Building your brand – A practical guide for nonprofit organizations

Sponsored by:

Building your brand A practical guide for nonprofit

organizations

Michele Levy November 20, 2013

Twitter Hashtag - #4Glearn

Part

Of:

Sponsored by:

Advising nonprofits in:

• Strategy

• Planning

• Organizational Development

www.synthesispartnership.com

(617) 969-1881

[email protected]

INTEGRATED PLANNING

Part

Of:

Sponsored by: Part

Of:

Coming Soon

Sponsored by:

Today’s Speaker

Michele Levy Brand Therapist

Jamie Maloney Community Developer, 4Good

Founding Director of Nonprofit Webinars and Host:

Sam Frank, Synthesis Partnership

Part

Of:

Building your brand…a

practical guide for nonprofit

organizations

Agenda

• First of all…what exactly is a brand?

• You’re really busy…why bother?

• How do you build your brand?

What is a brand?

What it’s not…

• Logo

• Tagline

• Website

• Style Manual

• Mission Statement

• Signage

• Events/Conferences

• Programs

• Exhibits

• Packaging, etc.

A brand is LARGER than all of the above…

What it is…

• A set of expectations and associations resulting from

experience with an organization, company, product or

service.

• How your key constituents think and feel about what

you do.

The brand answers the question:

Why should I join, enroll in, partner with, fund, work

for, or listen to this organization?

At the most basic level….

It’s about establishing

first a connection,

then a relationship,

with those most important

to your success.

Beware the accidental brand…

• There is no such thing as an “unbranded” organization, company, product, approach, etc.

– There are some who proactively develop and manage

their brands

– There are some with low brand awareness

– There are some (ok, many) that allow the marketplace

to define their brand for them

• Many organizations (especially nonprofits) have very

positive brand perceptions across a small group of

stakeholders who know them well

– The challenge is to communicate more broadly and

expand that group of stakeholders appropriately

*in a non-profit setting

Why is brand important*?

Consumers need brands

• They have too many choices

– from breakfast cereal to cable channel

– idealist.org lists over 93,000 organizations and over 17,000

volunteer opportunities

– Charity Navigator evaluates “over 5,000 of America’s best-

known charities”

• Choice is not always a good thing

– complicates our lives

– can cause people to “shut down” in the face of too many

options

The consumer challenge

“Give me something

where I can quickly understand

a fundamentally different benefit,

or I’ll stick with what I’ve got, thanks.”

A successful brand...

• Defines how a product, service or organization is

different from its competitors

• Creates a personal experience for those who

interact with it

– contributes to their hopes, their personal identity

– generates certain perceptions, attitudes and behaviors

– enables fulfillment in their lives

– continuously meets and exceeds their needs

• Is relevant, believable, sustainable and consistent

(and is inextricably linked to your mission)

Brand matters…

INTERNALLY

• A brand helps an organization maintain focus on those activities, initiatives and behaviors it values

• It helps prioritize projects and programs (“…Is it on mission? On brand? Does it further the mission? Further the brand?”)

• Helps an organization communicate both effectively, and efficiently

– No “making it up” every time

– Consistency = impact

• Helps the organization attract, hire and retain the best people to advance its mission

– Also applies to those invaluable volunteers

Brand matters…

EXTERNALLY

• A brand is the most visible articulation of an

organization’s strategy….it quickly tells people what

the organization stands for, and where it’s going

– Helps cut through the clutter to get your message heard

– It allows you to “claim your space” in a crowded, noisy

market

• Builds and maintains strong relationships with those

most important to your success

• In times of change (or crisis), gives internal and

external supporters a touchstone, reassurance, and

the tools they need to actively engage on your behalf

“But building a brand for a

nonprofit organization

is so different from

building a corporate brand…”

Not really.

Where it’s more challenging…

• Sometimes a higher organizational (and board) learning curve

• Often more limited resources (although the gap is certainly

narrowing!)

• Often highly diverse organizations

• Less of an organizational emphasis on integrated marketing

(as opposed to public relations, visitor services, development,

publications…)

Where it’s actually easier (and more powerful)…

• A brand is the sum of the stories people tell about you…and

you certainly have stories!!

• Also….fewer decisionmakers, more willingness to participate

in the process, a passionate core

At the end of the day

It’s the same process.

How to strengthen your brand

How do you build your brand?

• Your brand perception results from every single

experience or contact a person has with your

organization.

• You build that brand perception on four key

foundational elements:

– A set of relevant, consistent core messages;

– A visual brand identity (logo, fonts, color palette, imagery)

that effectively (and efficiently) communicates the

essence of your brand;

– An agreed-upon set of consistent brand behaviors;

– An integrated plan to communicate the brand across all

touchpoints.

