By Lea Goodsell
What is branding? The word is used a lot, but what does it really mean? My definition of it is every touchpoint somebody has with your name, logo, or organization or individuals who work or volunteer for you. In order words, just about everything about you contributed to your branding.
First, your logo. Does it look up-to-date? Is it easy to read if it’s just by itself? Does it stay what your organization is about? If not, consider updating it and/or adding a tagline underneath that goes with it all the time. Acme Foundation (logo) Working to end boring workplaces. Or whatever.
Are your invitations, brochures, newsletters, social media posts and signage always totally free from grammatical and spelling errors? Do they look professionally done?
Next – your organization. How is it portrayed in the community? What is your general reputation? Does the public know what you do? Does the media? How often are you doing things worthy of coverage by the media, or how well are you putting out your stories on social media? Awareness leads to positive perceptions, which leads to engagement, which leads to donations and strategic alliances. You are responsible for sharing information in the community, and creating stories for the media that are worthy of being shared and compelling. Stay tuned to national events and when something happens that is related to your organization, offer information.
Next – your people. How is the phone answered? Don’t make navigating your system hard. If you have limited office hours, consider an answering service that can email or text you with messages, as the next best option. If people have to be placed on hold, are there some messages they can listen to that will educate them a bit about what you do? Are your folks friendly? If people visit your offices, are they warm and inviting? Is a stranger greeted and offered coffee or water? Consider your own experiences in different places. People quickly pick up on a “vibe” whether it’s good or bad. Make sure yours is positive. You should always pretend you’re in retail and selling something – because you are! You’re selling a cause.
How do people appear? Can your non-profit afford custom polos for employees and volunteers for when they are out representing your organization? Do they look professional? Do they look like people I want to trust my donation dollars to?
If you have branded vehicles, are they always clean. Do you work hard to drive with extra courtesy? If you cut someone off in a branded vehicle, you’re not the jerk – everyone at your organization are jerks because for that person at that time – you might be their whole experience with your organization to that point.
Try to see yourself objectively through the eyes of others and make changes accordingly. All the small things really do add up.
