Branding Through Websites Building Your Brand From the First Click

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Branding Through WebsitesBuilding Your Brand
From the First Click
Nonprofit Technology ConferenceApril 2007
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What Well Cover

• What is a Brand?
• Influencing Your Brand
• Influencing Brand Through Your Website
• Speed Branding Exercise
• Branding Through
• Statements
• Information and Functionality
• Prioritization
• Graphic Design
• Speed Branding Part Two

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Getting Started

• What do you hope to get out of this session?

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What is a Brand?
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What is a Brand?

• A brand is a persons gut feeling about an
  organization

The impression we share of these organizations is
their brand
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What is a Brand?

• Brands are influenced by all sorts of different
  things, both rational and not so much

They sent those stupid stickers that got stuck
all over the dog
That woman was so nice on the phone
Theyre always on the news with important things
to say
They won the Nonprofit of the Year award from
that foundation
They have such an informative website
Their name sounds so technical
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What is a Brand?
Brands often speak to the gut rather than to the
head
Care for some salad dressing?
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What is a Brand?

• A brand is not what you say it is.

Its what they say it is
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Influencing Your Brand
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Influencing Your Brand
You have a brand its what your constituents
think of you
Theyre extraordinarily knowledgeable, but that
means theyre hard to talk to
They only work with old people
Theyre caring people, but not great with money
They look so good, they must be expensive
They dont quite have their act together yet
The idea is to change what you do and say so that
people see your strengths clearly
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Influencing Your Brand

• This isnt deceptive. Its about clearly
  informing people what youre about and then
  practicing what you preach

These companies have largely branded themselves
through quality and service
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The One Minute Brand Definition Guide

• Consider (honestly) how you are perceived
• Brainstorm how you would like to be perceived.
  Try the mad-lib approach
• XYZ Organization is so (adjective)
• Theyre great at (noun)
• Theyre different because (reason)
• Define concise and compelling answers for
• What do you do?
• Why does it matter?
• What makes you different?

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For Instance

• Red Cross
• Provides disaster relief care internationally
• Helps people prevent and prepare for emergencies
• Red Cross saves lives
• Neutral, international, caring, extremely
  professional, politically savvy, logistically
  sophisticated

• Wave Hill
• A public garden dedicated to aesthetic
  horticulture and the arts
• A world renowned horticultural destination
• Not a botanical garden, not a historic estate
  your own country house
• A uniquely tasteful, serendipitous, beautiful
  place which must be visited in person

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For More Information
This topic could (and does!) fill books

• Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap
• Alina Wheeler, Designing Brand Identity
• Al Ries, Jack Trout, Positioning The Battle for
  Your Mind
• DK Holland, Branding for Nonprofits

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Influencing Your BrandThrough Your Website
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Branding Through Websites
A website is only one of many ways to influence
your brand
Logos
Naming and signage
Services
Public Relations
Print materials and letters
Websites
Phone interactions
Etc.
but a powerful one that can influence many
audiences
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Branding Through Websites
Many distinct aspects of your website influence
your brand
Statements
Graphic Design
Overall Site Feel
Prioritization
Information Functionality
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Branding Through Websites
While uniqueness is important, there are some
things that nonprofits frequently would like to
communicate
Expert
Responsive
Professional
Eager for your involvement
Trustworthy
Caring
Friendly
Financially sound
These arent sufficient, but theyre a good start
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For instance.
www.redcross.org
Were an expert international relief organization
doing tangible, important work on the ground.
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For instance
www.wavehill.org
Its an amazingly beautiful place. We care a
whole lot about plants.
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For instance.
www.826NYC.com
Were a fun kind of tutoring. For kids.
Different. Possibly somewhat insane.
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For instance.
www.acthere.com
Were all about America. Its patriotic to get
involved.
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For instance
GIVE US MONEY! Cmon, dont you trust us?
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Speed Branding Part One

• Get together into groups
• Introduce yourselves
• I will hand out some homepage screenshots
• For your screenshot, quickly discuss
• What does the organization do?
• What would you say theyre really good at?
• What makes them different than other similar
  orgs?
• You have seven minutes!

