Its a New Year. Do You Need to Rebrand?
2017 is here! Anyone who is a leader of a medium-size nonprofit knows that 2018 is right around the corner. But what are you doing with this time? The nonprofit sector contributed an estimated $905.9 billion to the US economy in 2013. That’s pretty awesome and shows that you are a very important piece of the American civic and philanthropic landscape.
But right now, staying the course for you is not cutting it. It is time to think and act different. According to The National Council of Nonprofits, there are 100, 439 nonprofits in New York State, 67,030 in Pennsylvania and 32,815 in Maryland. These numbers amount to serious competition for attention. I have worked in the nonprofit sector all of my professional design career. This has given me insight as a brand consultant and graphic designer. I can help you assess how others perceive you and move you towards your Unique Value Proposition (UVP). It starts with thinking about the 5 basic questions below. If you are the adventurous type, feel free to skip to the bottom and click the rebranding survey link. Otherwise, read through this info to learn about rebranding.
Question #1: Has your nonprofit outgrown its mission?
Nonprofits often begin with a lot of energy and excitement. A dream is laid out and a clear focused mission is put in place. Over the years as you grow, your nonprofit becomes more complex. Innovations in society may provide new advantages that allow you to compete at a higher level. However, mission creep happens and you slowly fall out of step with your mission. You recognize that the change was good but that you need to rethink who you are becoming. Is your logo, messaging and/or marketing undermining who you have become? Check out this rebranding case study of a client who outgrew their original mission and needed to rebrand.
Question #2: Does your logo look outdated?
In the age of social media, logos are now being cross examined in the court of public opinion by anyone and everyone. Your logo is being evaluated against some of the best out there: Apple, Target, IKEA, etc. Although the public’s understanding of logo design may be low, they know what they like. Using a logo that appears like a left-over from a past era can create negative perceptions about you. Are you using a font that looks like it is from the 1950s or does your logo look too much like an illustration? Vintage elements in a logo can work but they must carefully fit with your overall look. If your logo is forgettable, you are in trouble. Memorable logos encourage loyalty and trust. Check out this rebranding case study of a nonprofit’s old logo and the new logo we designed for them.
Question #3: Do you need to differentiate yourself from your competitors?
This is always a difficult question because so much of what you do is important. It’s not always about flash. But it is about WHAT you offer (features) and HOW will it help your target audience (benefits). I rebranded a medium-size nonprofit that seeks to be a pioneer and thought leader in addiction recovery for women. One of the ways we demonstrated this was by creating an infographic that shows the problem (addiction), what the client knows (knowledge) and how this helps women (features/benefits). We also made sure that research sources are listed to give added credibility. The features that most nonprofits use to stand out are Added Value, Convenience, Trust and Ethics. The benefits connected to those features are:
- This makes me feel [fill in the blank] (Added Value)
- I can easily get this [fill in the blank] (Convenience)
- I am confident that they know how to [fill in the blank] (Trust)
- I am doing the right thing when I they ask me to [fill in the blank] (Ethics)
Question #4: Has there been a paradigm shift in the market you serve?
Sometimes nonprofits get caught like a deer caught in the headlights. Social, cultural, economic and technological changes can and has disrupted markets. These things can even force you to re-evaluate your mission. Anticipating paradigm shifts is hard although some are able to do it. But the easier route is to be adaptable: repositioning yourself within the market…at the right time. Kodak was a leader in the instant photography business. But the Digital Revolution seemed to catch them off-guard. Their sales shrunk almost in half from 2005 to 2010 as profits dried up. In 2o12, they completely got out of the digital camera business and sold off some of their patents. How did a leader in the photography and imaging industry miss the mark? Kodak failed to prepare for digitization which completely upending their industry.
Question #5: Does your nonprofit need to reach a different audience?
If a nonprofit is around for at least a generation, the challenge is always to reach the next one who may have a different set of values. That’s a harder more complex problem. If you are younger than that, you still may experience a shift in audience loyalty. This can happen for a number of reasons:
- Your audience relocates (gentrification, etc).
- Your audience’s values shift (marriage, children, etc).
- The problem you were tackling multiplies beyond your audience.
Sometimes it means you must service more than one audience (see #3). Ultimately, this question causes headaches inside the organization because there will usually be disagreement about this. However, it is important to make sure you understand what is happening with your audience before you make any changes. If your audience does not like your new or expanded focus, you can squander any brand loyalty you received from them.
Spring is one of the best times to rebrand! Click here to complete a short rebranding survey based on the questions above.