{"id":11536,"date":"2020-10-07T18:14:09","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T22:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newpirdev.wpengine.com\/for-orgs\/learning-center\/resources\/building-your-brand\/"},"modified":"2024-06-28T01:03:23","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T05:03:23","slug":"building-your-brand","status":"publish","type":"learning-center","link":"https:\/\/pir.org\/for-orgs\/learning-center\/resources\/building-your-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Logo: Building Your Organization’s Brand"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Judy Song-Marshall, Chief Strategy Officer, PIR<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

This article is part 1 of an 8-part series called “Bootcamp for Mission-Driven Organizations”.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Think of some of the most familiar brands in your daily life. What do they have in common? Coca-Cola with its vivid red can and swirling logo creates a nostalgic, All-American feeling. Nike\u2019s ubiquitous swoosh and command to \u201cJust Do It\u201d exhorts you to run one more mile or climb one more hill. The pink ribbons of the <\/span>Susan G. Komen Foundation<\/a><\/strong> encourage you to support the search for a cure. The best brands don\u2019t simply offer eye-catching logos or pithy slogans. They make you feel something. They move you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to an <\/span>article<\/strong><\/span><\/a> by Nathalie Kylander and Christopher Stone in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, <\/span>www.ssir.org<\/a><\/strong>, \u201c<\/span>A brand is more than a visual identity: the name, logo, and graphic design used by an organization. A brand is a psychological construct held in the minds of all those aware of the branded product, person, organization, or movement.\u201d<\/span> In order for non-profits and good-for-the-world companies to inspire, engage, and drive donations, a solid branding strategy is essential.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is possible to build a recognizable and impactful non-profit brand. Think about <\/span>AARP<\/a>, UNICEF<\/a><\/strong> or the <\/span>World Wildlife Foundation<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, there may be internal challenges regarding time, energy, and resources on branding.\u00a0 Yet statistics show that building a solid and recognizable non-profit brand can have enormous pay offs.<\/span> The <\/span>Harvard Business Review<\/a><\/strong>, <\/span>www.hbr.org<\/a><\/strong>, noted an increasing number of high-profile non-profits have created\u00a0 brands that are worth billions of dollars. The work your organization puts into branding is well worth it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201c<\/span>In the for-profit world, marketing professionals talk of creating \u2018a total brand experience.\u2019\u00a0In the nonprofit world, executives talk more about their \u2018global identity\u2019 and the \u2018what and why\u2019 of their organizations. But the point in both cases is to take branding far beyond the logo,\u201d say Kylander and Stone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is not to say a good logo is unimportant. In fact, <\/span>a good logo can say everything without saying a word<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, so choose wisely. Think carefully about colors, typeface and images, and how they reflect your organization.<\/span> Vet the logo with trusted members of your board, team, and prospective audience, if possible. To land on the right one, and take your brand above and beyond it, it\u2019s important to first 1) clarify your mission and vision, 2) streamline your story, and 3) make it personal.<\/span><\/p>\n