What's In a Name Why Branding is Important for Your Nonprofit'

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What's In a Name? Why Branding is
Important for Your Nonprofit.

• Presented by NorthSky Nonprofit Network
• December 2007

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Workshop Objectives

• Gain an understanding of branding and why its
  important
• Discuss how to develop your brand promise
• Identify the role of the nonprofit team
  customer service in branding
• Communicating your brand message
• Identify three good ideas for branding your
  program

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Test your brand IQ

• A brand is
• __ Logo __ Product
• __ Name __ Promise
• The price premium that strong brands command
• __ None __ Less than 5__ Greater than 7
• Where successful branding starts
• ___ Marketing dept ___ Ad agency
• ___ Board of Directors ___ Nonprofit staff

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Test your brand IQ

• The most effective vehicle for promoting your
  brand
• ___ Advertising ___ Public Relations
• ___ Employees ___ Customers
• The best time to build your brand
• ___ Recession ___ Economic Boom
• Branding increases the cost of marketing
• ____ True
• ____ False

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Why is branding important for nonprofit
organizations?

• A product is made in a factory, but a brand is
  made in your head and heart.
• -- Darryl Travis

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Why is branding important?

• Guides strategic decisions
• Provides a value proposition and strengthens
  sales and marketing efforts
• Generates word-of-mouth referrals
• Ensures that all print materials, physical
  elements, programs, and customer interactions
  reinforce a desired image and work together

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Brand breakthroughs

• Wont come from marketing alone
• Are created through superior customer experiences
  
• Require delivery on promises

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Let me tell you a story

• One of your board members is catching a plane

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Can you name the brand?

• Provides a consistent customer experience from
  location to location
• Touches multiple senses smell, taste, sound,
  sight
• Viewed by customers as high quality and worth the
  expense
• Creates an experience rather than simply
  delivering a product

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Can you name the brand?
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Familiar brands
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So, what is a brand?

• It is our promise!
• A promise to deliver.
• A promise we can keep.

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Economic progressions

• Manufacturing
• Service
• Experiential
• Transformational

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Brand position

• Based on things that matter to the customer
• Based on real strengths
• Reflect a competitive advantage
• Communicable

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Great brands are great personalities. Lets talk
about my Honda.
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Does this sound like a nonprofit you know? Hint
its not NorthSky.

• Relationship oriented
• Helpful
• Approachable
• High standards
• Enthusiastic/ passionate
• Visionary/ innovative

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We manage our brand in all that we do
Brand Name
Logo/ Graphic System
Marketing Communications
Brand Position/ Brand Personality
Selling Strategies
Website
Product/service Performance
Community Relations
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The NorthSky Brand

• Responsive, affordable
• User-friendly
• Comprehensive, state-of-the-art
• Sophisticated, able to deal with complex issues
• Proactive advocate for nonprofits
• An innovator
• A partner

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How does your organization manageits brand?

• Programs services
• Service delivery
• Messages/ materials
• Relationships
• Anything else?
• Any room for improvement?

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Without a strong brand

• Must compete on program features and price
• Creates short term advantage and high development
  costs
• Expensive!

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Understanding your brands

• Position-what you want people to believeyour
  value proposition
• Equity-the set of assets and liabilities linked
  to a name that adds or subtracts to the value
  provided by a product or service

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Branding is more than an advertising program.

• Program/ service content and performance
• Demonstrated results and outcomes
• Customer service, follow through, and
  interactions
• Professional image and communication skills of
  the entire team
• Polished materials
• Consistent messages
• Cleanliness and attractiveness of physical
  facilities

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Branding is everyones responsibility

• From the receptionist answering the phone
• To the service provider working with your clients
• To the biller providing an invoice

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What makes your program unique?

• What are your competitive strengths and
  weaknesses?
• How does your customer view you?
• What are your competitors strengths and
  weaknesses?
• Is there a need in your community that only your
  organization can meet?
• What can your organization uniquely deliver?

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Worksheet 1 Identify your unique brand position

• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your
  rehab program
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your
  competitors
• What do your customers need from you?
• What brand position can you uniquely deliver?

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Branding from the inside out the role of the
nonprofit team in branding

• The first impression of the program
• Reinforcing delivering on the promise
• Program ambassadors

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Communicating your unique brand personality

• Key messages
• Logo
• Taglines
• Sales materials
• Direct mail
• Advertising
• Website

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Selling against your competition

• Two programs cant own the same brand position in
  a prospects mind
• A strong brand is a strong defense against low
  price competitors

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Worksheet 2 Develop a 200-word elevator message
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Worksheet 3 The branding checklist

• ____ Programs Services
• ___ Menu of offerings
• ___ Performance
• ____ Team
• ___ Physical appearance
• ___ Communication
• ____ Customer service
• ___ Operating hours
• ___ Phone
• ___ Reception
• ___ Scheduling

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The branding checklist

• ____ Physical plant
• ___ Cleanliness/ appearance
• ___ Equipment
• ___ Signage
• _____ Marketing materials
• ___ Messages
• ___ Logo
• ___ Tagline
• ____ Advertising
• ____ Website

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Worksheet 4 Pulling it all together Your
branding program

• Research
• Identify your desired brand position
• Attainable
• Unique
• Credible
• Educate/involve your team

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Pulling it all togetherYour branding program

• 3. Develop 200 word message
• 4. Work through the branding checklist
• Programs services
• Customer service
• Physical plant
• Materials
• Advertising
• Website

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The future

• The importance of branding will increase as
  resources continue to tighten up.
• - Increased competition for donors.
• - Increased need for volunteers.
• - Competition for nonprofit experts-
  fundraising, finance, information systems.

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And finally

• Branding takes time, consistency, and discipline

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Your questions
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Thank You!

• Connecting Northern Michigan nonprofits with new
  ideas, resources, and each other.
• www.northskynonprofitnetwork.org
• 231.929.3934