Overview
Centering real moms
Mahogany is Hallmark's sub-brand of greeting cards that celebrates Black heritage, culture, and expression. In light of the brand's 25th anniversary, Hallmark wanted to refresh the line's editorial voice and visual direction.
The challenge was to expand the brand's appeal while preserving its authentic foundation. We needed to understand what elements felt most genuine to the community and build from there.
I partnered with market research firm Kantar Millward Brown to conduct focus groups with Black mothers across generations, testing both existing concepts and new branding directions. Their feedback shaped how we evolved the brand to feel both familiar and fresh.
My contribution
Content strategy
User research
New asset development
The team
1 editorial lead
1 art director
1 product manager
1 marketing partner
Year
2015
Process
Finding the right voice
Mahogany's diverse consumer base needed messaging that could connect with different audiences without losing brand authenticity. I analyzed focus group insights to develop an expanded editorial voice framework that would resonate across consumer segments.
I updated the brand guidelines with new voice directions, giving teams clear guidance for future content development.
I wrote the new tagline "soulful. true. you." as a fresh evolution of the brand's warm, culturally rich voice.
Outcomes and reflection
The brand refresh successfully shifted consumer perception, strengthening Mahogany's position as a powerhouse of cultural relevance. In the next year, the team reported a 4% increase in sell-through rates for Mahogany's everyday offering.
Quotes from Kantar Millward Brown's follow up report:
"Millennial and Gen X moms see the new offering as a huge improvement from current product due to better variety, modernity, youthfulness, and boldness."
"Baby boomers also appreciate the range and variety of the new product offering, and although they sense that it targets a younger audience, they still find it appealing."