Branding For Nonprofits

Today, I woke up and ate a bowl of frosted flakes (Tony the Tiger). Next I took a shower and scrubbed my head with dove shampoo (White Dove), and as I drove to work in my Ford F150 (Built Ford Tough), I thought about the meeting I had coming up at subway (Jared) for Lunch.

It seems to me that these companies have a direct influence in my life and they have also built a strong Brand Name, or influence in other peoples lives as well. Branding is not something new to the corporate world, but to the not-for-profits, branding has yet to be implemented as part of major marketing plans.

Brand, what is a Brand? The term originated in the days of the Cowboys and the Wild West. A Brand or an iron rod shaped into a recognizable image was used to mark cattle. The Cowboys would heat up the rod until it was red hot and literally burn the shape into the cow’s hide. Now, that cow was forever known as branded, marked, or identifiable. If a cow was to wonder astray or become mixed in with the other cows, the Cowboy could easily spot his cow and separate out the rest.

This concept applies in the same way to not-for-profit branding. Who are your company’s cows? How can you mark the people who should be reached by your organization? Which clients, donors, or volunteers do you mark and claim as yours?

Every time your organization is able to brand the correct cows, then your advertising dollars are more effectively spent, it is easier to target you market (because you know your customers are the ones with the brand), and your organization has the ability to reach more people and influence more lives.

Herman in his book The Jossey-Bass Handbook if Nonprofit Leadership & Management states marketing for nonprofits unlike the private sector marketing, which defines the market solely in terms of customer, is always focused on two major constituencies, namely, the resource provision market (volunteers, donors, funders, government grantors) and the resource allocation market (clients, patients, students, legislators, general public).

Further more he goes on to say, a brand will embody a set of organization or program characteristics that the market believes will be delivered consistently…. It can position and organization, builds trust, raise an organization’s profile, and provide insulation from competition.

4 easy steps to remember when branding:

The 4 R’s of branding
Recognize – how your organization is positioned in the marketplace
Remember- your brand is your company’s image
Remind- markets of your brand
Reevaluate- how your brand fits into the marketplace