Welcome to Taking the Mystery out of Branding! 2010 Mentoring Children of Prisoners National Conference April 9, 2010 New Orleans, Louisiana.

Welcome to

Taking the Mystery out ofBranding!

2010 Mentoring Children of Prisoners

National ConferenceApril 9, 2010

New Orleans, Louisiana

What is a brand, anyway?

McDonald’s versus

Frank’s Home-Style Cooking

A good brand answers:

Who are you?What do you do?How do you do it?Why should anyone care?

The answers to these can help you:

FundraiseAttract quality board membersMarket your programsRecruit and retain mentors and

staffTell your story or narrative

Quickly list 4 things you trust your mentoring program’s brand to convey: 1. _____________2. _____________3. _____________4. _____________

Who are you?

We are __[name of your program]__, a nonprofit

organization.

What do you do?

We are volunteers who mentor children whose parents are in

prison.

How do you do it?

By providing these children with culturally relevant services based on

the principles of positive youth development .

Why should I care?

Because we all benefit when children feel safe, nurtured and cared for, especially those children whose

parents can’t readily provide for them.

Possible positioning statement:

“XYZ is a nonprofit volunteer organization that mentors children whose parents are in prison. By providing culturally relevant, age-appropriate services we help these children feel safe, nurtured and cared for—things that their parents can’t readily give them—and something we, as a community and a society all benefit from.”

It’s your “elevator speech”

A brand screams out:

TRUST ME!

A good brand quietly—and always—fulfills that pledge.

Branding myth #1

“Marketing and branding are one and the same.”

Marketing and advertising are promotional strategies for

sellingproducts and services.

Your brand is a reflection of everything associated with your

organization…

Including (but not limited to)…

The quality of your mentoring workYour reputation/how people view you and what

you doYour staffYour leadershipYour organization’s core cultural values and the

passion you have for mentoring children of people in prison.

Why your work is so important, not only for the children you serve, but for the community at large.

Branding myth #2

“Once we have an attractive logo and catchy tagline, we

have our brand.”

Your logo and tagline are the banners for your brand.

Your brand drills much deeper into your

organization’s core values.

“Truth is, logos don’t really do much of anything…. They don’t make you

cooler. They don’t make the product better. In fact a logo means nothing.

Unless, of course, the company behind it means something.”

--Hyundai auto adin Time magazine

Branding myth #3

“Branding is the responsibility of our communications and

marketing folks.”

Branding is the responsibility of “EVERYONE”

in your organization, from board members to executive and support staff, as well as

volunteers.

If it helps, consider the person who answers your phones your

“Director of First Brand Impressions”

Branding myth #4

“We don’t have a budget for branding our organization.”

If you effectively leverage your current resources—

including your staff, volunteer mentors, board members—you may not

need much of a budget to better brand your

organization.

Defining your brand:

A reality check

Why concern ourselves with defining a clear, consistent brand?

Because it doesn’t matter how good the choir is…

…If everyone is singing from different song sheets…

It’s just noise!

Reality check:• Has your mentoring program come to consensus

on what it is, what it does, how it does it—and why anyone should care enough to support its efforts?

• Is there internal consensus on your mission, positioning and communications strategies?

• If so, do your current communication materials—including logo, editorial content, graphic design, and other materials, including business cards—reflect consistent brand messages and images regarding your mentoring programs?

Reality check: Is your program structured to send out clear,

consistent messages to your target audiences, as well as to staff?

Have you created a “messaging package”—i.e. positioning statement, supporting statements, etc.—to help everyone stay on message?

Are you aware of how others currently perceive your program?

Is the program’s current perceptions of itself positive and healthy?

Again, it’s your responsibility to tell people:

Who you are What you do How you do it And why they should care

“XYZ is a nonprofit volunteer organization that mentors children whose parents are in prison. By providing culturally relevant, age-appropriate services we help these

children feel safe, nurtured and cared for—things that their parents can’t

readily give them—and something we, as a community and a society all

benefit from.”

Step #2

Actively promote your brand!

A reality check

When it comes to promoting your brand…

…Start from the inside out

Reality check: Does everyone in your mentoring program—from

leadership to support staff to volunteers—know what the brand is?

Are they educated, motivated Ambassadors of the brand?

Is branding included as part of your strategic planning process?

Is understanding the program’s brand part of your employee and volunteer orientation process, as well as part of your annual performance review?

Reality check: Are your promotional materials up-to-date,

attractive and compelling? Have you tested your messages? Does your website accurately reflect your

brand, and is it easy to navigate and updated regularly?

Are you out in your respective communities promoting and reinforcing your brand?

Are you aware of the morale of your current workforce and volunteers?

Are you and your staff: Attracting media attention, including smaller media

outlets (don’t overlook company newsletters)?Recognized as experts in the field, especially by the

media? Engaged in civic activities? Effective Brand Ambassadors so others can become

Brand Advocates for your organization?Using social networking technologies—i.e. FaceBook,

MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, etc.—especially if you’re seeking to reach a younger audience.

Step #3

Diligently protect your brand!

A reality check

Protect your brand…

…by living your brand.

Reality check: Does everyone in your program understand what

it means to protect—or live—the brand, namely how to keep its reputation positive, strong and trustworthy?

Do leadership, staff and volunteers take advantage of training opportunities in leadership, finance and ethics?

Is there transparency with respect to finances? Is the workplace culture open to speaking “truth

to authority”?

Reality check: Is there awareness that your funders are seeking

ever greater accountability and clearer outcomes from the work that you perform?

Do your decision-makers understand the difference between doing what is legal versus what is ethical?

Do you consciously strive to meet all of the expectations—i.e. promises—your brand represents?

Protect—or live—your brand:

Hire/recruit well (affluence and influence are worthless w/out integrity and wisdom!)

Educate (what’s at risk?)Be transparent with your financesSpeak truth to authority Legal is not the litmus testExpectations…expectations…expectations

Three take-home messages!

1. Clearly define your brand It will help reduce the noise and clarify the

message2. Create good Brand Ambassadors

It requires good leadership3. Legal is not the litmus test for doing the

right thing Rather, what would your mother think if

your decisions were to be aired publicly?

The very good news is:

You Can Do This!

This is your time!

Thank you!

Larry CheccoChecco Communications

Branding consultantMotivational speakerWorkshop presenter

Helping organizations clearly define who they are, what they do, how they do it—and why anyone should care!

www.checcocomm.net