Our Projects
Trailmixer: Business Launch & Marketing Strategy
Overview
A group of Los Angeles-area hikers founded the nonprofit Trailmixer to create inclusive, educational outdoor experiences for underserved LGBTQ+ youth. Annual hiking trips raise money for Trailmixer's OUTdoor Access Fund (TOAF), which pays for leadership program scholarships and community-building day hikes.
Project Duration
Business Launch & Branding Strategy: January-April 2019
Marketing Strategy: 2019–2023
Our Role
genioLAB was brought in at business inception to help Trailmixer establish its brand identity, with competitive research and analysis, mission and values statements, naming conventions, and style guides. These elements springboarded the design and creation of all business and marketing collateral necessary to launch the organization.
Branding: Logo & Website Design
Identity and Logo Design
In developing Trailmixer’s brand identity, genioLAB focused on crafting a logo system that was both distinctive and highly adaptable. The final design supports multiple use cases—stacked arrangements, standalone icons, and lockups for future campaigns or fundraising events—ensuring consistency across digital, print, and merchandise applications. Every detail was considered with flexibility in mind to accommodate the organization’s growth and evolving outreach needs.
We custom-designed the logo’s typography to reflect Trailmixer’s core mission: empowering young people through adventurous, purpose-driven outdoor experiences. The letterforms strike a balance between boldness and approachability, resonating with a demographic that values exploration, inclusion, and individuality. Notably, the first two letters in “Trailmixer” subtly symbolize diverging paths or trails—an intentional nod to the idea that everyone’s journey is unique, yet connected by shared purpose.
Website Design
Guided by Trailmixer’s mission to build community and equity through outdoor adventure and fundraising, genioLAB designed a website that speaks directly to the organization’s diverse audiences—volunteers, donors, participants, and grantees. The visual direction emphasized clarity and emotional impact, pairing expansive mountain imagery with authentic photos of the communities served and those doing the work. The result is a balanced, human-centered experience that reflects both the ambition of the climbs and the heart of the cause.
To ensure the site was not only inspiring but also effective, we implemented SEO best practices and prioritized accessibility from the ground up. Every element—from content structure to color contrast—was designed to improve discoverability, inclusivity, and user experience. The result is a website that not only tells Trailmixer’s story but also supports their ongoing growth and outreach efforts.
Marketing Strategy and Collateral
With outreach and activation at the heart of Trailmixer’s mission, genioLAB developed a multi-channel marketing strategy aimed at locating, engaging, and sustaining connection with the nonprofit’s diverse audience. Our approach combined brand storytelling with strategic timing, ensuring that each touchpoint—from awareness to participation—was meaningful and consistent. We designed launch and maintenance campaigns tailored for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn, each calibrated to its platform’s tone and audience behaviors.
To strengthen engagement, we created a suite of collateral assets anchored in authentic trail experiences—leveraging real-time photo and video content of volunteers and participants in action. This content served as the creative backbone across channels: from refreshing the website visuals to powering a dynamic email newsletter and signup campaign. Each asset was designed to build trust, drive community interaction, and ultimately increase awareness, participation, and donations.
Pain Points
Branding: Logo & Website Design
Identity and Logo Design
In developing Trailmixer’s brand identity, genioLAB focused on crafting a logo system that was both distinctive and highly adaptable. The final design supports multiple use cases—stacked arrangements, standalone icons, and lockups for future campaigns or fundraising events—ensuring consistency across digital, print, and merchandise applications. Every detail was considered with flexibility in mind to accommodate the organization’s growth and evolving outreach needs.
We custom-designed the logo’s typography to reflect Trailmixer’s core mission: empowering young people through adventurous, purpose-driven outdoor experiences. The letterforms strike a balance between boldness and approachability, resonating with a demographic that values exploration, inclusion, and individuality. Notably, the first two letters in “Trailmixer” subtly symbolize diverging paths or trails—an intentional nod to the idea that everyone’s journey is unique, yet connected by shared purpose.
Website Design
Guided by Trailmixer’s mission to build community and equity through outdoor adventure and fundraising, genioLAB designed a website that speaks directly to the organization’s diverse audiences—volunteers, donors, participants, and grantees. The visual direction emphasized clarity and emotional impact, pairing expansive mountain imagery with authentic photos of the communities served and those doing the work. The result is a balanced, human-centered experience that reflects both the ambition of the climbs and the heart of the cause.
To ensure the site was not only inspiring but also effective, we implemented SEO best practices and prioritized accessibility from the ground up. Every element—from content structure to color contrast—was designed to improve discoverability, inclusivity, and user experience. The result is a website that not only tells Trailmixer’s story but also supports their ongoing growth and outreach efforts.
Marketing Strategy and Collateral
With outreach and activation at the heart of Trailmixer’s mission, genioLAB developed a multi-channel marketing strategy aimed at locating, engaging, and sustaining connection with the nonprofit’s diverse audience. Our approach combined brand storytelling with strategic timing, ensuring that each touchpoint—from awareness to participation—was meaningful and consistent. We designed launch and maintenance campaigns tailored for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn, each calibrated to its platform’s tone and audience behaviors.
To strengthen engagement, we created a suite of collateral assets anchored in authentic trail experiences—leveraging real-time photo and video content of volunteers and participants in action. This content served as the creative backbone across channels: from refreshing the website visuals to powering a dynamic email newsletter and signup campaign. Each asset was designed to build trust, drive community interaction, and ultimately increase awareness, participation, and donations.
The Final Product
With the data collected from the interviews, we were able to address the users pain points in design and make the necessary adjustments in time for development. Now, Scorpion agents have a brand-new, user-centered designed tool that caters to their needs.
Impact
$178K funds raised
138 scholarships awarded
72,587 miles hiked
Funds & Scholarships:
Since its establishment in 2019, Trailmixer raised over $178,000 for its Trailmixer OUTdoor Access Fund (TOAF), which awarded nearly 150 scholarships for educational outdoor experiences to low-income BIPOC and LGBTQ+ young adults. Scholarship partners include Brave Trails, Outward Bound Adventures (OBA), Nature for All, and National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).
Outreach:
For a nonprofit organization like Trailmixer, grassroots community outreach is a primary strategy for growth and marketing. Participants, volunteers and fundraising hikers have generated photo and video content for thousands of social media posts, resulting in over 2,500 followers spread across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. Monthly email newsletters have garnered nearly 500 subscriptions with email open rates of 35% and higher.