FIVE STEPS TO UNIQUELY REBRAND YOUR NON-PROFIT

Perhaps your organization has been around for some years and you feel that your mission needs to be refreshed. Or maybe your market doesn’t have a firm grasp on your purpose. Even worse—memberships and donations may have been declining over recent years.

All of these could be signs that your nonprofit organization needs to hit the pause button and do some self-analysis as a precursor to presenting yourself in a new way.

But before you commit to the rebranding process, here are five steps to consider to best guide the process and make it more effective:

Step One: Time to Rebrand When Change Is in the Air.

There are three key questions that should prompt your organization that rebranding should be a consideration.

·        Has your organization or mission evolved in recent years?

·        Does the old brand feel inaccurate or outdated?

·        Has there been a recent leadership change or a change in organizational focus?

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, a rebrand may be what your organization needs.

Step Two: Do Some “Soul Searching” Before Rebranding.

The goal is to discover your authentic brand. The process begins by surveying key stakeholders to get answers to some key questions:

·        How would they describe the organizations purpose and values?

·        How and why did they become interested in your nonprofit?

·        If the surveyed person could only communicate one message about your organization, what would it be?

Step Three: Differentiate Your Nonprofit from the Competition.

The goal is to stand out from the crowd of those other organizations that have a similar mission to your own. Unless you run an organization that is truly unique and has no direct competition, you need to study and understand the competition.

·        Are you effectively distinguishing yourself in the nonprofit landscape?

·        How does your organization compare to the competition in terms of earned media coverage, charitable donations, web traffic and name recognition?

·        Once you understand your place in this landscape, then you can develop a competitive brand strategy around your authentic identity.

Step Four: Your Brand Is Much More Than Your Logo.

Of course your logo is an important symbol of your nonprofit and your messaging is an expression of your identity. But by themselves, neither one is your brand.

In essence, your brand is what your market and stakeholders think of you when they see your logo or messaging. More formally, the dictionary defines a brand as:

… an overall experience of a customer that distinguishes an organization or product from its rivals in the eyes of the customer.

Even more so, a brand is really about everything you do internally and externally. The goal is to create a positive sense about your organization in your donors and market. You need to tell them why they should support you.

Step Five: There’s a Standard for Rebranding Success.

The success of the rebranding process can be measured with a simple yardstick. When your brand aligns with your organization’s vision and does so in a positive way, then you have successfully rebranded.

The Effective Brand Lives and Breathes in Your Organization.

A truly successful brand not only captures and speaks to your organizational mission, but it is reflected in and embodied by your employees and cultural environment every day.

Each and every person in your nonprofit lives it, personifies it and communicates your mission-driven brand to your stakeholders and markets. 

Rebranding Is a Mixed Art

Rebranding is part psychology, part art with a little science thrown in. When you are able to combine the essence of the organization’s identity with meeting the market’s needs, then you have the winning combination. 

C. Rick Jourdan

President, Jourdan Marketing Consultants 

Read my Middle Brain Marketing blog about marketing topics relevant to a variety of industries.