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Influencing Your BrandThrough Your Website
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Branding Through Websites
And now to delve deeper into the website aspects
that influence your brand.
Statements
Graphic Design
Overall Site Feel
Prioritization
Information Functionality
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Branding Through Statements
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Statements
Simple, concise statements can be a very
effective way to communicate your message
www.groundspring.org
www.heifer.org
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Statements
Taglines the most useful thing that youre
(likely) not using
A tagline can gracefully appear on every page
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Statements
Its best not to take statements too far, however

Statements of more than simple facts can appear
insincere and sales-y
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Statements
The tone and voice of the text throughout your
site also affects how people perceive you
Got a question, query, or comment for Truth? Or
maybe you just want to tell us how super awesome
you think we are? Or aren't. Or whatever. Lay
it on us.
The Cancer Journal is devoted to experimental,
epidemiological and social investigations. The
editor gives priority to didactic publications
on biology for clinicians.
Instructional text on Contact Us page
www.thetruth.com
Text about how to submit an article
www.tribunes.com/tribune/cancer-j.htm
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Branding Through Information Functionality
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Information Functionality
Providing actual services on your website gives
evidence of your value in the most genuine of
ways
www.scorecard.org

Make sure your website contains useful
information and functionality
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For example
A clearinghouse of news and resources in your
field shows you as central in your field
www.positiveyouth.org
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For example
Whitepapers are tangible proof of your expertise
www.nrdc.org
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For example
Articles about your own services show the human
side and the breadth of what you do
www.redcross.org
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For example
Pictures and videos are worth a thousand words
www.wavehill.org
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For example
Searchable databases show the depth of your
knowledge and your commitment to making it
accessible
www.nyhumanities.org
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For example
Community tools blogs, message boards, etc
show the strength of your community and your
passion to get people involved
www.techsoup.org
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For example
Games or interactive pieces can communicate
sophisticated ideas in a fun and interesting way
www.tryscience.org
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Information Functionality
The sky is the limit
Wikis/ document sharing
Chat functionality
Interactive maps
Sell products
Online training
Financial calculators
Glossary of Terms
Guides to services
The idea is to offer value rather than just talk
about it
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Branding Through Prioritization
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Prioritization
There is invariably a lot of information in a
website
Prioritize to draw your visitors to the key pieces
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Prioritization
Choose only a few things to highlight on your
homepage
www.heifer.org
If everything is featured, nothing is emphasized
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Prioritization
The elements in your navigation summarize your
site and your priorities as an organization
Make sure they say what you want them to say
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Prioritization

• Use clear teasers to direct visitors to key
  parts of your site

www.peta.org
www.givingglobal.org
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Prioritization

• Carefully balance branding elements against links
  to desired actions (like donating) to ensure that
  both are noticeable

www.splcenter.org
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Branding Through Website Graphic Design
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Graphic Design
There are two key things that your graphic design
must do
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Graphic Design
Establish that you are professional and credible

Were low budget and unsophisticated
We know what were doing
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Graphic Design
And reassure your audience that the site is
intended for them
www.thetruth.com
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Graphic Design
An inappropriate graphic design can dramatically
impact your message
Not CESPs actual site
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Graphic Design
Graphic design themes can effectively reinforce
your message, but can look heavy-handed.
America
The environment
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Graphic Design
The colors, fonts, shapes, and overall image
projected by your graphic design strongly
influence your message
Choose your design and your designer carefully
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Putting It All TogetherOverall Site Feel
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Overall Feel
All the elements of your site in combination send
cues about your organiation.
Were artsy
Were detailed and practical
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Overall Feel
The key is to combine all the elements to present
a cohesive statement about your organization
Were a friendly, caring child care center in
your neighborhood.
We present innovative, cutting edge art.
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Overall Feel
Each piece sends a message make sure you know
what message it is
We want you to be able to serve yourself.
Were easy to reach.
Go away - dont bother us.
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Overall Feel
Your website should feel unique and highlight the
uniqueness of your organization
Your Website Here
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Speed Branding Part Two

• Back into your groups!
• Review what the organization intended the website
  to convey
• Discuss
• What is the website conveying well?
• How could it better communicate the desired
  message?
• How could statements, information, functionality,
  prioritization or graphic design work for the
  website?
• You have ten minutes!

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Questions?
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In Summary

• Your brand is what people think about you
• Use your website to influence it
• Your website should show the uniqueness and
  importance of your organization

Statements
Graphic Design
Overall Site Feel
Prioritization
Information Functionality
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Contact

• Laura S. Quinn
• laura_at_alderconsulting.com
• www.alderconsulting.com
• 718-208-8172