Department of the Navy Childcare Services
The Department of the Navy called on Macro to help it respond to a White House mandate to expand available childcare services to Navy personnel by 50 percent within existing budget restrictions. Macro used a three-phase approach that incorporated assessment, strategy development, and creative execution of a solution. Guided by Macro, the Navy's Family Childcare Center changed its name to Child Development Home (CDH) to emphasize the quality of childcare provided. We then developed a marketing strategy and communications plan to help CDH achieve its business objectives. Macro helped CDH build brand identity by developing a new logo and unique selling proposition that presented a motivating message to the target audiences and reinforced CDH's new identity. The White House has since hailed the childcare provided by the Navy as a "model for the Nation."

Reality Check and ForReal
In contrast to common public perceptions, marijuana is increasing in potency and harm, with the consequence that more people seek treatment for addiction to the drug annually. The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) wanted a name for a public education initiative that would drive home this message of potential health risks to teens and adults who influence teens. Macro conducted research and focus group testing before selecting Reality Check as the name for CSAP's initiative and Web site. ForReal is the name Macro selected for a companion Web site targeted specifically to teens. The names are geared to different age groups, but similarly convey the idea that the information CSAP provides is factual, straight forward, and not to be ignored. Macro has used these names as the thematic guide for developing CSAP marketing strategies and educational materials about the risks associated with drug use. The Reality Check Web site averaged 617,000 hits, and the ForReal Web site averaged 667,000 hits, per month for 2003.