Keys to brand success

• Know yourself.

• Know your audience.

• Know your competition.

THEN…

• Clarity, focus and repetition.

Master brand

messaging

Product/service brand

hierarchy

Audience message

matrix

Recommended

communications

strategies:

•Brand maintenance

•Awareness tactics

•Lead gen tactics

•Relationship

management tactics

•Communications

calendar

•Budget

•Measurement and

evaluation

Visual identity

Collateral

Web site

Advertising

Signage

Direct mail, etc.

Internal

Discovery

External

Discovery

Brand

Strategy

Communications

Plan

Creative

Development

Brand strategy methodology

Strategy session

Individual interviews

Focus groups

Communications

audit

PRIMARY

Visitor interviews

Member interviews

Donor/funder interviews

Partner interviews

SECONDARY

Competitive audit

Secondary literature

review

First of all…who are you?

• Develop (and instill!) a consistent elevator pitch

– 30 second explanation of who you are and what you do

– The answer to the question “What is (organization)?”

• Clear, concise and interesting

– WHO you are, WHAT you do, for WHOM.

• Use your elevator pitch to win the right to tell more of

your story (you don’t need to tell the whole story in 30

seconds!)

– Capture your listener’s attention enough so that you can move

into what makes you unique, how you do it, etc.

• Create (and maintain) a consistent set of proof points

and supporting statistics

Know your audience

• Understand who they are, how they segment, how they

view you, what they need/expect from you

• All you need to do is ask (or have someone do it for you)

– Phone interviews/focus groups with a combination of long-term

and newer members and volunteers

– Conversations with partners, the press, other external

stakeholders

• To think about…

– They can’t ALL be your most important audiences.

– A relevant brand is NOT the same as trying to be all things to all

people (and “following the funding” is one of the surest ways to

muddle your brand)

– In the words of Dorothy…

Students

Faculty and

staff

• Highly driven, well-

rounded individuals

• The ideal student

“customer” is a

visitor, and is not

necessarily an art

major…but they are

willing to explore

new things and new

ways of thinking

• Passionate,

dedicated

individuals engaged

in the broader

college community

• The ideal

faculty/staff

“customer” is not

limited to the art

department

• Developing their

ability to think more

broadly

• Having an impact on

their community

• Developing “real

world” experiences

• Getting it all done

• Occasionally taking a

break from getting it

all done!

• Finding opportunities

to expose their

students to real

works of art and new

ways of thinking

• Keeping their work

and teaching

relevant/fresh

• Occasionally taking

a break themselves

Audience Description Desired perceptions/behaviors Our messages to them

• ALL

• We are a valuable resource.

• We offer the unique opportunity

to see real works of art in your

own backyard.

• We can help bring new

perspectives to your studies, and

to your hectic life.

• We are accessible across a

variety of channels (don’t be

intimidated!)

• We are “safe haven”, extremely

supportive of experimentation.

• We support experimentation and

risk-taking.

• FACULTY AND LEADERSHIP

• Our collections, programs and

staff can help enrich the

academic experience, and help

create better students.

• We share your high intellectual

standards and can be a valuable

partner in helping to differentiate

the Wellesley College

experience.

• To understand the role

and value of DMCC

within the context of the

College

• To see DMCC as a

valued resource across

a variety of dimensions

(and to utilize it

regularly)

• To act as ambassadors

for DMCC within their

own spheres of

influence

• To understand the role

and value of DMCC

within the context of

the College

• To have greater

investment in, and

ownership of, DMCC

and what it offers

• To see DMCC as a

valued resource and

collaborator

Audience key concerns

For example…

Know your competition

• Yes, you have competition

– At the very least, competition for resources: financial

resources, in-kind donations, volunteers, etc.

• Crucial to understand the alternatives that your

supporters have for their time, money and attention

• Evaluate the brand messaging across 4-6

competitive and/or peer organizations

– Learn from their brand best practices, and mistakes.

– Identify any apparent norms, and ensure a unique brand

strategy

• Combines a set of activities, including regular visits

to competitive Web sites, attendance at events,

asking your closest supporters what their

competitive options are (and how they view those

options)

The Children’s Defense Fund is a child advocacy & research organization

which lobbies on behalf of children at the federal & state level. Elevator pitch

The Children’s Defense Fund’s Leave No Child Behind mission is to

ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start,

and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the

help of caring families and communities.

