Here’s a great question that came to me from one of my readers: “How does the headquarters of a national nonprofit support and/or monitor brand consistency among dozens of social media sites run by local chapter volunteers?” It’s definitely a balancing act to develop a consistent brand strategy—including use of social media—without burdening local staff […]
I recently trailed one of my children on school visiting day and was struck by the relevance of the English lesson. The students were discussing difficult choices, using as their texts the novel “Tuck Everlasting” and Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Less Traveled.” The lesson reminded me of why I love novels (aside from the […]
In the “jobless recovery,” it’s important to be strategic about spending on your brand. Here are five ways you can support your product, service or nonprofit mission without spending a dime. (Alright, in total fairness, time is involved and we all know that’s valuable.) 1. Deploy Your Leaders. Boards of directors, partners, the executive team–they […]
By now you’ve probably read that after 44 staffers were laid off at CQ-Roll Call at the end of September, veteran editor Brian Nutting e-mailed the entire editorial staff (and cc’d the newsroom) a letter demanding answers from management. His email was immediately “leaked” online and a day later, he was fired for insubordination. A […]
Sure they do. Management’s focus on the 50,000 foot view of an organization includes issues around brand. But what I’ve found is that they are not always aware of mission-critical elements that contribute to how your brand is perceived–by customers, donors, investors, or other influencers. Here are two areas where the executive team often falls […]
There are three kinds of unhappy customers. The ones who let you know about the problem right away. The ones who tell other people they are unhappy, but avoid telling you directly. And the ones who are mostly happy customers and have only one issue they are unhappy about, but this is the only thing […]
I recently read an article in a business magazine that blew me away. It outlined a case in which an employee of a trade association and lobbying organization made unflattering and unprofessional comments about her boss and employer on her Facebook page, and was subsequently fired for doing so. It concluded with this recommendation: “Every […]
Promoting a brand in a recession is a challenge. Budgets are slimmed. Staff are trimmed. And you don’t have much time to pull campaigns together. But consider trying what wardrobe stylists have recommended for years before spending a lot on new services—“shop in your own closet”! What do I mean by this? Well, you may […]
The simplest way to tell the story of who you are to everyone you contact is through your organization’s name. A second opportunity to communicate your mission is through your tag line. It is amazing how many groups have names and/or taglines that, at best, don’t tell people what they do, and at worst, confuse […]
September is coming and it’s time to dust off those emergency plans. Schools have just mailed out their reminders of what to do during “code red.” But does your organization have a brand emergency plan? Years of good work with customers and your community can be eclipsed very quickly by a few misspoken words by […]
