branding

By this time each year I’m usually on the verge of blowing one minor resolution (this year’s was to do with avoiding Curly Wurlies, but that’s a different blog).  This minor failure on my part has made me determined to achieve the more important professional resolutions that I believe will help charities, civil sector organisations and social enterprises get more value from their activities in 2012.

Here’s my top six. Let me know what you think and what’s made it into your marketing and fundraising resolutions:

1. Engage more organisations with the approach that their brand should be an asset which needs to be leveraged wherever possible to meet objectives and UNDERPIN activities.  Does your brand support what you do day to day?  If not, it’s not working as an asset should and is likely occupying too much time and effort for little return.

I've been involved with some interesting twitter debate this week around how valuable or otherwise brands are to fundraisers. Kudos to the following for some great quality discussion (even in only 140 characters):

@tobinaldrich@gillmcl @derekhumphries @markyphillips @MarkFlannCEO and @jeffbrooks

Facebook has changed the design of fan pages today, which also adds few useful functions.

I've been involved in lots of productive and challenging online discussions recently about the importance of an organisation's actions underpinning its ability to improve the credibility of its brand. Without brand credibility, businesses have little right to ask a customer to buy once let alone be a repeat purchaser.  Similarly, a charity earns brand credibility when its actions back up its claims about making a difference.  Consequently all types of supporters will be more likely to engage.