Better Storytelling Through Branding

A non-profit’s story is one of the most valuable tools it has to raise awareness and fundraise online. Branding helps create a consistent identity about your non-profit to make storytelling more effective. At CauseVox, our platform is customizable to your own non-profit’s unique story, look, and feel.

Sarah Durham’s Brandraising adapts core principles of corporate branding into a non-profit context. She presents a way to think about branding as well as practical tactics to make it happen. Here we present the top five take-aways from her must-read book.

1. Communicate with an audience-centric view
Know who you’re communicating with, and do so in a way that your audience prefers. Use the right medium (online, in-person, print, etc.) with the right language.

2. Complete strategic planning before branding
Most importantly, the vision and mission of a non-profit must be clear before any branding exercise. Other core elements of strategic planning include defining values, objectives, audiences, positioning, and personality.

3. Reflect core elements
The visual identity (logos, colors, etc.) and messaging platform (taglines, key messages, etc.) should reflect the core elements as defined in strategic planning. This allows for consistent and guided development of your story.

4. Go quickly
The faster the new identity can be integrated into your communications, the clearer your organization’s communications will be. For example, flipping the switch towards a new brand and story may reduce staff confusion and donor frustration compared to a phased integration.

5. Take a long-view in building your brand
Depending on the size of your organization, it may take time to integrate new ideas, concept, and materials. Branding doesn’t end with the creation of a logo or brochure. Branding is storytelling, which never stops.

photo by www.flickr.com/photos/thomaslife/4508639159/