Developing and Building a Great Nonprofit Brand

Introductions

Dave Shaw Arsenal Advertising + PR

512-499-8009 dave@GoArsenal.com @TheRealDaveShaw

@ArsenalAgency

Jenna Oltersdorf Snackbox PR and Design

773-715-0879 jenna@snackbox.us

@JennaSnacks @NomNomist

Agenda

•  The case for branding •  What makes a strong brand •  Elements of a brand •  Assessing your brand •  Expressing your brand

Why should nonprofits care about branding?

•  Branding is not just for profit •  You have a brand, choose to manage it:

o  Mission drives the brand o  Stakeholders have expectations of the brand o  Strategies can strengthen the brand o  Employees, board and volunteers deliver on the brand o  Materials express the brand

•  A strong brand drives internal alignment •  A strong brand builds external trust and credibility

There is a practical approach to branding nonprofits

What are some great nonprofit brands?

And what makes them great?

2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend® Rankings for Nonprofit Brands

Animal Welfare

Disability

Environmental

Social Services

Youth

Health

Great Brands…

•  Clear sense of who they are •  Are disciplined and focused •  Tell good stories •  Internally and externally aligned •  Stakeholders have tools, room to deliver •  Consistently meet or exceed expectations

Defining Brand

A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.

- Seth Godin

Everything Communicates the Brand

1.  Core Purpose Why you exist

2.  Programs and Services Support the core purpose

3.  Staff, Board, Volunteers Deliver the experience

4.  Online Presence Website, social media – look and voice

5.  Physical Space Physical representation of the brand

6.  Name, Logo, Collateral, Look and Feel Creative expression of the brand

Awareness: Have they heard of us? Baseline.

Perception: What do they know, what do they think about us?

Understanding.

Relevance: Do they need us? Can they live without us? Rational connection.

Resonance: How do we make them feel?

Alignment of values. Emotional connection.

Engagement: What will they do?

Action and loyalty.

Levels of Audience Interaction With a Brand

Understand Your Brand

1.  Purpose and message 2.  Audiences and stakeholders 3.  Programs and offerings 4.  Service and communication 5.  Look and feel

Performing a Brand Audit

1. Interviews and focus groups tell you what and why Employees Board members Donors Volunteers

2. Surveys tell you how much and how many Donors Partners Clients Members

3. Review materials for the three “C's”:

Clarity Creativity Consistency

Expressing a Nonprofit Brand

1.  Core purpose 2.  Name, logo and brand guidelines 3.  Message platform 4.  Images and stories 5.  Audience experience 6.  Training for staff, board, volunteers

Message Platform

•  Elevator pitch o  One or two sentences in length o  40,000 foot view of who you are and why you’re here

•  Build key messages from elevator pitch o  Limit key messages to no more than five o  Present messages in bullet list form o  Messages support elevator speech o  Each message must be concise and to the point

•  Ensure all stakeholders internalize key messages

Protecting Your Brand

•  Establish brand look and feel •  Library of approved, royalty-free stock images •  Copyrights and trademarks •  URLs, in all their variations

Common branding mistakes

•  Four-color logos •  Logo is my brand •  Mission is my brand •  Not training the front line •  Mission creep •  Inconsistent experiences •  Employees, volunteers, board members not empowered

to deliver on the brand

Do’s of a Strong Brand

•  Promises made and kept... over time •  Consistency in messaging, visuals •  Experiences that delight audiences •  Clear sense of what the brand stands for •  Staff, board members know how to deliver on the brand •  Not just a logo or a tagline

Thank You

Dave Shaw Arsenal Advertising + PR

512-499-8009 dave@GoArsenal.com @TheRealDaveShaw

@ArsenalAgency

Jenna Oltersdorf Snackbox PR and Design

773-715-0879 jenna@snackbox.us

@JennaSnacks @NomNomist