Mission

Primary take-away: The CDF is a well-oiled advocacy machine dedicated

to the well-being of the whole child–with special emphasis on those who

are indigent, members of a minority group & disabled

The entire site serves as an emotional plea for activism to anyone who

cares about the welfare of America’s children – to become informed, to

get involved, to right the wrongs that children suffer today

The presence of Marian Wright Edelman (founder & president) throughout

gives credence to the CDF as carrying on the work of the civil rights

movement out of which it was born

The branding is minimal beyond the logo & tag line, both of which are

designed to stir emotion and rouse action

Brand

observations

Sample: Competitive profile

Evocative Descriptive

Contemporary

Traditional

Mapping the brandscape:

Visual brand

Then…build the brand road map

• Context (why)

• Goals/Objectives

• Competitive landscape

• Audience insights

• Brand promise (internal rallying cry)

• Elevator pitch (external core message)

• Proof points (reason to believe that elevator pitch)

• Brand personality

• Message matrix (approved versions of messages to

be used as secondary points when talking with

audience segments)

• Product brand platform

• Guidelines (what and how)

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University discovers and disseminates knowledge of the plant kingdom to foster greater understanding, appreciation and stewardship of the Earth’s botanical diversity and its essential value to humankind. This is accomplished through three areas of activity: Research, Horticulture and Education.

An extraordinary collection of resources to inspire you along new paths of exploration

and discovery.

Open, accessible

High standards of quality

Knowledgeable

Engaged and engaging

PLACE

• A beautiful treasured historic collection of trees

• Unparalleled depth, variety and quality

INSTITUTION

• World-class facilities, staff and fellows

• Access to the kinds of resources necessary to do meaningful international research

• Committed to becoming a leader in the management and presentation of arboreta and

historic landscapes

• An extensive and varied education program

Brand Proof Points

Brand Personality

Mission

Brand Promise

Sample: Umbrella brand platform

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is the oldest public arboretum in North

America, and one of the world’s leading centers for the study of plants. A unique blend

of beloved public landscape and respected research institution, we provide and support

world-class research, horticulture and education programs that foster the understanding,

appreciation and preservation of trees.

Elevator pitch

A thoughtful steward

Highly collaborative across a variety of communities

Proactive

Thought leaders in research and horticulture

How the pieces fit together:

Product brand platform Name Historic Properties Collections Archives and Publications Educational Programs Preservation Services

Description 35 house museums and landscapesacross a variety of time periods,architectural styles and geographiclocations

An extraordinarily broad collection ofmore than 100,000 objects ofhistorical and aesthetic significance,family heirlooms presented in theiroriginal context, and accessiblethrough the extensive studycollection

More than one million items thatdocument New England'sarchitectural and cultural history. T hearchival collections includephotographs, prints and engravings,architectural drawings, books,manuscripts, and ephemera.

A series of nationally recognizedschool and youth programs that usehistorical resources to reinforce andenrich student learning.

A program built on partnershipbetween property owners andSPNEA, with a shared goal ofprotecting the unique character ofhistoric properties throughout NewEngland.

Supportingproductsandservices

House and landscape toursAdult and family programsSpecial eventsRetail operationsFunction rentalsMembership

Local, regional and national travelingexhibitionsHouse museum exhibitsMembership

Library and Archives servicesHistoric New England magazineBooks and exhibition cataloguesWeb siteMembership

Museum field tripsPrograms to Go!Out of School TimeEducators ResourcesMembership

Stewardship ProgramHomeowner servicesMembership

Positioning The most comprehensive collectionof homes and properties in NewEngland, with a uniquely thoroughand authentic approach to presentingthe stories of those who lived there.

The largest assemblage of NewEngland art and artifacts in thecountry.

The premier resource for researchersof New England history.

Programs that are fun, multi-disciplinary, and suited to a variety oflearning styles. They allow youngpeople to learn through a variety ofapproaches and include hands-onactivities, role-playing, andcooperative learning.

As one of the first preservationrestriction programs in the country,SPNEA's Stewardship Program is themodel on which many otherprograms are based.

Promise Experience, in a very real andintimate way, the lives and stories ofthe individuals and families who havemade New England what it is today.

Develop a real understanding of theheritage of New England through th epossessions of those who lived here.

Personally access a wealth ofinformation on the people and eventsthat defined the history of NewEngland. Let that knowledge informopinion and po licy to shape theregion’s future.

Discover the entertaining side ofhistory…the people and stories whohave made your neighborhood,community, etc. what it is today.Learn how, by understanding ourshared past, we can build a betterfuture.

Let the experts show you how topreserve your historic property andarchitectural details for the enjoymentand education of current and futuregenerations.

