E3N
Building a shared future from the inside out
When two trusted organizations came together, leaders used brand to turn a complex merger into a shared direction people could believe in.
unified identity of two organizations aligned under one name, brand, and shared narrative
of board and integration leads aligned on direction, positioning, and path forward
of employees trained to talk about merger and new brand
THE CHALLENGE
Doubling the impact for independent school
For the people tasked with leading the merger, the pressure was building.
A group of board members, enrollment leaders, and advisors had been asked to bring together two organizations that independent schools relied on—one focused on enrollment, the other on assessment.
The rationale was clear. Schools were under strain. Rising costs were putting pressure on affordability. Competition for enrollment was increasing. And many institutions were operating with fragmented data systems that made it difficult to make informed decisions about how to attract and support students.
Schools needed more support, not less.
Together, the combined organization could offer something neither could alone: a more connected, data-informed way to enroll students and support their growth over time.
But alignment on paper didn’t mean alignment in practice.
Each organization had its own identity. Its own history. Its own loyal base of schools.
The risk wasn’t just confusion in the market. It was losing the trust that made both organizations valuable in the first place
KEY SERVICES
“Strategy Muse has been there for us. Sharp thinking, a great mix of creativity and practicality, the perfect blend of real experience and openness to customization, plus so much fun to work together. You all know how to keep the mission at the forefront and deliver with excellence.”
Integation Lead
THE SHIFT
Strategy Muse helped the team reframe the challenge.
The question wasn’t simply what to call the new entity. It was whether people would believe in what it was becoming.
A key insight emerged early: schools didn’t experience enrollment and student development as separate systems. They experienced them as one continuous journey.
If the merger was going to deliver on its promise, the brand had to reflect that integration. And the process had to bring people along.
Creating a movement, not just a merger
THE ACTIVATION
Building the brand from inside out
We built the brand from the inside out, bringing stakeholders into the work from the beginning.
We anchored the strategy in the student journey—how schools attract, support, and develop students over time—and engaged stakeholders from both organizations in a series of working sessions.
Together, we shaped the brand strategy, messaging, and name.
In workshops, ideas were tested, challenged, and refined in real time until the outcome felt true to both organizations and strong enough to signal something new.
We also brought designers into the process early, not as a final step, but as active participants in shaping the work. It built transparency, trust, and ownership, reinforcing a simple truth: in moments like this, everything communicates.
Over time, the conversation shifted. What began as a focus on combining two organizations became a shared commitment to delivering a more integrated and meaningful offering for schools and students.
THE BUILD
Seeing themselves in the work
The work wasn’t easy. People came in with different perspectives. Some were excited. Others were unsure how the merger would affect their schools or their role.
But as more people got involved, the tone shifted.
Through interviews, workshops, and ongoing dialogue, people saw their perspectives reflected in the work. The conversation moved from what might be lost to what could be built.
What started as two sides began to feel like one team.
THE OUTCOME
From two organizations to one shared direction
In May, the team introduced the new name, E3n, along with the full brand platform.
More important than the name was what it enabled: a shared identity, a clearer story, and a foundation for moving forward.
The board approved the direction, energized not just by the outcome, but by the process behind it.
THE RESULTS
Transforming stakeholder engagement
The ambassador network grew to 650+ participants, with strong engagement and drove meaningful outcomes.
1
unified identity for two organizations aligned under one name, brand, and shared narrative
100%
of board and integration leads aligned on direction, positioning, and path forward
95%
of employees trained to talk about merger and new brand
1,000+
schools impacted by a unified organization positioned to better serve its full member base
THE TAKEAWAY
Alignment is what makes strategy real
Mergers don’t fail on strategy. They fail when people can’t see how it works in practice—or where they fit inside it.
Brand, at its best, closes that gap, aligning people around a shared direction and turning strategy into something they can act on together.
