on-the-GO! e-TA: Mid-January 2007 Edition

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Dear “Branding” Colleague,

Welcome to the New Year! In this issue of On-the-Go eTA, you will find a smattering of topics on branding for nonprofit initiatives as follows:

Defining and Building your brand

Branding on the web

Inside-out branding.

If you are having trouble reading this issue, click on the link at the top of this page to download a printable edition.

Do you have questions about branding and its relationship to your nonprofit initiative? Any other needs? Contact us through LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com. Access previous issues of On-the-Go eTA by clicking on the title at the right.

Defining Your Brand

As an individual, you personally project a brand. People use your brand as a tool to recognize who you are – your values, beliefs, what you say, how you interact with others, even how you dress. Branding is a recognition tool for small non-profit initiatives all the way up to mighty corporations.

Branding is what gets nonprofits noticed and stay noticed, which leads to more resources. Branding for nonprofit organizations is an extension of your mission and vision. It is your initiative’s very essence – the surroundings, how people are treated, how values and beliefs translate to tangibles in community. Just as corporations use their brands to inspire consumer loyalty, so does your brand engender trust by clients and donors that you do good work and are deserving of support.

Building Your Brand

There are distinct steps that you can take to build a brand, irrespective of the size of your project or organization.

Identify your target audience	The first, and most important, step in branding is to define whom you are serving. Defining your target audience gives you a “client-centered” approach to your project rather than a “program-centered” approach. Often your target audience will be defined by a combination of behavioral, social and demographic criteria.
Define your distinct “core identity”	Your “core identity” is the relationship between you and your target audience. Once you know your target audience, you can focus on how to respond to their needs. The form of your response usually defines your program (i.e. providing shelter for the homeless.) The outstanding response is necessary to differentiate your initiative from other non-profit initiatives (personal one-on-one attention vs. operationally efficient group services).
Craft your message	Ask yourself these questions; answer using short words or phrases: Who is our target audience? What needs are we meeting? How are we meeting these? What is distinct about the way we are meeting them? What benefit are we bringing to our target audience? What is the nature of the relationship that we want to cultivate with those we serve / or are asking for funding? Craft these words together and you will find the essence of your message.
Select a memorable image	A memorable image can consist of a logo and a tag line. Think of the logo as your flag and the tag line as your motto. The most important attribute of a logo or other memorable image used in message delivery will be that it make an emotional connection between the viewer and your project.

Branding on the Web

The functionality of your website communicates your initiative’s brand. Based upon a 2001 marketing study by the highly regarded consulting firm of Arthur Anderson, there are three features visitors consider most important when visiting or returning to a website which include:

Ease Of Use/Navigation: 74%
Fast Download Time: 65%
Regularly Updated Information: 58%

Click here for more detail on maximizing your online brand.

Inside-Out Branding

Your brand is the public perception of your work. How you help a public positively perceive your initiative is called branding. Branding from the outside-in includes public relations, catchy tag lines, clever images. Branding from the inside-out comes from within an organization and works its way out to the public perception.

Inside-out branding is what people within the organization (non-marketing types) do on a daily basis to reinforce your initiative’s brand. For instance; how is the phone answered? How does the work environment look, smell, etc.? Is it inviting? How are complaints responded to? Many feel that inside-out marketing is the most powerful source of branding

When inside-out doesn’t match outside-in marketing (publications, materials, press, etc.) the disconnect leads to organizational weakness.

For an extensive overview of the branding process for nonprofit organizations written by David Vinjamuri and published in the Journal for Nonprofit Management, 2004, contact LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com.

Let us know

Do you have questions about branding your program?

Contact us at LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com (LEADline is a service of Campaign Consultation, Inc., a national provider of training and technical assistance for the Corporation for National and Community Service.) We would be happy to answer questions or to give you more support.

Thank you for your interest in On-The-Go eTA. We encourage you to send this and other issues of OTG eTA to friends and colleagues who would benefit from the information. Also, if you’re on information-overload, you may request email removal. Otherwise OTG e-TA will be back soon with another edition.

