and family the opportunity to select the time and date for their visit as well as include resident information. Allowing outside members to schedule these visits alleviated some of the stress the not-so-tech-savvy residents and busy staff were enduring. The installation of this new application boosted Bloom’s community morale and provided much-needed hope and encouragement.
In addition to the swift creation of the web application, WRL assisted with the Bloom Warrior Program. The Warrior Program was a marketing communication strategy designed to inform, encourage and motivate the Bloom community in the fight against COVID-19 through the use of posters, flyers, videos, t-shirts and more. The program referred to Bloom residents and employees as ‘Warriors’ and featured images of superheroes to promote bravery, strength and teamwork. The creation of this program provided a sense of belonging and accountability to the Bloom community. The hashtag #BloomStrong became a staple over social media, sharing positive images, encouraging posts, and informative updates. By using just a few simple but captivating words, WRL was able to channel Bloom’s voice and inspire their audiences.
With the help of WRL, Bloom has remained diligent in their fight against COIVD-19. The satisfaction WRL experienced as a result of quickly pivoting to meet Bloom’s needs hits a little deeper than normal. In times like these, being able to help bring a community together and provide strength to carry on is something neither company will ever forget. As WRL continues to serve the immediate needs of Bloom, they are looking forward to the construction of the Bloom Education Room and many other future projects to come.
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