A BRAND new issue for not-for-profits

Branding. It's a word that gets tossed around like a football. Some perceive it as a great big overwhelming concept. Others think of it as a logo. By way of definition, branding is everything that makes your organization who it is. It's the personality, ethics, image, reputation and environment you want to display every day to every stakeholder. OK, that does sound pretty overwhelming doesn't it? Especially if you are a not-for-profit organization and everybody tells you that a perfect example of branding is McDonalds or Starbucks. Those organizations spend BILLIONS of dollars to build their brand. Most of us don't have those kinds of budgets, right? One of my favorite sayings that seems applicable here is..."How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." The elephant here is the big scary brand concept. So, let's start with the first bite. Where to begin? Well, let's assume you've already established your business' personality. The problem comes in when you try to build that brand. Trying to employ cost-saving measurements, artwork and photography are often done "in-house" by people who are pretty good at that sort of thing. What gets lost is consistency. Does that mean you have to pay top dollar? Not necessarily. Look at your stakeholders. Are there any professionals associated with your organization who would be willing to lend their services as volunteers or for a trade dollar amount? The only stipulation would be that they are normally paid for their services. In other words, don't include a writer on your team who is a pretty good writer - try to get someone who gets paid for that service. Here are some rules to follow that will help with the consistency issue.

When to hire a professional.
When you want the finished product to show who you really are.

If you are a dog groomer that is working from home, a black and white flyer created on your laptop in Publisher may be ok. However, if you are an organization that is trying to attract high quality investors or stakeholders, you better look like you are a professional organization.

Some must-have professionals on your team should be:
1) Professional photographers. You need to get a library of signature photos that take your breath away. These photos will be used every time you are trying to communicate who you are. These photos will be used on brochures, Web sites, newsletters, posters, billboards, everything. They will become synonomous with your name. When someone sees these photos, they'll say, "Oh, that's XYZ organization."

2) Professional graphic designers. In today's world, there will always be a talented high school student who is pretty darn good at creating Web sites and drawing pictures for a cheap price. Don't use them. The problem is that they don't have the background or skills to understand how their artwork fits into the bigger picture and strategy. Many logos are beautiful - until you make them small enough to fit on a business card or large enough to fit on a billboard. A professionally trained graphic designer thinks about all the applications and designs a look and feel that can and should be carried out through every communication distributed by the organization. A good graphic designer will be able to develop templates that can be easily updated by in-house staff. BUT make sure stringent graphic standards are adhered to. In other words, don't allow a talented in-house staffer to make minor adjustments to the final design. A little tweak here and a tiny nudge there and you end up with a totally different animal. Also - just a caveat - all graphic designers are not Web designers. When you hire one, make sure they have Web background. See #4 below for more on Web designers.

3) Marketing/PR professionals. Use a professional wherever you can for consultation. The challenge many marketing/PR professionals find is that by nature, they are very helpful people. Problem solvers. For not-for-profits, that can seem like a dream-come-true. For a marketing professional, that can be a tremendous time drain. If they can't afford it, not-for-profits often rely on pro-bono services from marketing professionals. That's OK, as long as parameters are set. A good consultant will put plans into motion that can be implemented by staff. For-profit businesses often rely on consultants to handle the implementation as well. Budget is always an issue, but let's face it, for-profits usually have a bigger budget for this than not-for-profits. Utilize consultants to see if your message is consistent. Is it the right message? Are we delivering the message through the right channels? Does it fit in with our overall brand? Is our brand still viable or does it need to adapt? Are we properly communicating the mission of our organization in everything we do? How can we get the most from our marketing budget? Use these consultants as a living breathing "HOW TO" manual. Just don't have them implement unless they've agreed to a certain number of hours or you can pay them to do it. Their time is the only thing they have to sell. Don't ask them to give it all away.

4) Web designers. It is so easy to create your own Web site these days. Programs make it a snap to get a Web presence and everyone needs a Web presence, right? WRONG. It is better to not have a Web presence than to have a site that looks like it was developed by an amateur. Your Web site should start with a navigational plan that lays out the exact objectives of your site. A Web site should be approached in the exact same manner as any other marketing tool. What is the objective? What do you want it to accomplish? How will it contribute to your branding? Sometimes Web designers are not great graphic designers (same as some graphic designers are not great Web designers) You may not get a two for one, but find the funds to do this right or don't do it at all.


OK, I lied. This really IS a big overwhelming concept. And that bite was a pretty big monster. Next blog, we can talk about how to incorporate branding into your everyday activities. For now, today's bite is "Know when to hire a professional to help you develop your brand!" Happy elephant eating everyone.