Here at BMGcreative and the Good News, we get to work with many non profit organizations. When it comes to branding and marketing for non profit organizations, what we have found is that the majority of the successful non profits follow these basic five branding principles:
1. One Word – Own a particular word in the minds of your target audience which makes your organization stand apart from all others. This word needs to be simple, clear and memorable. A good example of this is the RED campaign that fights against AIDS.
2. Focus, Focus, Focus – The influence of a strong brand is directly related to its breadth of opportunity. As an organization, identify the one thing you excel in – more so than any other organization, and focus your brand and efforts on that particular value proposition. A leader in this area is Habitat for Humanity; known for excelling in community development and providing home ownership opportunities.
3. Leadership – Successful non profit organizations are truly thought to be leaders in their particular sect of business. Think of ways that your organization can develop a unique approach or provide a type of service that no other organization provides. Create a category in your industry, a niche, which your organization can uniquely claim leadership in.
4. Authenticity – Step back and evaluate your brand. Does it sincerely reflect what you stand for as an organization? Is your brand and marketing efforts relevant to the community you serve? For any non profit organization, authenticity is the proof in the pudding.
5. Consistency – As time goes by, trends will always come and go. But strong brands should remain the same. A brand cannot resonate and be memorable in the mind of your audience if it keeps changing. Your brand and marketing needs to be communicated consistently and clearly over time. Think of the American Red Cross – the brand is recognized around the world because it has always remained the same.
If you are working on marketing for non profit organizations, what techniques and methods are you using to instill trust, confidence and to make your brand memorable to your target audience?