UNV brand communications A guide to our new approach May 2009

Things to consider -What are brands? -What makes them special? -Why is it important to UNV? -Why now? -The new approach at UNV

Things to practice & discuss -What is the UNV brand? -The UNV elevator pitch – what is yours? -The UNV boilerplate and how to use it -Idea and difference: share your examples

What you receive -EXPRESS: the UNV Brand Communications User Guide -Access to materials online -Access to the brand communications forum -Helpdesk support

Part 1: About branding

What is a brand? the promise that captures and represents what people can expect

What is a brand? A statement about aspirations and even beliefs. A source of identity. Will Hutton Governor, London School of Economics

Famous brands

Why do brands matter? Living the brand makes work matter and people feel like winners

Why do brands matter? It can make or break a company or a career. Will Hutton Governor, London School of Economics

Famous branding problems Swedish vacuum cleaner: "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation. In Chinese this became: "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave" Polio laundry soap (Czechoslovakia) Zit soft drink (Greece) Life cigarettes (Mali) Ayds anti-depressant drug (USA) In one sea port, freight handlers saw a new sticker on some boxes. It means fragile, but they hadnt been told. They thought it meant broken items inside and threw them away! (new ideas need to be explained)

Personal brand problems Gerald Ratner owned a highly successful chain of jewelry stores in Great Britain. But he told a business lunch that his goods were crap People stopped buying and he went broke! Lessons: Be consistent in what you say, and how you say it Your brand relies on peoples trust

Personal brand problems Lawrence Summers, Former World Bank Chief Economist, was President of Harvard University when he said in a speech: women dont succeed in math and science because of genetics Donors stopped sending money. He lost his job and damaged the Universitys reputation Lessons: Everything you say has an impact What you say should reflect our core beliefs

Corporate branding problems UNICEF (Germany) launched a campaign to raise money for childrens education in Africa. It wanted to show that all children are the same, regardless of colour. But the pictures reminded people outside Germany about bad race relations. UNICEF headquarters had not been informed. The local branding did not match their international brand image. UNICEF Germany had to remove the adverts and apologize. UNICEF lost some support internationally.

Ways we communicate the UNV brand 1.Talking about UNV, our work, volunteerism for peace and development 2.Meetings with UN, volunteers, governments, NGOs, donors, beneficiaries, media… 3.Writing reports, , presentations, newsletters, vacancy announcements

Part 2: How we got here

Why UNV brand review was needed Expanding UNV mandate Business strategy (advocacy, integration, mobilization) needs to be clarified, implemented Operations growing, diversifying = need for clarity, consistency

How the review worked UNV hired expert consultants All major UNV stakeholders were surveyed Consultants made proposals Project board (Core Management Team and Head, Communications) responded to proposals Planned solution was tested on stakeholders Solution was finalized and announced!

19 Stakeholder perception surveys and interviews I. Online surveySentCompletedResponse rate A) UN Agencies/Partners (includes UNDP CO) % B) Non-UN Partners (includes roster of potential UNV volunteers) % C) UNV volunteers (includes currently serving + former) % D) POs and HQ % Total % II. Interviews Internal External 18 (Senior Management Team members) 7 x UN partners (UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, WHO, DPKO, EAD, UNDP) 3 x donors (Ireland, Japan, Germany) 2x G77 (programme Countries) 1 x civil society (Forum/IVCO)

Some key perceptions about UNV 1.UNV is primarily a supplier of volunteers..……………..……..(ALL) 2.In future a wider role : A.I.M ………………. (UNV volunteers, POs, HQ) 3.Partners satisfied with collaboration…………..……..…….. (All partners) 4.Volunteers performance & value for money main motivators.. (ALL) 5.UNV is practical, flexible, dynamic ……….……..(mostly internal)

21 Key reflections on stakeholder feedback from a branding perspective –The organization is performing well and meeting partners expectations –Lots of view points and messages (perhaps too many messages) –Very broad messaging invites interpretation, e.g. governance connotations, G77 viewpoint –Disconnect between organization at HQ level and service in the field –Reluctance to communicate impact on the ground Conclusions: Danger of being too fluffy Need for clarity Performance Culture Messaging

Values based Universal Special interest Skills based Volunteerism brands Where does UNV fit? … can you guess?!

Values based Universal Special interest Skills based In the middle! UNV wanted to remain here, - expressing values, - demonstrating results. How could it do so, effectively?

