I feel like I’m always using the word authentic to qualify the word brand. I do this because authenticity in a brand is of paramount importance. You can’t just make up your brand. No matter how much you want to pay me, I can’t develop the character of your brand either. Your brand is who…
Lately I’ve found myself in the odd position of recommending an organization not pursue developing a new (or re-designing their existing) logo and tagline. Why do people so commonly think it should be their first marketing step, and why am I – a branding consultant – pulling back the reins? Your logo is good enough…
I spent the first week of August on a road trip with my husband visiting Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in western Kentucky, to go mountain biking. We planned one night en route near Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, where we booked a place to stay on Airbnb. I was immediately attracted to Jamie’s…
Strategic planning and branding are different—but one sets the stage for the other. And the other supports it right back. Today, I’m going to define each and discuss how they ideally and effectively work together. How can your organization get the most out of their relationship? Let’s dive in. What is strategic planning? Strategic planning…
The latest trends in technology offer so many possibilities for growth to nonprofit organizations. That’s one of the reasons I attended the Nonprofit Technology Conference March 3-6, 2015 in Austin. But I also went for the professional development, networking, and a lot of fun along the way. Here’s one top tip from each session I attended…
Every image you share says something about your organization. Your images can be completely random, or they can serve a higher function—supporting your overall brand. Your marketing materials should have brand consistency, and so should your images! Whether they’re slathered across your social media outlets, on a website, in a blog, in your emails, brochures,…
Let’s say your nonprofit is going through a rebranding, and it’s time to review logo options from your designer or design firm. The ensuing discussion can easily become derailed and devolve into a subjective discussion of who likes blue and who hates orange. It’s important to move beyond personal judgements to ensure you end up…
The terms brand, identity, and logo can be can be difficult to distinguish. They mean different things, and I for one have been guilty of using them interchangeably. And if the brand strategist/designer is doing it, I know others may be muddled too. Let’s figure out the differences between these potentially confusing terms. 1. Logo…
[this article first appeared in the DMA Nonprofit Federation Journal, September 2014] People are passionate about brands they feel connected to, and that doesn’t just apply to consumer products like cars, coffee and yoga clothes – it’s relevant to nonprofit brands too. Loyalty is the holy grail of branding, as it can lead directly to…
