Stage 1: Denial If your organizational leaders question the need for marketing or avoid making an investment in it, they’re most likely in denial. They refuse to believe organizations need marketing to survive and thrive. And, they don’t believe their organization would benefit from a stronger identity, improved relationships and greater trust. As a result, [...]
Continue Reading →Question everything. For more than 20 years we’ve been asking new clients to fill out a “critical questions” document to help us quickly gauge the marketing landscape and general brand health of their organization. These questions allow us to dig a bit deeper into their market and competitive situation while gathering insights into their organization’s [...]
Continue Reading →As I’ve written in other blog entries, I’ve used the IDEAS process, in one form or another, for more than 25 years. Hanon McKendry began formally using and branding it as the IDEAS process just over four years ago. So when Stanford University, in its Social Innovation Review magazine, built a case for the role of branding [...]
Continue Reading →Take a position on positioning. “Competition” is a tough word to frame in the nonprofit world. But the reality is that whether you have direct competitors (organizations that provide the same or similar services as your organization) or indirect competitors (organizations that appeal to the same audiences as your organization), every nonprofit is in competition [...]
Continue Reading →But first, what does “meaningful” mean? More than 300 global brands were recently ranked by worldwide media giant Havas according to its Meaningful Brand Index. The results of this index show that the more a brand contributes to improving the well-being of individuals, communities and the environment, the more meaningful it becomes. According to Havas, [...]
Continue Reading →Understanding what you need to understand. I’ve used the IDEAS process, in one form or another, to build brands for more than 25 years. The first step in the process is gaining understanding — or insights — about the condition and desired position of an organization’s brand. Over time, I’ve learned that many organizations struggle to [...]
Continue Reading →So what’s the big idea? Hanon McKendry was born as “an idea company.” Even from our beginning in 1994, we realized that the convergence of media was inevitable and that managing and integrating brand communications across multiple platforms would be necessary. We understood that creating seamless brand experiences would continue to be essential, regardless of [...]
Continue Reading →With all that was stated in my last blog, it seems obvious that branding should be seen as a smart investment. However, many nonprofits and their boards continue to view it as an unnecessary expense. Part of the reason for this is that many charity rating services and charity watchdogs lower nonprofit organization evaluation scores [...]
Continue Reading →Five words I hate the most. “We’re the best-kept secret.” These five words have been spoken in almost every first meeting I’ve ever had with a nonprofit client. When I give workshops and seminars on the subject of nonprofit branding, someone in the audience always utters these words. Sometimes this phrase is stated with a [...]
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You Decide: Beginning, Middle or End? I can tell story after story about my experiences with our first client, a local rescue mission. Maybe it’s because they were our first (sort of like your first love, you never forget them). Or maybe it’s because the executive director was so insightful, so encouraging and so smart. [...]
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DO MORE GOOD is also the title of Bill's forthcoming book, filled with lessons for nonprofit marketers. For more information about the book, sign up here.