Ashley Rule, CMO at the Heroes Circle, has a proven passion for branding, marketing and business development. Her experience began in advertising, working on world-class marketing campaigns for brands like the United States Navy, Scotts Miracle-Gro and Ford Motor Company, but transitioned to non-profit in 2014. Ashley credits her shift from the for-profit sector as a “gift”, allowing her the opportunity to go to work each day knowing she is making a difference in the lives of others.
United Way for Southeastern Michigan, a community-based organization best known for their 2-1-1 helpline and a dedication to supporting individuals and families across Metro Detroit, served as a launch pad for Ashley’s non-profit journey. “Innovation, partnerships and cross-departmental collaboration were their greatest strengths”, explains Ashley. And, while their organizational mission was their guiding principle, she credits her team’s success on their passion and empathy, diverse creative talents, and unique ability to integrate human-centered design.
Fast forward to 2021. Despite the pandemic and the challenges it presented, Ashley took a leap of faith and landed at the Heroes Circle (also known as Kids Kicking Cancer), a global non-profit that offers evidence-based martial arts therapy to kids suffering from cancer and other chronic illnesses. A mighty, but small organization in comparison to United Way.
Journey to the Heroes Circle
Tasked to build a marketing team, while implementing formalized departmental processes and procedures, Ashley also took on the role as chief storyteller, serving as both the architect and steward of the brand. A brand that had grown exponentially since its inception nearly 20 years ago, but lacked clarity among varying audiences. According to Ashley, the evolution of the brand from Kids Kicking Cancer to the Heroes Circle is not cut and dry, especially when brand recognition is strong and entwined with the founding of the organization by black belt martial artist, Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg. “Sure, having a big marketing budget might help to expedite the transitional naming process; however, I maintain the belief that we must move delicately to ensure that our loyal supporters, funders and partners in the work are able to follow that journey alongside us, says Ashley. “Our supporters, our brand advocates, our staff – they are our greatest influencers! Their love for the Kids Kicking Cancer brand must shine on through this transition.”
Through this transition, the Heroes Circle has also experienced a steady climb in revenue year over year and has expanded its program offerings to include a school-based and state recognized, social emotional learning curriculum tailored for elementary and middle school that will allow children facing all types of trauma to join the Heroes Circle.
Building the road to 1,000,000 children
Challenged to implement innovative strategies to support programmatic growth and consumer awareness, Ashley will be spearheading the development of the Kraft Digital Dojo, a place where pediatric patients ages 7-12 can connect with Martial Arts Therapeutic Mentors, as well as friends and peers all over the world. This tool is believed to be the Heroes Circle’s golden ticket to reaching 1M children over the next few years – a challenging feat without a digital on-demand offering. “As we know, kids today are consumed by media, gaming and digital learning tools. In order to capture the attention of children, the development of the program and its offerings must also be informed by children.We need to understand what defines today’s “kid culture” and design an experience that aligns with their unique values, motivators, interests and limitations” says Ashley. “At the same time, we must uniquely package this tool as an evidence-based therapeutic healing program accepted by parents, medical experts and funders as a standard of care and complimentary to a child’s existing treatment plan.” Given the Heroes Circle’s vast list of healthcare partners, their ability to gain industry traction and awareness will be a testimony to their carefully curated and long-standing relationships with medical professionals across the United States and globally.
A key quality of Ashley’s is her ability to use creativity and innovation as a means for finding unexpected solutions. This kind of tool will help the Heroes Circle expand their programming into new states and international regions – and make it possible to track interventions, usage, and profitability on the non-profit’s investment. Best of all, this tool will ensure more children in pain – battling cancer and diseases like sickle cell, hemophilia, and heart disease – will learn the tools to self-regulate and conquer their pain, stress and anxiety.
Posted in CLF | 10 Most Inspiring CMOs of 2022, Ashley Rule, CMO of Kids Kicking Cancer Profile