Values based Universal Skills based Scenario 1 focus on advocacy worlds advocate of volunteerism, challenges people to contribute Volunteering for humanity Scenario 2 focus on mobilization efficient volunteer organization, making a real impact Development and peace. Delivered. Special interest Options from the consultants

Values based Universal Skills based inspirationaction Special interest Solution agreed by UNV Inspiration expresses UNVs values and ideas Action expresses UNVs activities and results

So we get…

Part 3: Our inspiration

WE BELIEVE... VOLUNTEERISM CAN TRANSFORM THE PACE AND NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT

THATS A POWERFUL IDEA

IMAGINE… OVER 6 BILLION PEOPLE CONTRIBUTING THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE

DELIVERING ON THAT POTENTIAL IS OUR MISSION

THATS WHY EVERY ACTION WE TAKE AS AN ORGANIZATION HAS TO BE AMBITIOUS IT HAS TO LIVE UP TO OUR BIG IDEA

OUR ACTIONS SAY A LOT ADVOCATING FOR VOLUNTEERISM, ENCOURAGING PARTNERS TO INTEGRATE VOLUNTEERISM INTO DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING, AND MOBILIZING VOLUNTEERS

IF OUR PARTNERS SEE VOLUNTEERISM AS A CORNERSTONE OF THEIR PROGRAMMES, WE CAN ADDRESS DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES TOGETHER

PARTNERS INSPIRED BY THE POTENTIAL OF VOLUNTEERISM, THE ACTIONS OF VOLUNTEERS, AND THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF UNV WILL HELP US TO GROW AND EXPAND VOLUNTEERISM

OUR ORGANIZATIONS PROMISE IS THAT THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE IS INSPIRED BY THE IDEA WE EMBRACE

WE ARE INSPIRATION IN ACTION

EMBRACE THIS IDEA LIVE IT EVERY DAY IN UNV

TOGETHER, WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Part 4: Guidelines

EXPRESS Contents Tagline Tone of voice Idea + Difference Boilerplate text Elevator Pitch Definition of volunteerism for development

Tone of voice Confident Clear Inclusive Genuine

Idea + difference 1. First step: think about the key idea you want to convey. Make sure it appears within your communication 2. Second step: demonstrate the difference Explain how UNV can help, and the results it can produce. e.g. the results produced by UNV as an organization, UNV staff, UNV volunteers, volunteers in general. Note: the annual report in written in this style. The idea does not have to come first!

Idea + difference Example [idea] Volunteerism can help communities achieve the Millennium Development Goals [difference] In India, UNV and the publisher Times of India launched the Teach India campaign, which mobilized 50,000 volunteer teachers in one month, significantly contributing to childrens literacy and education (MDG 2).

Boilerplate text

Standardized text Always in documents Never edited! You can add to it The term comes from hot water boilers which have a standard plate of information for safety reasons

Boilerplate text Exercise Describe our organization, our work, and our contribution Write 50 words in 5 minutes Pass your text to the person to your left - Did your neighbour write the same thing? - Was it better (or worse!)? - Do you have the same elements as the UNV boilerplate?

Boilerplate (short) key elements The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development, and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.

Elevator Pitch

Elevator pitch A short introduction (long enough for an elevator ride) e.g. 30 seconds long It starts a conversation - Introduces UNV - our aims, activities - you and your role Notes: Make it your pitch. Use your own words. Believe in it. Be confident, genuine (remember the UNV tone of voice)

Elevator pitch – an example United Nations Volunteers contributes to peace and development through volunteerism. We do this by: - advocating for recognition of volunteerism, - encouraging others to integrate volunteerism into their development programming, - and mobilizing people to volunteer for peace and development worldwide.

Elevator pitch - Exercise Choose a partner (or two) Ride in an elevator (or find a quiet corner) Practice delivering your pitch Think about: different types of people you meet (UN, volunteers, NGO, etc.) Discuss with colleagues Practice!

Part 5: Support

Implementation – how to get help Materials are on the UNV website where all staff and UNV volunteers can reach them: - EXPRESS (English, French, Spanish) - Emblems with taglines (6 UN languages) - Training material (this slideshow) - Other support materials you request These materials are also on the UNV Knowledge Platform Let us know if you want more!

UNV branding forum Go here to share: Questions Suggestions Examples Ideas

Contacts Brand questions: Helpdesk: Tomas Matraia ( ) Communications Unit:

UNV Communications Toolkit

Toolkit includes… How to use the UNV emblem Terminology: Dos and Donts Document layout; specifications Photography Dealing with the media, etc.

Using the UNV emblem Please use the emblem with the new tagline, wherever possible. The plain emblem is still valid (e.g. for official signage) Full width versions are also available (as in this presentation, above) New!

Terminology – dos and donts DO UNV volunteers international UNV volunteers Volunteerism for development …the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme …the UNV Online Volunteering service … DONT UNVs IUNVs, NUNVs V4D …the United Nations Volunteers Programme …the Online Volunteering Service… For more, see the UNV Communications Toolkit (in English, French and Spanish)