- Feeding America's Dan Michel and The Cara Program's Steve Heye discusses how large organizations with affiliates can support their partners while maintaining their brands. The organizers first stated the sessions "prerequisites" for the session, making it clear that this was not a "Branding 101" class. Attendees should have their branding house in order internally before attempting to initiate the practices the speakers refer to here.
Takeaways: actionable ideas on adapting intranets to be social around, establishing a brand voice. #13ntcvoice #13ntc- Before you can implement these practices: document your brand, decide your brand voice, and get leadership on board. #13ntcvoice #13ntc
- First up, Feeding America discussed how their managed their brand with a network of food banks across the country. With such a complex network of large and small entities, private and public donors, plus a multitude of partners affiliated with Feeding America, its is very easy for the brand to get "lost" in the chaos of all those moving parts. Further, working with local partners means competing with their brand in the same market place.
- Feeding America's complex network has many places where brand can be lost. #13ntcvoice #13ntc
- Plus, working with local partners means that your compete with their branding. Requires coordinated branding. #13ntcvoice #13ntc
- Feeding America uses a password protected intranet to share brand resources with their national partners. Everything from photos, white papers, communications resources and more are available to their member food banks. Further, the organization has recently undergone a process to develop a new brand positioning statement. The positioning statement is a key element in working with partners because it clarifies the organization's stance. The positioning statement does not replace the organization's brand, rather explains how it is implemented in the community.
- Feeding America's tools include Hungernet (intranet), branding coordination #13ntcvoice #13ntc
- Recently, FA did a common message framework to develop their brand position. #13ntcvoice #13ntc
- The brand positioning statement is not the mission statement. The brand positioning statement clarifies for stakeholders #13ntcvoice
- Feeding America's brand positioning statement: Together we can solve hunger... #13ntcvoice #13ntc
- Feeding America worked with an agency to develop 12 concepts that were reviewed by focus groups before final product. #13ntcvoice #13ntc
- Feeding America's relationship with their partners and orientation toward ending hunger "together" has shaped their egalitarian perspective on branding. Partners are not pressured to use the Feeding America logos, rather Feeding America seeks to create tools that will empower their member food banks. Having the recent brand positioning helps Feeding America communicate the value in a national partnership to the member food banks. The goal is not to control the brands of partners, rather, create opportunities that increase the values of partner brands through affiliation. Examples of type of tools Feeding America supplies to partners include "Swiss cheese" press releases (press release templates), stock photography, and support documents.
- Feeding America empowers partners to use or not use their logo. We empower them with tools if they want to use it. #13ntcvoice #13ntc
- The onus on Feeding America is showing that there is value in being a Feeding America food bank. Brand increases value #13ntcvoice #13ntc
- Having data to support why the brand has value is important to encouraging brand adoption with partners. #13ntcvoice #13ntc
#13NTCvoice New expression learned: "Swiss Cheese" press release. Beware of the fondue.;)- In sharp contrast, the Y has strict brand guidelines and monitors proper branding implementation. The Y dictates everything from collateral, website design, and even social media policies for affiliates. Not every affiliate had experienced marketing staff at every location of the Y. So, the structured branding guidelines focused on making turnkey support materials for Y staff to use right away.
- In contrast, YMCA has "logo police," to ensure that affiliates are adhering to the new brand. #13ntcvoice #13ntc
- The Y's rebrand shifted language from being a place ppl go to a cause driven organization. #13ntcvoice #13NTC
- The Y's intranet communicated to affiliates the brand guidelines, inclu. the number of pixels on parts of the web page. #13ntcvoice #13NTC
- Y lacked marketing skills at local level. Established structure to create accountability. Template tools helped support. #13ntcvoice #13NTC
- Y & Feeding America both have structured social media responses to negative comments to empower affiliates. #13ntcvoice #13NTC
- The strong structure implemented by the Y requires creative coordination with the affiliates. Some locations were resistant to the strict branding guidelines, but Steve initiated weekly webcasts that served as both instructional resources for communications and marketing staff, and as celebrations of good brand implementation. Further, he worked to end differentiation between the Y locations in different cities. He encouraged Y locations to borrow ideas from one another as a way to proliferate good ideas across the country.
How can we have a brand voice without good internal communication?
Feeding America's Dan Michel and The Cara Program's Steve Heyes explain how their large nonprofits maintain and promote brand integrity when working with partners and affiliates.
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