Nonprofit Branding: Unveiling the Essentials

---

Nonprofit Branding: Unveiling the Essentials
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, by no means, attempts to grapple with that endeavor, but merely consolidates the basics for real-world application.
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 shrouded in brand management activities, the idea of applying branding theories to a business model not readily engaged in these practices – mainly nonprofit organizations, seemed challenging. As a result, an eighteen month journey commenced to understand how a nonprofit searches for relevance in a world of scare resources through brand management.
To begin, we need a theoretical model from which to view the process of branding. If you assimilate most published material on branding, the essentials condense into four items:
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?
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 endures yields little time for reflection. During my thesis interviews with top management of a nonprofit organization, it became apparent that brand assessment wasn’t part of the agenda nor considered relevant. If your present brand perception isn’t 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.
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 mission.
My thesis focused on a nonprofit organization that had many competitors in a crowded market space. Their differentiator, a fully functioning village, was groundbreaking on both a local and national level. The brand perception slowly 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 carefully planning and attention to detail to achieve. The greatest stumbling block for organization’s to achieve a brand goal lies in its execution; most plans are written and then collect dust on the shelf. Brand planning requires daily attention for progression and change to occur. Also, a brand lives in the mind on each donor and has been developed through years of message layering. One Super-Bowel ad just won’t cut it!
Finally, 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 on.
In summary, we examined the four essentials of branding to provide nonprofits with a structure from which they can reflect on their brand process. 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 nonprofit organizations on brand management issues. He developed brand strategies for Parker Hannifin and wrote his graduate thesis on branding methodologies of nonprofits. Bill received his bachelors in advertising, masters in communications, and in pursuit an MBA in change management. His website contains reference materials, links, and helpful articles on the many facets of branding at www.ibranz.com.