Elements of a Strong Brand
Does your brand inspire, illuminate, motivate, captivate, and resonate?
To be successful in marketing and fundraising, you must present a clear, consistent, and confident message. But unless you know who your institution is at its core and what its inherent strengths are, you can’t confidently and consistently share your brand. The first step is knowing your brand, and once you have clarity, you can begin to make it work harder for you. “But why bother?” you’re thinking. Because when your communications authentically and consistently represent YOU, you can feel confident that those both inside and outside your community understand your value and will share it generously.
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What is my brand and does it need strengthening? Your institution’s brand is much more than its name, logo, colors, or tagline. It is the promise you make about who your institution is, the mission it fulfills, and how it distinctly serves its community. The expression of your brand must be clear and consistent to be visible and have meaning. Variations confuse your market. It’s that simple. A weak brand expression has multiple identities. There may be no common way to articulate the institution. Staff, volunteers, participants, and board members may all talk about it in differing ways.
Elements of a Strong Brand
A weak brand lacks distinction. Community members may have difficulty defining the institution’s unique purpose or strengths. Those who speak about your institution need common messaging. They may use different words, but the core messages should be the same. Otherwise, the audience will hear a cacophony of sound, like an orchestra tuning up before playing a symphony. Each instrument may have a lovely tone, but instruments played together sound far better when the musicians are reading from a single score. You can test your brand to see if it needs strengthening by using the elements on the following pages.
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Consistent A clear brand message is consistent over time and expressed by different voices. It is consistent across different formats (think magazine versus website versus a live presentation in front of an audience). The brand message is the same—no matter who is speaking, who is writing, or who is designing the communication. Signage is consistent with a fundraising video, which is consistent with a board member’s conversation with a neighbor.
Elements of a Strong Brand
Authentic An authentic brand story is one that accurately reflects who your institution is at its core. It must be true to your mission, vision, and values. How you represent your institution must match how it is experienced. It’s all about alignment. If your institution is imaginative, whimsical, and values creativity above all else, then let your brand’s voice reflect, embrace, and celebrate that aesthetic.
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Memorable A memorable brand experience is distinctive. It’s true to your institution and your community can recall it easily. If you use a tagline, your phrase should be brief, carry meaning, and be easy to remember. Complex is hard to remember. Complex quickly becomes convoluted and even harder to recall. Keep it simple.
Elements of a Strong Brand
Robust A robust brand expression is sturdy, strong, and can incorporate a variety of components within it. Think of your branding as a suite of communications, with many pieces that fit neatly and comfortably together. Using a consistant brand voice and vision is what ties them together and fortifies their strength. Alternatively, a narrow brand expression is just that. It is overly focused on a single element of an organization and lacks the breadth necessary to be an umbrella over other components.
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Adaptable An adaptable brand experience is flexible. It can bend a bit without breaking. It’s not so rigid in its structure and voice that it is unable to take a new shape without falling apart. Sometimes that flexibility is seen when it is time to refresh or update how you express your brand. The fundamentals may still work, but perhaps some elements need to be made more current. An adaptable brand story can be reshaped for different audiences without losing its form.
Elements of a Strong Brand
Lasting Brands are lasting. Your brand is who you are at your core, and that doesn’t change. The way you express your brand can and should change over the life of your institution. But it should always reflect your core values in ways that are continually relevant. Brand articulation must have a timeless quality to it to be enduring. Like your institution, the articulation of your brand should not chase the latest fad or trend. Be current, yes, but not so of the moment that it is dated with the new season.
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Informed An informed brand expression comes from the people who know your institution well from within. How do they experience it? What do they love most about it? Where are its strengths and what has it done for them personally? When asked, most members of your community have an opinion on these questions. They can articulate your institution’s essence. It’s important to listen to them carefully when crafting your brand messages.
Elements of a Strong Brand
Stewarded Brand expression must have parameters. If it lacks borders, it becomes shapeless and risks becoming unrecognizable. A strong brand message is stewarded. It has an owner: someone whose job it is to mind the borders and make the judgment call about what is inside and what veers outside the lines. Don’t be afraid to steward the voice of your brand.
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When you know your brand—both from a verbal and visual perspective—it’s time to clarify its expression. That means evaluating all of your existing communications and keeping what works and discarding what doesn’t. But you can’t do it alone. It’s time to get everyone on board. Spread the word far and wide (and often) among your leadership, volunteers, staff, and anyone else who might communicate internally or externally about your institution. Good luck! Remember, a strong brand starts with knowing who your organization is and then sharing it clearly and consistently. A strong brand equals success in participation, engagement, and fundraising.
Leapfrog Group is an industry leader in communicating the brands of non-profits. Our strengths-based approach sets you apart in both admissions and advancement.
Need help strengthening your brand? Contact us. thinkleapfrog.com 215.704.6119 info@thinkleapfrog.com