View a PDF version of this article (30KB)

For a long time, branding within the SME and charity sectors has been something of a ‘Cinderella’ when contrasted to the central role it plays in the (corporate) consumer space.

Certainly, branding here is still relatively nascent, and many continue to regard it as essentially a consumer marketing tool, more suited to the ‘emotional’ purchasing habits of private individuals, rather than the rational decision-making processes that underpin commercial organisations.

Smaller organisations also often feel they don’t have the time or the budget to invest in the perceived ‘luxury’ of a rebranding programme. Charities in particular can be sensitive to what might be seen by potential donors as a ‘frivolous’ re-brand, given the serious and non-profit making nature of their work.

In one sense, they perhaps have a point. And if they do, why should these organisations even consider branding as a core activity?

The first things to say is that in the 21st century, branding will ultimately be the only unique differentiator between organisations. As competition for business and contributions intensifies (just look at the number of cancer-related charities), the ability to genuinely stand out, even a little bit, means that brands will become more and not less important.

The fact is that there is a strong relationship between brand and commercial success. And successful organisations from Coca-Cola to Innocent Smoothies consistently highlight the importance of brand as a core business and organisational asset.

Many charities such as Scope, Cancer Research UK, Shelter and WWF have rebranded in recent years, involving either a change in visual identity, name or both. But what has typically characterised the success of branding programmes has been the recognition that brands are essentially the composite offering of the organisation – its products, practices, behaviours and communications.

Brands exist in the eyes of the beholder. The organisation can only have a successful brand if it positively affects the behaviour of those it’s seeking to influence in terms of their choices, their purchasing behaviour and their loyalty/attachment. And crucially, both customers and the whole organisation value the brand equally highly.

It is this internal dimension that marketers refer to when talking about ‘building your brand from the inside out’; and why simply creating a new name or visual identity in isolation can be little more than ‘lipstick on the gorilla’.

Rebranding provides a good opportunity for the organisation to engage with all of its key stakeholders – customers, users, beneficiaries and trustees, in order to understand whether their expectations of the organisation fit with what it is planning to do. If there is a dissonance, the organisation can then decide how it wishes to position itself in a way that is seen to be both appealing and unique. Further research can then be done amongst stakeholders about repositioning.

But before embarking on the creative implementation of the brand, work needs to be done to ensure that the organisation fully understands its brand, so that everyone from the chairman to the receptionist can accurately and consistently articulate the organisation’s brand promise. Otherwise, how can customers?

The importance of getting this right is reflected by the fact that in a typical organisation (according to MORI research), more than 50% of employees are either neutral/not interested in their company’s brand, or are actively working against the brand culture.

Work here needs to focus on understanding what lies at the heart of the brand. What are its values (things that customers value most about it)? How does the organisation live its brand in practice (and how is it rated by customers)? What does the brand mean for the organisation as a whole, and for each individual employee?

Once a consistent level of brand knowledge and understanding are established within the organisation, the next phase is to identify the steps necessary to effectively embed the brand internally and facilitate delivery. Through a mix of staff interviews and workshops, the values of the brand can be translated into those specific behaviours, activities and processes which will most reflect and deliver the desired brand experience.

What is on-brand and off-brand will need to be clearly articulated and communicated. And the whole organisation – people, specifications, processes – must be loyal adherents and advocates of the brand, willing to stand by it even when times are difficult. This requires firm leadership from the top.

In assessing the success of this second phase, there is a basic reality check. It’s the wrong brand strategy if it cannot be consistently delivered profitably. A clear and simple brand strategy and organisational alignment should assist profitability.

Effective brand delivery requires long term commitment. While a ‘big bang’ launch is not always either necessary or desirable, what is critical is that the brand should be properly embedded, strengthened and evolved within the organisation. It needs to be made ever present and essentially become ‘business as usual’.

An organisation that knows and lives its brand over time will be the result of a series of linked activities that together positively reinforce the brand, including:

– Recruitment and retention of staff that embody the brand values
– Training geared to communicate the brand proposition and supporting values
– Rewards for excellence (around brand delivery)
– Internal programmes to support external communication
– Consistent re-emphasis and regeneration of the internal brand
– Empowered staff, who are enthusiastic and encourage customer loyalty

The rewards of successful branding include integrating the organisation, increasing the public’s trust and confidence, reducing (fundraising) costs, increased staff loyalty and, as a result of all this, greater income.

View a PDF version of this article (30KB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Views