Branding byby ANDREA NADDAFF

Andrea Naddaff is apartner and vice president

of new business developmentatWatertown, Mass., USA-based

Corey McPhefson Nash,an integrated branding and

design firm with a rich historyin higher edncalion

marketing and branding.She can be reached atanaddaff@carey.com.

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s budgets tighfen andcompetition for philanthropicdollars increases, raisingawareness and visibiiity aremore important, and morechallenging, than ever. Tomeet these demands,

branding has emerged as an essential tool for thenonprofit organization.

An equation of both the physical (name,tagline, logo, color) and the mental (attributes,personality), brandmg must extend across allcustomer/audience touch points. When the publichears about the organization in the news, sees anadvertisement, goes to the foundation's web siteor notes that it is a cosponsor of an event, it expectsa message consistent with the overall brand.

When thinkmg about branding in the nonprofitworld, it's the "visual," the "feeling" and the"remembrance" of an organization that areimportant. For nonprofits, these factors influencethe look of the organization (What do peoplevisualize when they think about breast cancer?The pink ribbon); the appeal of the cause (Whatare the organization's core messages? Who does itsupport?); and the reputation of the organization(Does it live the brand?).

A solid brand image and brand experiencestrengthen an organization both internally, from avolunteer and donor perspective, and externally.Good branding should translate into good design,because, often, it's the organization's logo, brochureor web site that are noticed and remembered,

THE IMPACT OF GOOD DESIGNIn today's global marketplace, customers expectbest-of-breed design and services. But as

I l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l Illlllllll« Good design in branding can and should thrive,

as long as it comhines serious business practiceswith innovation and vision—and,

most importantly, is continually seekingto meet the needs of the end user. »

Can Fight fononprofits everywhere feel the pain of decliningdonations from mdividuals and corporations,design for the sake of design can't be tolerated.Good design in branding can and should thrive, aslong as it combines serious business practiceswith innovation and vision—and, mostimportantly, is continually seeking to meet theneeds of the end user.

Savvy nonprofit organizations are combininginnovation in design with seriousness about theirmission. For tbe near term, nonprofits are hopingthat the money and time put into branding anddesign will increase donations and attention,helping to move their particular cause forward.The fear is that if they do nothing, they're takingan even bigger risk of losing mindshare in acompetitive marketplace.

Good design, whether it's manifest in anintuitive web site or an effective mailer, enhancesthe customer experience and serves as anextension of the nonprofifs overall brand. Baddesign, however unintentional, can seriouslyundermine a brand promise and in the worst-casescenario result in lost donors.

Organizations both large and small have useddesign, as an extension of good branding, to helpincrease awareness of their groups and fheir causedonations.

VISUAL IDENTITY VITAL FOR NONPROFITSLogos are often the most visual, most used andmost recognized form of branding, followed by acompany's taglme. Creating a design thatencompasses the look, feel and reputation of anorganization is hard to do, especially since thelogo needs to transcend paper and have anInternet presence.

Because everyone everywhere has access to alltypes of charitable organizations, logo design iscrucial when trying to break through the clutterof other nonprofits fighting for the same airtimeand donations.

Habitat for Humanity International is anonprofit, nondenominational Christianorganization, building houses in more than 92countries. Playing off the organization's mission toinvite people of all backgrounds, races andreligions to build houses together in partnershipwith families in need, the organization's logodepicts two people holding hands to form a house.This strong visual directly correlates with Habitat

DesignDollars With a Strong Visual Prese

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NPROFITS: THE FIVE P'sNonprofit organizations require a much

softer sales touch than their business world

counterparts, and finding that right approach

can make branding difficult. When pulling

together any branding campaign, whether for

profit or nonprofit purposes, there are five Ps

to keep in mind: positron, promise,

permission, personality and permanence.

> POSITION. An organization's position

refers to what is unique about it. What does

your specific charity offer that is different?

Are you focused on a specific cause like

Children International, which gives desperate

children hope for a brighter future?

> PROMISE. Communicate the benefits and

true attributes of an organization. For instance,

the Red Cross is the global leader in human

aid, as spelled out in the tagline, "Together,

we can save a life." This is the brand promise.

> PERMISSION. Permission refers to the

do's and don'ts of an organization. For

instance, a hospital's brand should not have

a harsh or aggressive tone. Instead, it should

display warmth, sympathy and hospitality.

> PERSONALITY. What is the voice and

attitude of the organization? If your charity

provides food and shelter for children, your

branding should nurture and reflect

warmth.

> PERMANENCE. Permanence speaks to the

enduring qualities of the brand. In the case

of Habitat for Humanity, after hardship is

relieved and homes are built, what is the

long-standing quality of the organization?

What driving cause will always be there and

remain unchanged?

Illllllfor Humanity's mission and nonprofit goals. Thelogo depicts warmth, courage and togetherness-core values of the organization.

Habitat forHumanity®

The city of Concord. Mass., USA, is rich inhistorical association and is renowned as the siteof the battle that began the American Revolution.The Concord Museum serves as a gateway for allgenerations to explore the roots of Americanhistory. The most significant piece in themuseum's collection is the lantern made famous

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by Paul Revere in his ride to warn colonists of thecoming British invasion.

