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| Nonprofit Branding: Unveiling the Essentials
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By: Bill Nissim, 2003 ©
After eighteen years as a marketing practitioner and having devoured most published books on the subject, it seemed to me that
someone should distill the essentials of branding in a simple and concise fashion. This article is by no means an attempt to grapple with
that endeavor, but merely consolidates the basics for real-world application.
Overview:
During my tenure as a graduate student, the looming question on every student’s mind was – what will be the focus of my research?
Since my career was inundated in brand management activities, the idea of applying branding theories to a business model not readily
engaged in these practices seemed challenging. As a result, an eighteen month journey commenced to understand how a nonprofit
searches for relevance in a world of scarce resources through brand management.
To begin, a theoretical model is needed from which to view the process of branding. If you assimilate most published material on
branding, you can derive four essentials:
1. What is your overall brand perception today?
2. Describe the future brand goal?
3. Create a plan to reach that goal
4. Does the brand live throughout the organization?
Brand Perception:
An organization’s greatest asset is its brand, yet so little time, energy, and care is devoted to this process and generally relegated to a
lower level functionary. In my research, the daily efforts and thin resources a nonprofit faces yields little time for reflection. During my
interviews with top management, it became apparent that brand assessment was not part of the agenda nor considered relevant. If your
present brand perception is not working, step back and view it through the eyes of your potential donor. If you don’t like what you see,
it’s time to roll up your sleeves and evaluate every facet of your brand.
Brand Goal:
Defining your future brand goal is generally an easier task than looking backwards. The question that every organization should ask
itself: what is the one thing that I can do better than anyone else? To be a meaningful brand, your cause must be a FIRST – a new
category, approach, or service that hasn’t been exploited. Since this differentiator (value proposition) sets your organization apart from
all others, make sure that the organization not only believes it, but can execute it! Once defined, every facet of the organization should
be centered on that rallying cry.
Plan:
My thesis focused on a nonprofit organization that had many competitors in a crowded market space. Their differentiator, a fully
functioning village for the homeless, was ground-breaking on both a local and national level. The brand perception migrated from a
decentralized rescue mission to a community that integrates a variety of functions (meals, shelter, education, behavior enhancement,
hope, etc.) under one roof. This concept has the potential to become a powerful, new brand position in the local community and its
attributes are easily recognizable and unique.
The next step bridges the gap between the current perception and the brand goal. As with any planning process, a series of activities
that culminates into a brand shift takes time and patience. Great brands were not invented overnight and required careful planning and
attention to detail. The greatest stumbling block for an organization to achieve a brand goal lies in its execution; most plans are written
and then collect dust on a shelf. Brand planning requires daily attention for progression and change to occur. Also, a brand lives in the
mind of each donor and has been developed through years of message layering. One Super-Bowl ad just won’t cut it!
Organizational Adoption:
The key to a successful plan requires a top-down commitment and involvement. Aside from the change in external messages, a
separate campaign to inform, educate, and acquire buy-in from all organizational members is essential. In order for the new brand
perception to be realized, it can’t be the latest management fad – it needs to reside in the hearts and minds of every single employee!
My research indicated that monthly, weekly, and even daily meetings were needed to ensure a consistent message was delivered and
acted upon.
Summary:
In summary, we examined the four essentials of branding to provide nonprofits with a structure from which they can reflect on their
target audience. All brands should be re-evaluated continuously to assure the appropriate message and deliveries of services are
synergistic. By analyzing the present perception and projecting a future brand goal, the planning process will naturally follow. Integrating
the organization in the process will be critical for the brand promise to be realized.
Bill Nissim consults with organizations on strategic branding
imperatives. His website www.ibranz.com contains reference materials, links, and helpful
articles on the many facets of branding. In addition, Nissim released his first book
“The Brand Advocate” to provide a tool-kit for the marketing practitioner.
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