Following an overall rebranding in early 2015 that involved a new logo and look, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) turned its attention to its flagship publication: Principal Leadership.

Read by nearly 20,000 principals, assistant principals, and school leaders in the United States and available in 35 countries around the world, the magazine had undergone several redesigns since its debut in 2001. While the magazine was well-read, it never achieved the "wow factor" that NASSP had always hoped for.

New Brand, New Opportunity

With its new brand in place, NASSP asked the firm that had helped with that process, Marketing Design Group, to redesign the magazine not only to reflect the new brand but also to stand out with members in a way that it hadn't before.

The magazine took on a modern aesthetic that improved readability and made better use of images—all while maintaining a sophisticated look.

"It was already a highly-rated publication, and when it landed on their desks, most members read it," said Jennifer Jones, account strategist and director of communications at mdg. "But NASSP wanted more of the principals' voices to come through and for the magazine to reflect what its readers' daily struggles were really about."

NASSP and mdg began with an external communications audit to determine what readers valued most in its publications. The results helped to steer a new course for the magazine, including a new design and revamped editorial. They then created information boards and worked to develop a fresh design for Principal Leadership that featured bold typography to illustrate leadership and authority. The magazine took on a modern aesthetic that improved readability and made better use of images—all while maintaining a sophisticated look that allowed it to stand out from the typical association publication.

In addition to the new look, the research led to updated names for existing columns and entirely new columns that provide a vehicle for regular monthly content on the topics that school leaders care about most. According to Jones, these new topics included technology and student-centered learning. One of the new columns is "Role Call" and focuses on the many different hats that principals wear as educators, discipliners, and community leaders.

Time for a Debut

The new magazine debuted in September 2015 and quickly garnered kudos from readers. Within days of mailing the refreshed issue, NASSP received glowing feedback from members on social media, including tweets such as, "Great new layout @NASSP's Principal Leadership."; "One of the premiere periodicals in our field!"; and "You're doing great work on behalf of school leaders."

The magazine also received a 2016 ASAE Gold Circle Merit Award in the print magazine category and an Association Media & Publishing 2016 EXCEL Award for magazine redesign.

"NASSP's members are on the front lines of education every day, providing leadership to their students, teachers, and really the entire communities that they serve," Jones said. "The association wanted to provide them a magazine that reflected this leadership, and the important roles that they play. We're very pleased that reader response, and the awards that Principal Leadership has won, show that we succeeded."