Aligning the brand hierarchy

MASTER BRAND

Lutheran Social Services (LSS)

LSS Community

Support Services

LSS Services for

Children and

Families

Subsidiary

sub-brands

LSS

International

Services

LSS Services for

Older Adults

LSS SmartCare

LSS Good News

Garage

Developmental

services

Mental health services

Deaf services

Lutheran Disaster

Response - New

England

Congregation

Relations

LSS Adoption

Specialized foster

care

Teen residential

Transitional teen

living

Foster care for

refugee children

Shelter care

Services Refugee resettlement

Immigrant services

Asylee legal assistance

ESOL

LSS LanguageBank

Job placement, education

and training

Nursing home & rehab

Assisted living

Low income housing

In-home services

Case management

Alzheimers/dementia

services

Find your common themes

• Framingham: A welcoming community (“where you start the

American dream”)

• Framingham: The classic American middle-class town/the

power of diversity

• Framingham: A vital crossroads

• Framingham: A tradition of volunteerism

• Framingham: An economic engine for the region

• Framingham’s place in the history of the nation

Then inventory your stories

• Framingham: A welcoming

community (“where you start the

American dream”)

• Framingham: The classic

American middle class town/the

power of diversity

• Framingham: A vital crossroads

• Framingham: A tradition of

volunteerism

• Framingham: An economic

engine for the region

• Framingham’s place in the

history of the nation

Campinelli

First Catholic church

Immigrants then and now

Refugees

Academy

Clinton visit

Railways, water, highways

Heart Study, militia, veterans

Mills; corporations then and now

“Creative economy” effort

Bonnets

Translating brand attitudes into action

Brand attitude (“”I WILL”)

• "I appreciate your

business.”

• "I will devote my full

attention to your

needs.”

• "I will take ownership of

your needs.”

• "I will be knowledgeable

and professional.”

• "I will be responsive to

your questions and

requests."

Employee actions (“I DO”)

• Greet the client with

enthusiasm. Use the client's

name.

• Focus on the client. Stop other

activities. Listen, and ask

clarifying questions.

• Transfer the client no more

than once; the first transfer will

own the issue.

• Provide the client with insight

and information to help him

achieve his goals.

• Fulfill commitments in a timely

fashion. Recognize that the

client's time is valuable.

A quick sidebar on consistency

• Consistency = impact

• Think about it…if your communications are not

consistent (look and feel, as well as tone and

messaging), you are reintroducing yourself every

single time

• There is room for variety, for versioning by type of

product, by audience, etc.

– But there has to be a master plan!

• Consistency is NOT boring for your stakeholders

– One of the biggest mistakes organizations make?

They get bored with their brand and want to change it

Behind every strong brand,

there’s a brand champion

• SOMEONE with the vision and clout to make it really

happen…and keep it happening

• SOMEONE who owns the brand and cares

passionately about its successful development and

maintenance

• Probably not at the most senior leadership level

(although they have to clearly sponsor and support

the effort)

Now tell your brand story…

• An effective communications plan is:

– Targeted….you’re not wasting money reaching people

not in your target audience

– Holistic…”surrounding” that target with a variety of

media likely to reach them

– Compelling….with a strong call to action

– Integrated….reflected across all your touchpoints

– Measurable…grounded in strategic goals and

evaluated against those goals

Build an integrated

communications plan to…

• Build awareness what you have to offer

• Generate leads/trial

• Keep 'em coming back for more!

Sample: Plan table of contents

• Brand blueprint (elevator pitch, message matrix, proof points,

brand attributes, etc.)

• Target audience (who your audience segments are, their

needs and expectations)

• Competitive landscape (a brief overview of alternative options

available to your served populations and supporters)

• Communications goals (what you want your activities to

accomplish)

• Communications strategies (the high level ways you plan to

accomplish your goals)

• Communications tactics (specific activities you will engage in,

with timing)

• Measurement and evaluation (how you plan to track results)

• Budget

• Editorial calendar

• Communications calendar

Does your brand need therapy?

• Are you changing your strategy as an institution?

• Is your core constituency changing?

• Are there seismic market shifts?

• If you ask 10 people in your organization “what is (your name here)?”, how

many different answers would you get?

• Can everyone in your organization explain how all the pieces (programs and

services) fit together?

• Do you feel like you’re the best kept secret in town?

• Do you feel like people know that you exist, but not why you matter?

• If you put all of your collateral on a table, would it look like it came from the

same place? Is it consistent with the look and feel of your web site?

• Do you have “dueling logos?”

• Is your logo easy to use?

• Do you have brand guidelines that are consistently used by everyone creating

communications?

Start with the basics

• Talk the talk…consistent language and messaging

• Set the standards…brand style guidelines

• Walk the walk…make sure everyone delivers across

every touchpoint (especially the further out you get

from “home base”)

Available for

pre-order on

Amazon.com

Thank you!

Michele Levy

Research • Brand Strategy • Communications Planning

617-645-6672

[email protected]

www.brand-strat.com