IN THIS ISSUE:
click on titles below to read full articles

Defining Your Brand

Branding on The Web

Inside-Out Branding

Resources

Read Back Issues of
OTG e-TA

A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.

Jeff Bezos, founded
Amazon.com in 1994

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Facts for your fundraising volunteers to know

Volunteers follow your example. Model effective inside-out branding and you will produce effective volunteers.

Additional Learning Products & Services

LEADline

Online Courses

GIZMOs

The Chronicle of
Philantropy

Workshops & Clinics

Details from above:

Branding on the Web (cont.)

When writing for the web keep these considerations in mind:

Brand your Website with …

Ease of Navigation – 74%

Keep paragraphs to two or three sentences each. Since people skim text, make it easy for them and limit the number of paragraphs to three or four per web site page.
Present a table of contents on the first screen. Studies show that ninety percent (90%) of viewers do not scroll beyond the first screen and the table of contents makes it easy for them to link to more explanatory text.
Use Web colors. The browser-safe color palette allows viewers to see your page and images in the colors you intended. Stay away from patterned backgrounds. They can make it difficult to discern the text.
Make it easy for the viewer to get to any page from any page on the site. Include the ability to return to the home page at any time the viewer wishes.
Use "previous" and "next" page functionality to help viewers return to information they may want to review.
Place a navigation bar near the top or along the side.
Make certain your site can be found without searching. Your domain name should match the name of your organization.

Fast Download – 65%

Be content succinct. The more you have, the longer the site takes to download. Readers might not have patience and go on to some other site that is easier to download.
Keep images small. Large images annoy people if they take too long to download.
Keep the total page size down.

Regularly Updated Information – 58%

Stay current and track your audience’s interests through surveys, contests, etc. Use existing publications and reserve space to request information on the website.
Make staff contact information available. Have up-to-date names and phone numbers, email addresses and mailing addresses so that people can get in touch with you easily.
Keep links current. Check your links often to make sure they still connect.
Put your site in the spotlight. Submit it to as many search engines as you can.
Wherever relevant, mention your site, in newsletters, newsgroups, chat-rooms, email, in conversations and in public presentations, etc.

Invite people to donate. If you are unable just yet to provide the viewer with a mechanism to donate online, include your ask with a way to contact your initiative for more information or a call-back.

Resources

National ASK (Awareness, Skills, Knowledge) to Sustain Institute, sponsored by Corporation for National and Community Service, provided by Campaign Consultation, Inc. 1998, 2002

Resources Now! National Institute, sponsored by Corporation for National and Community Service, provided by Campaign Consultation, Inc. 2006.

Support Center for Nonprofit Management at http://www.supportctr.org

Learning Products and Services

LEADline:
(Learning Experiences At a Distance) LEADline is designed to give information fast. Have a resource & fund development question? Use LEADline and within 24 hours you will receive response and advice from a fundraising professional.

Contact us
LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com

GIZMOs:
(Giving Information for Zooming Money Objectives) Gizmos are resource and fund development tools for you and your volunteers. They are tangible products in packets, pocket brochures, CD-Roms, games, etc. They feature a myriad of fundraising topics such as The Power of Direct Mail, an interactive cd-rom and detailed companion booklet on developing your direct mail program.

To order, contact us through
LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com
or call 410.243.7979
or toll free at 1.877.243.2253

For more information:

Download
Gizmo Presentation

Download
Order Form

The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
Everyone who comes to a Resources Now! National Institute gets a free subscription to the Chronicle for a year. Participants in CNCS Campaign Consultation workshops receive the latest issue free of charge plus a $20 discount on one year’s subscription.

Workshops/Clinics:
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), through its T/TA service provider Campaign Consultation, Inc., offers a three-hour clinic for those interested in mastering key skills need to write for individual donors.

Online Courses/Webinars:
Web course delivery of topics pertinent to resource development such as — Build Fundraising Volunteer Champions and Cause Related Marketing and Corporate Partnerships.

Available through the Resource Center, Click Here

Tell Us!

Let us know by contacting us through LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com

Read Back Issues of OTG e-TA