Your Brand is an Invitation
Published May 12, 2009 @ 07:22AM PT
Fake Brands in Nanjing China (via Flickr)
The social sector sucks at branding.
In much of the nonprofit sector, the concept of "brand" has been poisoned by anti-globalization advocates who conflate conspicuous consumption, reckless and exploitative business behavior, and lemming like devotion to particular brand identities with the idea of brand itself. While much of this "No Logo" style critique is vital, what's always frustrated me is the misdiagnosis of branding (rather than the exploitation of brand power) as the problem. Brand-washing - where a brand is used to cover up nastiness behind it is a problem; brand itself is an opportunity. And as we write away branding as ancillary to the mission rather than the core means of building a community of believers, we lose that opportunity.
A brand is about more than the logo. Brand is about how to distill complex concepts into associational chunks, and share with the world in the simplest terms the core of what we care about. Your organization's brand is its DNA, a combination of description and inspiration that helps people identify your company or nonprofit as a fellow traveler.
The social sector should totally kick ass at branding.
The social sector has an incredible story to tell. In some way or form, every organization is imbued with a passion for a more equitable, just world. Every organization has programmed into its core the idea that the world can be a better place, and that problems created by people can also be fixed by people.
We live in a moment where people want that message. We want to believe in ourselves, and moreover, we want to believe in a more complex conception of ourselves. Big box brands and botique brands aren't going away, but in a world of such turmoil and instability, brands that make us feel anchored in values and connected to something bigger than ourselves are immensely important, and have the potential to keep the flame of entrepreneurship and justice alive in tough times.
It's right to recognize that brands cannot in themselves create quality. But they can create a pathway for new people to be inspired by and contribute to quality, and it's worth carving out just a little bit more time and space in our organizations for translating the values we hold and the impact we make into a brand that invites new people to be a part of changing the world.
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Comments (4)
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Author
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Nathaniel is the founding Director of the Center for Global Engagement at Northwestern University, which works annually with hundreds of students in dozens of countries around the world through curricular programs and student project incubation.
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Ah, loaded words and concepts...what about, "Mission Archetyping" would that be more appealing? Hehe.
Posted by Damian Tapia on 05/12/2009 @ 12:26PM PT
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I don't know if it's been poisoned as a concept as much as an issue of access. Nonprofits simply do not have access to the marketing resources most companies take for granted. Having even a marketing professional, much less a marketing department at a nonprofit, is an extreme luxury. I think the problem is nonprofits are pressured to spend all their money on programs, especially with this economy, and simply do not have the bandwidth for internal capacity building projects like marketing development. Hiring someone to direct marketing for the organization...or even someone to come up with a strategic plan...is simply not feasible for most. Do you know how many nonprofits operate without a strategic plan? Making decisions off gut instincts rather than data simply because there's just not enough bandwidth to do otherwise. If you're choosing between closing down a program versus not investing in marketing, what choice would you make? Again, I really don't think this is a problem of nonprofits thinking it's "bad" to develop their brand--it's a lack of access more than anything.
Posted by Miriam Young on 05/13/2009 @ 10:21PM PT
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Social networking is key to 'branding'. Try bringing the public into the dialogue regarding the issues the organization is working on. Not just experts but the general public. Invite them to come to a public deliberation discussion. By framing the issue of an organizations' options regarding branding, public relations, marketing, etc., perhaps a strategic plan could be developed.
Posted by Carolene Endersby on 05/14/2009 @ 07:25PM PT
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You make a good point, as does Miriam re: lack of strategic planning. But successful social enterprises and successful social entrepreneurs must adhere to solid business practices in order to generate money to fulfill the mission. No money, no mission. Just like any entrepreneur (social or not), the issues of capacity, capital and solid planning must be figured out BEFORE you launch. The shame is that even most regular business folks haven't figured that stuff out either.
Posted by Tea Silvestre on 06/08/2009 @ 05:15AM PT
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