Brand Love: Personality, Positioning & Polish
There’s much to be said for the examined organization: transparency, new efficiencies, honest awareness of practice, purpose and clearly articulated goals for all. Brands as well as organizations evolve over time and should be revisited and re-calibrated. A brand, or an organization that standstills, becomes obsolete. Organizations can communicate their values visually. This presents a wonderful opportunity. For me, the three hallmarks of a successful nonprofit brand are personality, positioning and polish.
The Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research does not lack any of these three P’s. Dr. Love, and the organization she founded, challenges the status quo to end breast cancer. The Foundation drives progress by being fast, flexible and project-based. But nothing about the Foundation is demure, soft or pink. The brand personality is blazing hot pink, red to some. The brand is progressive, dynamic, and inclusive. It is not just for women, the group disproportionately affected by breast cancer, but also men, transgender individuals and those that identify as non-binary.
The Foundation is on the cutting edge of science and, ideally located in Los Angeles, it helps keep the fight to end breast cancer a cultural priority. As for polish, do it perfectly, or not at all. In correspondence and events, be consistently impeccable. The details speak volumes about style. Recently, the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research changed logo font. Why? Because before, the Foundation was using a script font on branded materials. It was not clear. And if the reader not a native English language speaker, it would be difficult to discern. If the reader had vision issues, they would be out of luck as well. The international, contemporary and larger font that the Foundation has now adopted communicates accessibility and inclusion.
And all of this is just the beginning! The Foundation brand will continue to advance. Not just the visual identity, but also the content. I am excited about what is to come.