Branding 101 For AFP Chapters

Branding 101 For AFP Chapters November 17, 2010 Harry Lynch, CFRE, CEO Sanky Communications hlynch@sankyinc.com Kathy Compton, Chief Marketing Officer, AFP kcompton@afpnet.org

Today we will discuss… • Why We Need Branding: Recognizing it’s importance • What a Brand Is … and Isn’t: Words, definitions, and why they matter • Brand Stewardship: Delivering on the promise and championing the brand • What Chapters Can Do: Building your own unique chapter brand in alignment with other chapters and IHQ

Why do we need branding? • More Nonprofits: Explosive growth in sector means it’s harder to stand out. • More Competition: More associations and more sophisticated marketingand positioning by competitors. • Economic Environment Challenges Us: We must use every tool we can to attract and keep members.

What is NOT a brand? • A name • A logo • An educational program • A website • A business card • These may be components of a brand but are NOT a brand by themselves

Benefit vs. brand • A benefit is a service or product you offer a member ; a brand is the relationship you have with your donor, members or stakeholder. • A benefit can usually be copied by a competitor; a brand is unique. • A benefit can be quickly outdated; a successful brand is timeless.

A brand is … • A “gut feeling” about an organization or product. • Memories and associations that you can prompt – hopefully positive ones! • It’s the relationship between you, fundraisers, and the public that secures future success by securing loyalty. • It is the most valuable asset an organization has!

A brand is… • Your story • Your promise • Your value!

A brand is your personality! • The attributes of the organization that inform how it communicates and behaves. If your brand was a person, how would it act? How would others describe it? • The personality works with the positioning to define the brand. • These traits will help shape communications and behavior, leading to a consistent voice • Personality may need to evolve from a current to a desired state.

You are all brand stewards! • The brand is a discipline for thinking, communicating and behaving as one enterprise connected by a unified mission.

What is the the AFP Brand? • We are proud professionals – the only community of fundraising professionals that represents all sectors, missions and sizes of charities around the world • Dedicated to ethical fundraising—no room for compromise when it comes to ethical behavior • Promoting informed and wise giving • We are a diverse community – committed to improving society through ethical and effective fundraising

Components of the AFP Brand • Brand Name: Association of Fundraising Professionals • Brand Position: The largest and most inclusive community of professionals dedicated to ethical fundraising • Brand Promise: 1) Never compromising on ethical behavior 2) the best resource for information on fundraising • Brand Personality: confident, authoritative, inclusive

Components of the AFP brand (continued) • Brand Tone: Conservative, serious, proud • Brand Story: Before AFP, there was no community for fundraisers and no code of ethics. AFP was created to fill those gaps and serve as the association for fundraisers around the world and help maintain trust in fundraising through a dedication to ethical behavior. • Brand Associations: AFP logo, swirl, NPD logo

Who is AFP’s Brand Competition? • AHP, CASE, PPP, sister organizations in other countries, local/regional organizations etc. • How are they different? Are they smaller? Less collegial? Narrower in focus? • What are their strengths? And their weaknesses? • What can we learn from them about our own brand?

Promoting the AFP Brand: Use the Podium • Simple repetition of key brand elements phrase – ethics, professionalism, diversity – will be surprisingly effective over time. • Maintain consistent “tone” at events – serious, sincere but … wear a cowboy hat? • Prominently display logo and other graphic collateral at every opportunity.

Promoting the AFP Brand: Ask for Input – and Use It • From informal conversations … i.e. “What do you think of that, Mary?” … • … to professionally crafted electronic surveys. • Report back – and let your members know how you will use their input in the future.

Promoting the AFP Brand: Seek Partnerships • Collaborations with other associations and institutions can be a really effective way to leverage our brand! • But be sure the AFP brand isn’t “hijacked” in harmful ways. • There can be a lot to gain – and a lot to lose!

Promoting the AFP Brand: Connect with Social Media • Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are amazing tools for advancing the AFP brand. • Demographic shifts means we can now reach almost all ranges of members and prospective members this way. • Beware – our personal and professional lives can blur in ways that are unforgettable!

Promoting the AFP Brand: Personal Recognition Makes an Impression • Recognizing and/or honoring the right colleague can create brand personality in powerful and unique ways. • Be careful and thoughtful in who you select – and how you honor him or her.

Promoting the AFP Brand: Think Globally – but Brand Locally! • A consistent brand is the most powerful brand – broad consistency with International AFP and other chapters is essential! • But only you know the best ways to texture your materials and events with local flavor and nuance – to engage and reinforce.

Branding your AFP chapter • Refer to the AFP Logo Usage Guide and Brand Protection Policy on the AFP website in the Chapter resources area: http://www.afpnet.org/files/ContentDocuments/AFP_Style_Manual_08.pdf

Conclusion: Questions to Consider • How does AFP’s brand and positioning affect your chapter? • What sort of personality should a chapter have? • How can the chapters deliver on the AFP brand while creating their own? • Thank you for coming!

Branding 101 For AFP Chapters