One Mississippi

What They Saw

Uniting Communities Across 10 States Behind the River’s Future

Founded in 2005, The Mississippi River Network (MRN) united 70+ organizations across ten states, working together to protect America’s most iconic waterway. When the client first approached us, they asked for an updated website. But swirling beneath that request was a larger ambition…we just had to uncover it: to connect citizens, partners, and makers (of decisions, grants, policies) through a shared vision of the river’s future.

Strategy

Brand Identity

Website Design

Campaign

Internal Toolkit

Brand Challenge

An Unclear Brand Architecture

MRN had the reach and credibility of a national movement—but not the structure to match it. The organization was split between two identities: 1) The Mississippi River Network as the parent brand and umbrella program, and 2) One Mississippi as the public-facing sub-brand. The result was brand messaging that felt divided. And contrary to the brand hierarchy, One Mississippi was more widely known.

MRN struggled to reach its audience with the right information at the right time. Over 70 organizations needed coordination. Twenty thousand river citizens needed activation. Grantors, community leaders, and the general public each required distinct messages. More than a website update, they needed brand alignment—a system for organizing, prioritizing, and communicating vital information across the proper channels.

Vidi entered as a strategic partner, not just a creative team. Through a series of discovery workshops, interviews, and market research, we immersed ourselves in MRN. We dived into the culture of the river. And we identified two key focuses: brand architecture and brand system development.

What We Saw

One Means Together

One Mississippi already carried some brand equity. It was better known, more approachable, and symbolic of unity: 70 partner organizations but One Mississippi. 10 states but One Mississippi. You get the picture. So we elevated it to become the overarching brand, while MRN remained the coalition beneath it.

From there, we built a complete brand system: visual identity, brand messaging, design guidelines, and brand templates. We also designed and developed a new Webflow site to organize their information in an accessible and compelling way for all audiences.

Together, the new brand architecture and brand system improved One Mississippi’s credibility as an institution and their relatability as a grassroots organization.

Where They Are

The Ripple Effect of a Rebrand

The rebrand unified 70+ members under one, cohesive identity and renewed a sense of shared purpose. Its impact stretched as far as the river:

Doubled website traffic in Q2 2025
Launched National Mississippi River Day
Secured funding for an online Knowledge Center
Used brand templates to onboard new member organizations
Launched several new events in 2025

Their annual event, River Days of Action (June 1–15, 2025), had a record-setting turnout: 2000+ attendees across 35 events and 78 organizational participants (including community groups and government units).

What started as a website update became a rebranding initiative. The work isn’t finished, but One Mississippi’s new brand has revealed a path to their ultimate vision: to protect, strengthen, and restore the river for future generations.

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