The document outlines a webinar series by CanadaHelps focused on building 'connected brands' for nonprofits, emphasizing the importance of brand connection to donors and stakeholders. Key components for developing a strong connected brand include understanding donor journeys, creating emotional promises, and consistently delivering on those promises across all touchpoints. The goal is to enhance brand resilience, relevance, and ultimately drive increased financial contributions through improved stakeholder engagement.

1. CanadaHelps Educational Webinar Series
Building Brands that Connect with Donors
and Stakeholders
Presented by: Lori Miller Pike and Sean Howard from The Connected Brand

2. Building brands that
connect with donors
CanadaHelps
March 11, 2015

3. Today’s Session
•Who are we?
•What is a brand, really?
•What is a CONNECTED brand?
•Why being a CONNECTED brand matters.
•How to become a CONNECTED brand.

4. A Brand Strategy
Firm Focused on the
For-Benefit Sector
Lori Miller Pike Sean Howard

5. What is a brand?

6. By
Marty
Neumeier

18. How do your DONORS
feel about you?

19. CONNECTED
BRAND ?
WHAT IS A

20. COMPETITION
YOUR
BRAND
EMPLOYEES
CUSTOMERS
/PATRONS
OTHER BRANDS
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
PRODUCTS
TECHNOLOGY
TRENDS
CULTURE
LOCAL COMMUNITY
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
PARTNERS/CHANNELS
ECONOMICS
The health of a brand is
defined by the health of
its connections within
the larger system

21.
CONNECTED BRANDS
Are designed to grow and provide
increasing economic and social
value over time. They thrive by
staying connected.

22. vs

23. There are
cornerstones to a
CONNECTED
BRAND
3
Resiliency
Connection
Relevancy

24. A connected brand is
RESILIENT.
• It is an adaptive and vital part of a larger ecosystem.
• It can be flexible because the brand parameters enable the
brand to evolve without needing to be changed every few years.
1

25. It is CONNECTED
to its supporters.
• This is about thinking holistically about your presence
across all constituents and lifestyle touch points.
• And then designing a solution that engages and rewards
stakeholders across their journey with your brand.
2

26. A connected brand is
ALWAYS RELEVANT.
• THE ART - A brand platform that generates ideas and
opportunities for your business and the community.
• THE SCIENCE - Identifying the critical inputs and outputs that
define the larger system within which the brand lives and
contributes.
3

27. CONNECTED
BRAND
Why being a
Matters

28. The benefits
• Cost Savings – better allocation of marketing dollars & resources for
not for profits
• Relevance – a brand built to resonate emotionally with donors and
other stakeholders
• Improved ROI – better understanding of donor needs and expectations
• Revenue – increased financial contributions

29. Brands make mistakes,
just like people. The
stronger your brand is, the
more leeway you get
when something goes wrong

30. CONNECTED
BRAND
How to become a

31. • Make a clear emotional promise
• Deliver on this promise – every time, everywhere
• Have a strong culture that supports and delivers on this promise
How to build a strong brand

32. Listen. Define. Implement.
Define
Stakeholders
Interviews Workshops Surveys
Listen
Define
Implement
Other Inputs
Donor Journey Brand Structure
Look & Feel Brand Guidelines Operational

33. Who Needs to be Engaged
• Staff & volunteers (people on the ground)
• Senior management
• Donors and supporters
• In some cases beneficiaries
• Partners
• Board members
Listen

34. Deep Dive Workshops
• 1 to 2 hours
• Internal: people that interface with donors,
suppliers, partners, etc.
Top 3 Questions
• What are the perceived Strengths,
Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities
• Who are our donors? Who are they not?
Develop profiles.
• Who is competing for share of your donors
wallet?
Listen

35. One-on-one Interviews
• 30 min
• Internal: people that interface with key stakeholders
• External: suppliers, donors, customers, etc.
Top 5 questions
• What is it about [Organization XYZ] that you are most proud of?
• What promise does [Organization XYZ] currently make to its
supporters? And how well does it deliver on this promise?
• Who are [Organization XYZ]’s core supporters or donors?
Describe or characterize them.
• Who do you see as a competitor to [Organization XYZ] for
funds?
• How has the organization changed over the past 5 years? 10
years?
Listen

36. Surveys for Wider Reach
• Across the organization - wider reach
• Outside the organization - select donors and other stakeholders
Listen

37. Research similar organizations
What do they promise?
• What experiences are they offering?
Social Media
• Ways to engage fans and supporters
• Mini-contests where they answer simple questions
• What do you love most about Organization XYZ?
• Why do you support us?
• What three things first come to mind when you hear our name?
Listen

38. Other Tools
• Understanding your digital experiences
• Beyond funnels and analytics
Listen

39. What is the Donor Journey?
• Where we interact with our stakeholders
• The service levels we are providing at each touchpoint
Put on our SAFARI hats
• Become a donor or watch
donors at real events
• What does it feel like?
• How does it flow?
• Where do we go next?
Listen

40. Map out the Donor Journey touchpoints
• Can be a simple linear path
• Or a complex swim lanes diagram
• Be sure to capture the VALUE of each touchpoint
Define

41. Too many organizations don’t have a journey.
They have a hard stop at funds received.
Every cycle, it’s about only one thing. Get the donor’s money.
This slowly erodes your brand.
Define

42. Findings Review and Workshop
• Present findings from the various inputs
• Discover brand disconnects
• Identify opportunities and key insights
Begin Drafting Your Brand Structure
• Proprietary brand on a page format
• Document that defines all tenets of the brand in understandable
and usable language
Define

43. Brand Essence The single, most powerful & motivating idea you want your brand to own.
Our Purpose Why we are in business – also referred to as “mission”.
Our Values What we believe in – our uncompromising principles.
Our Supporters Who we are focusing our marketing efforts on.
Our Promise Focuses everything on a single, clear and emotional promise to our customer.
Differentiating
Pillars
Ownable & Differentiating Aspect
• Proof points for believing in the
promise
Ownable & Differentiating Aspect
• Proof points for believing in the
promise
Ownable & Differentiating Aspect
• Proof points for believing in the
promise
Brand Personality The brand’s outward facing style – how it would look and sound if it came to life.
Our Brand on a Page
Methodology and Tool

44. Identity and style guides
• Look and feel (visual identity)
• Language and communication guidelines
• Service standards
Implement

45. BOARDS

46. Operations and Planning
• Donor journey
• Stop, Start and Continue
• Company-wide workshops
Implement

47. Once you have your Brand
Structure defined, you can
start to operationalize the
lessons learned.
The Brand Framework comes with tools to
help management identify and initiate new
brand building measures
and identify those programs and efforts
that are actually hindering your brand
and those programs which should remain
in effect.

48. Lets Begin to Build
Your Connected Brand

49. Service Safari - The Tools
• Clipboard
• Pen and paper
• Point & shoot camera or smartphone
Online Tools (alternate)
• iPerceptions 4Q (free)
Mapping the Donor Journey

50. Service Safari - Mindset
• Safari hats on!
• Recording the experience in snapshots
• Be aware of your filters
• You are the observer (not participating)
Service Safari - Capture
• First impressions
• What confuses donors?
• What delights them?
• How long are they waiting? and where?
• Look for the spaces “in between”. Rate these experiences.
Mapping the Donor Journey
Image credit: Livework Studios - liveworkstudio.com

51. • Clarifying the essence of your brand for your audience
• Identifying one simple promise
• Realigning around that promise and core strengths
• Delivering on that promise at every touchpoint
• More connected
• More aligned
• More valued
Conclusion

52. Thank You