- 1. Win over the sceptics
- 2. Use multiple channels of internal communication and roll out the new brand face to face with workshops or presentations.
- 3. Ensure your senior management team are visibly involved
- 4. Create inspiring values that are easy to remember
- 5. Make sure staff and volunteers can sum up your charity on the spot
- 6. Bring your brand to life
- 7. Recruit Brand Champions and set up a Brand Steering Group
- 8. Give staff and partners tools to manage the brand and protect your Intellectual Property in contract
- 9. Make sure staff behaviour and customer service matter
- 10. Create an effective creative briefing process and monitor your brand at regular intervals
1. Win over the sceptics.
We are all familiar with brands and they are now part of our everyday lives. However, the term ‘brand’ is off-putting for some. Charities are not like the products on supermarket shelves (or at least they shouldn’t be) and for many in the charity sector the term is offensive and trivial, even distasteful. For those who feel this way, the concept of branding may be tough going. Just remember that what that brand really means is ‘reputation’.
The nature of charities is such that a comprehensive identity change can be very difficult. The internal resistance can be immense, especially from front line service staff who often see branding as a waste of money. Your first and most important task is to convince your staff that your brand is a worthwhile investment. The way a brand is built and created will impact on its long-term success. A brand should be rooted in the organisation and not created separately from it. The best way to keep staff on board is to make sure they are involved in the development of the brand itself.
A simple explanation of the importance and impact of branding in the charity sector, illustrated with relevant case studies, will also help to win over most sceptics. This is best delivered face-to-face in the form of a presentation, but can be supported by features published in the internal staff newsletter. You may wish to think carefully about when to launch your new identity to avoid unnecessary criticism, as it is highly likely you will be quizzed over the costs. Other charities have launched their new brand identity together with a campaign, website or a significant policy report.