To draw visitors, the museum sought a logodesign that would harness its rich Americanhistory. Using design to emphasize its brand, themuseum decided to play off Paul Revere's lantern.The museum's literature, web site (www.concordmuseum.org) and stationery incorporate a visualplay on the Concord Museum's initials and anelegant, yet modern, rendering of the lantern. The

CONCORDM U S E U M

logo, combined with a classical typeface, speaksto the museum's historical and contemporary works.

A cheerful sun logo against a bright blue skygreets visitors to the UK-based Help the Aged website. The organization says it is committed toaddressing the issues that matter to older peopleand posts five main priorities; combating poverty.

reducing isolation, defeating ageism, challengingpoor care standards and building understandingthrough research into aging. Help the Aged'ssunny logo provides a sense of warmth andhospitality—values essential to its brand.

THE TEST OF TIMEOrganizational branding requires tracking closelywith changing times and trends. Here are just afew examples of organizations that have created

brands and kept them "in tune" with their missionand overarching messages.

The Red Cross is a global organization that hasieveraged the art of branding and design. Committedto saving lives and easing suffering, this diverseorganization serves humanity by providing relief tovictims of disaster, both locally and globally.

The international symbol of the red cross—fivered, equal-sized squares—is recognized bymillions of people worldwide. The symbol is the

AmericanRed Cross

creverse of the Swiss flag, as the movement wasfounded by Swiss businessman Henry Dunant.Although the red cross is not a religious symbol,m some Islamic countries a red crescent is usedinstead. And the MagenDavid Adom, or Red Shieldof David, is used in Israel.

Another symbol thatquickly gained recognitionaround the world is the redribbon of The Joint UnitedNations Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS. Thisgroup is the main advocate for global action onthe epidemic, and it has taken steps to establish along-lasting brand,

Britain's Prince of Wales founded The Prince'sTrust in 1976, After completing his duty in theRoyal Navy, His Royal Highness became dedicatedto improving the lives of disadvantaged young

WJoint Uniled Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

UNAIDSUNHCR-UNICEF-WFP-UMDP'UNFPAUNODC-ILO-UNESCO-WHO'WORLD BANK

people in the UK, and founded The Prince's Trustto deliver on that commitment. Over time, it hasbecome the UK's leading youth charity, offering arange of opportunities including training, personaldevelopment, business start-up support,mentoring and advice. Playing off its founder'sroyalty, this organization embraced a crown imagefor Its branding that is synonymous with qualityand the highest ideals.

FULL STRENGTH ON THE WEBThe Internet has allowed nonprofit organizationsto have global reach. No longer are donors andvolunteers limited to the boundaries of their stateor country. The Internet enables those interestedin a cause to seek out charitable businesses thatare close to their hearts. This "no-borders"environment is wonderful for increasing awarenessand donors, but can be challenging when trying tomaintain a brand.

An organization's online presence needs tocomplement its offline presence. Web site visitorsshould be able to relate to and feel the strength ofthe organization. They need to be able to sensethe warmth, the community and the dedication tothe cause. Aligning branding and design in thisenvironment is crucial for long-term brand identity.

One organization that has leveraged the web toenhance its communication with donors,volunteers and the public is Oxfam America, Thenonprofit is dedicated to finding long-termsolutions to poverty, hunger and social injusticearound the world.

Oxfam America uses good design on its website to promote its brand, increase awareness ofthe group's mission, assist with fundraising goalsand build a platform to support theorganization's growing online community, A mixof professional and amateur photography fromfield sites is used to illustrate the power ofOxfam America's programs in action. The website also leverages Oxfam America's traditionaloffline brand, including the organization's logo,color palette and typeface, providing visitors withthe same continuity and brand recognition onlineas they see in print,

BRANDING FOR LIFEWhether regional or global in scope, a nonprofitorganization's calling card depends on goodbranding. Successful branding marries the missionof an organization with strong design to ensure it'snoticed and remembered, breaking through theclutter of a competitive marketplace. By reflectingthe elements at the core of an organization, brandingcan help create a sense of community, an urgencyto give and a lifeline for continuous giving.

For U.S.-based nonprofits, creative brandingmay be easier to achieve because many areindependently managed. In other countries, wheregovernments manage most nonprofits, brandingcan still play a critical role in viability. The endgame is always about bringing in more volunteers,donors and resources, and thoughtful brandingcan help nonprofits succeed, BI!)

NONPROFITBRANDINGRESOURCESREADING

> "The Worldwide Fundraiser's

Handbook: The Resource

Mobilisation Guide for NGOs and

Community Organisations" by

Michael Norton in association with

The Resource Alliance, 2003. .̂

(www.resource-alliance.org}

> "Destining Brand Identity:.

A Complete Guide to Creatin

Building, and Maintaining

Strong Brands" by Alina

R. Wheeler, Wiley, 2003.

> "United We Brand" by

Mike Moser, Harvard Businea

Press, 2003.

> The Nonprofit Times, the

leading business publication

for nonprofit management

(www.nptimes.com). ;

ORGANIZATIONS

> Paving Pathways

(www. pa vi ngpath ways.oi^)

> Abbey Solutions (UK) Ltd.

(www.abbeysolutions.co.uk)

> Alliance for Women's Equality

(www. womenseq ua I ity.org)

mill« An organization'sonline presence needsto compliment itsoffline presence. Web sitevisitors should be ableto relate to and feelthe strength ofthe organization.»