Creating a Strong Brand for Your Nonprofit

Myrna Greenfieldgoodeggmarketing.com

Creating a Strong Brand for Your Nonprofit


Agenda

• Defining your organization’s brand• Measuring how your organization is

perceived• Closing the identity/image gap• Creating a branding and messaging

strategy


What is a Brand?

Identity

Image

Brand


Why Your Brand Matters

YOU

Recognition

Loyalty

Support

Impact

Credibility

Trust


How to Build Your Brand

Define Your Identity

Identify Perceptions

Close the Gap


Define Your Identity• Define who you are, what you

do, how you do it • Determine how you’d like to

be perceived• Conduct internal research to

check if board, management and staff agree


Create a Brand Blueprint• Creates a cohesive

image• Shape your

communications strategy, and deliverables

• Educates staff and vendors

MISSIONVISION

VALUES/BELIEFS

OUR IDENTITY

WHO WE ARE

WHAT WE DO

HOW WE DO IT

OUR AUDIENCES

OUR ORGANIZATION:

Points of Parity,Points of Distinction

PEER ORG

Points of Parity/

Distinction

PEER ORG

Points of Parity/

Distinction

Primary AudienceNeeds & Benefits

Secondary Audience

Tertiary Audience

OUR ENVIRONMENT

OUR IMAGE(How we want to be seen)

Brand Positioning Statement:“We are the best/only organization that

provides xyz to our audience because…”

Brand Essence:The heart of what

we do

Brand Personality:Character traits

INTERNAL TOOLS Elevator speech Key Messages Supporting Facts Brand Story Bios

PUBLIC TOOLS Logo Descriptor Tagline Descriptions (25, 50, 100 words)

COMMUNI- CATIONS VEHICLES Website Email Social Media Brochures Presentations EventsPartnerships

OUR HEART

Needs & Benefits

Needs & Benefits

“Brand Blueprint” Diagram

© 2012, Good Egg Marketing


Identify Perceptions• Conduct market research with your

current audience(s)– What matters to them– What they know about you– What’s unique about you– What they value about you– How they perceive you vs. peers/competitors– Are they brand loyal to you? To competitors?


Research Options

• Surveys• Focus Groups• Interviews• Creative

Exercises


• Appropriate for:– Testing brand understanding – Getting feedback– Ranking preferences

• Not appropriate for:– Getting a random, representative sample– High-stakes decision-making

Using Online Surveys


• Determine the purpose for the survey before you write the questions

• Design each question to provide “actionable” information

• Limit use of open-ended questions• Use simple language: no jargon• Pre-test!

Survey Tips


• Appropriate for:– Testing concepts, logos, language– Stimulating conversation to elicit a range of views– Probing for details about responses– Developing questions for use in surveys

• Not appropriate for:– Getting a random, representative sample– Sensitive or confidential issues

Using Focus Groups


• Hold 3-5 groups so you can compare responses

• Use phone script to screen participants in advance

• Recruit homogenous groups• At least once, ask participants to write

down answer before sharing with group

Focus Group Tips


• Appropriate for:– Testing images, messages, language– Addressing complex or sensitive issues– Probing for details about responses

• Not appropriate for:– Getting a representative sample– Generalizing about the larger population

Using Interviews


• Use an experienced facilitator who can make interviewee feel comfortable

• Ensure confidentiality• Use an interview script with follow-up

questions

Interview Tips


• Appropriate for:– Getting “right brain” responses– Getting at the images and associations with

your brand

• Not appropriate for:– Getting a representative sample– Generalizing about the larger population

Using Creative Exercises


• If your organization was an animal (or a dog), what animal would it be (and why)?

• If your organization was a fruit (cereal, celebrity, etc.), what fruit would it be?

• Draw the images that come to mind when you think of (your organization).

Creative Exercises


Close the Gap

• Analyze data• Identify gaps between identity and image• Choose language, images, actions to help close

the gap

Identity

Image


Adjust Marketing Strategy

• Develop key messages to reinforce new positioning

• Assess best channels, vehicles to influence target audience(s)

• Revise existing marketing strategy and content if needed


Roll Out the Brand• Use brand blueprint to

create content, materials• Create simple document

or “brand book” for internal training

• Share new messages with stakeholders

• Track whether perceptions align with identity


Be Remarkable!

Business

Creating a Strong Brand for Your Nonprofit