Branding

At the Getting Attention blog, nonprofit marketing expert Nancy E. Schwartz offers a link to a nine-page primer on nonprofit branding. Some highlights: What is branding? * Branding is the art of creating a consistent, recognizable and clear, unified voice or personality that conveys your organization’s uniqueness, focus and values. * A brand is more than a logo, packaging or design. * A brand constitutes the essence and values of an organization’s work, product or service. The organization’s image and brand equity are developed by how its personality is perceived. * A brand is the sum total of key ideas, emotions, physical attributes and

Something to ponder from the whitepaper “7 Secrets to Branding in the Nonprofit Organization,” produced by marketing firm BrandXcellence: “You’re probably familiar with department store magnate John Wanamaker’s legendary saying: ‘Fifty percent of my advertising is wasted; I just don’t know which fifty percent.’ If that statement weren’t so accurate, we might laugh a little harder. The fact is, the Advertising Research Foundation reports that, while the number is actually closer to 20 percent — but with some estimates as high as 80 percent — businesses waste between $30 and $50 billion each year on ineffective marketing. And the primary cause of all those dollars

In his article “Branding for Nonprofits: Dispelling 4 Myths,” author and consultant Jed Jones talks about the reluctance of many nonprofit organizations to focus on their brands — and why they need to overcome it: “Sometimes marketing gets negative press due to the fact that there are clearly some unsavory marketing practices going on in the world today: deceptive advertising, spam and disruptive telemarketing, just to name a few. However, marketing in its purest form is merely a set of activities designed to get the right kind of attention for a product or service on the part of would-be buyers, subscribers, or supporters. If good

(Editor’s Note: With great thanks to The Agitator (www.theagitator.net), here are some eloquent thoughts on branding for nonprofits from veteran nonprofit marketer Tom Belford.) Intercept. Interpret. Invite. Intrigue. Inspire. These are the words that come to mind when I think about how I would establish and grow a nonprofit brand. Intercept: Perhaps nothing requires more marketing creativity today than getting in the face of your target audience with a relevant message at a ripe moment. Fortunately, even as the communications blizzard gets more dense, the methodologies for targeting are getting cheaper, faster, more penetrating and sophisticated, especially in the online universe. The going rate for

Ask donors what they want from nonprofits, and they’ll seldom say, “Appeal letters.” Even more rarely do they say they want e-mails. And do they ever ask for telemarketing calls? But many donors do want newsletters. A newsletter can improve donor retention and upgrade rates.

What comes to mind when you hear the words, “The breakfast of champions”? What if I said, “Don’t leave home without it”? How about, “Just do it”? If you’re like most people, you’ll quickly reply, Wheaties, American Express and Nike. And therein lies the power of a good tagline. Power that also is available to nonprofits: strong words.

Most nonprofits understand the necessity of having a strong brand. It’s knowing how to create a strong brand that’s the hard part. Quite a few sessions at the Bridge Conference in Washington, D.C. last week focused on the topic of branding and proved that a little guidance can go a long way. In her session, “Brand and Loyalty Marketing: A Creative Approach,” Catherine M. Shaw, president of branding agency Mediastudio, reviewed the following three branding best practices that organizations can put to use to create a more effective branding strategy. Best practice No. 1: Employ multi-faceted brand strategies. Shaw said many groups use

Understanding what a brand is, why it’s important and how to create, change or evaluate the success of it is vital for every organization. In his session, “How to Brand Your Organization,” at the Bridge Conference in Washington, D.C., last week, Joel Zimmerman, director of consulting services at CDR Fundraising Group, a provider of integrated fundraising services, walked attendees through the ins and outs of branding. Zimmerman first looked at what a brand is, describing it as the stereotypical reaction people have to your organization. A brand evokes information (what do I know about them?), emotion (do I like them?) and expectations (should I

5 Branding Basics

Often the biggest hurdle you’ll face in developing or refining the brand strategy for your organization is the reluctance of the CEO to buy into the importance of branding. But it’s critical to get the full support and backing from the CEO or your board before proceeding down the brand path. Bob Lamons, communications consultant and founder of Robert Lamons and Associates, says, “The CEO needs to be the No. 1 brand champion. No exceptions. No extenuating circumstances. If she resists accepting this responsibility, the company will suffer.” I’ve heard more than one CEO ask the questions, “But how does the brand fit