1. Developing and Building a Great Nonprofit Brand

2. Introduction Dave Shaw Arsenal Advertising + PR 512-499-8009 dave@GoArsenal.com @TheRealDaveShaw @ArsenalAgency

3. Agenda The case for branding What makes a strong brand Elements of a brand Assessing your brand Expressing your brand

4. 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

5. What are some great nonprofit brands? And what makes them great?

6. 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend ® Rankings for Nonprofit Brands Animal Welfare Disability Environmental Social Services Youth Health

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. 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 Stakeholders 3.Review materials for the three “C's”: Clarity Creativity Consistency

13. Expressing a Nonprofit Brand 1. Core purpose 2. Name, logo and brand guidelines

14. Expressing a Nonprofit Brand 1. Core purpose 2. Name, logo and brand guidelines 3. Message platform

15. 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

16. Expressing a Nonprofit Brand 1. Core purpose 2. Name, logo and brand guidelines 3. Message platform 4. Images and stories

17. www.stocklayouts.com

18. 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

19. Protecting Your Brand Establish brand look and feel Library of approved, royalty-free stock images Copyrights and trademarks URLs, in all their variations

20. 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

21. 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

22. Thank You Dave Shaw Arsenal Advertising + PR 512-499-8009 dave@GoArsenal.com @TheRealDaveShaw @ArsenalAgency