How you position your mission-driven organization is a vital part of your identity, as it differentiates you from others. A firm positioning strategy can become a strong center of gravity for all your communications.

1. Marshall
Positioning Mission-Driven Organizations
A strategic approach to differentiation
Marshall Strategy
November 2013
info@marshallstrategy.com
www.marshallstrategy.com
@MarshallStrat

2. About Marshall Strategy
Marshall Strategy is a privately owned, entrepreneurial agency, staffed
with senior people with multi-industry expertise. Our services are aimed
at one simple goal – improving brand value.
We develop and implement strategies that increase appreciation and
enthusiasm for our clients, including creating positioning strategies that are
meaningful, memorable and lasting.
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San Francisco, CA 94104
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info@marshallstrategy.com
www.marshallstrategy.com
@MarshallStrat
© Marshall Strategy 2013
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3. Introduction
Mission-driven organizations are formed to accomplish goals that go
beyond achieving a profit and include a societal benefit.
On the surface, profit-driven and mission-driven organizations may look
very different. The first seeks to create shareholder value, while the latter
strives to make a positive impact on a community, region or institution.
In reality, each type requires similar behaviors from its employees,
customers and investors to be successful.
This is where brand positioning comes into play.
A strong positioning strategy can have a profound effect on an
organization’s success, by clearly differentiating it from its peers
in relevant ways.
© Marshall Strategy 2013
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4. The Role of Positioning
Despite differing goals, profit-driven and mission-driven organizations
rely on brand positioning in similar ways.
Profit Driven
Goal
Mission Driven
Shareholder value
Meaningful impact
Brand Positioning
Create a preference
Strategies Command a premium
Maximize efficiency
Create awareness
Inspire support
Motivate resources
© Marshall Strategy 2013
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5. Three Keys to a Successful Positioning Initiative
Each of these keys to
success has a valuable
outcome:
Understand
the mission
Believe the
mission
Support
the mission
© Marshall Strategy 2013
• Better understanding
yields higher awareness.
• Belief in the mission
creates a preference.
• Desire to support you
builds loyalty.
Together, they lead to
success of mission.
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6. Your Mission Statement
A mission statement is vital, but it is not enough.
As shown below, these top universities’ mission statements include important and
valuable principles, but they are similar.
Be sure to distinguish your mission. How does it need to be thought out to be
distinctly understood and valued by all audiences critical to your success?
To advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology and other areas
of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.
Dedicated to finding solutions to the great challenges of the day and to preparing our
students for leadership in today's complex world.
Devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders
in many disciplines who make a difference globally.
A world-renowned research university, Princeton seeks to achieve the highest levels
of distinction in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and understanding.
The mission of the University of Cambridge is to contribute to society through the
pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of
excellence.
© Marshall Strategy 2013
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7. Positioning Framework
The role of positioning is to convey ownership of your mission in
a way that no one else can. It connects your mission to any number of
forms of expression such as identity, messaging or even in how you operate.
Identity
Messaging
What is your
mission?
Definition
How should it
be perceived?
Expression
Positioning
Campaigns
Operations
Experience
© Marshall Strategy 2013
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8. What Is Positioning?
Positioning is a singular idea.
It is how your organization needs to be thought of by all internal and external
audiences critical to success. It is the idea that drives how you operate,
communicate, recruit, plan and execute, and how you measure success.
Awareness
Mission
Position
Preference
Loyalty
© Marshall Strategy 2013
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9. Key Positioning Criteria
In order to know which idea, and which articulation of that idea, will best
position your organization, there are five criteria it should satisfy.
Unique
• Can anyone else say it?
Credible
• Will people believe it?
Relevant
• Will people care?
Sustainable
• Will it last?
Motivational
• Will it engage emotionally?
© Marshall Strategy 2013
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10. Case Study
DAI
This mission-driven organization needed to be seen as a differentiated and
valuable player in international development.
Mission:
To be the global leader in providing social and economic development
solutions to business, government and civil society in developing and
transitioning countries.
Challenges
• Undifferentiated mission among other development organizations
• Emphasis on specific technical disciplines vs. overall differentiators
created a sense of fragmentation
• Multiple competitors for funding from one dominant sponsor (USAID)
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11. Case Study
DAI Challenges
Multiple practices (skills) across multiple markets fragmented how DAI was thought of.
Reliance on these details for differentiation was not adding up to a meaningful idea.
Clients
Markets
USAID
U.S.
DOD
MCC
Corporate
Global
Corps.
Europe
World
Bank
DFID
EBRD
Africa
DAI organization
Skills
Agribusiness
Governance
Water & resources
Finance & banking
Global business solutions
HIV/AIDS
CMR
Mission
To provide social and
economic solutions for
business, government and
communities in developing
and transitioning countries.
Middle
East
Project
locations
Africa
Middle
East
South
America
Eastern
Europe
EC
ADB
Asia
Americas
© Marshall Strategy 2013
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12. Case Study
DAI Positioning
In reality, DAI had a highly differentiated
position.
•
Their solutions were all based on sound
economics and agricultural practices.
•
They were highly effective in the world’s most
challenging environments.
•
Their method was to help people turn their
own adversity into sustainable prosperity.
We distilled this position into three key words that clarified and complemented
their mission.
Mission
To provide social and
economic solutions for
business, government and
communities in developing
and transitioning countries.
Positioning
Advancing Human
Prosperity
© Marshall Strategy 2013
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13. Case Study
DAI Positioning Story
Advancing Human Prosperity
Who we are
DAI is a leading international development group committed to advancing
human prosperity and institutional effectiveness in some of the world's
most challenging environments.
What we do
We enable businesses, governments and communities to prosper by
providing creative and sustainable solutions to economic adversity.
Why we are better
We are able to leverage 35 years of global experience, extensive local
relationships, world-class technical capabilities and our commitment to
continuous learning to solve new and old challenges.
© Marshall Strategy 2013
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14. Conclusion
This idea, “Advancing Human Prosperity”, conveyed not only DAI’s
mission, but also the unique way that mission needed to be perceived
across their many operations. In three simple words.
How you position your mission-driven organization is a vital part of your
identity, as it differentiates you from others. A firm positioning strategy can
become a strong center of gravity for all your communications.
“To succeed in our over-communicated society, a
company must create a position in the prospect’s
mind, a position that takes into consideration not
only a company’s own strength’s and weaknesses,
but those of its competitors as well.”
Al Reis, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind: How to Be Seen and
Heard in the Overcrowded Marketplace.
For more information
www.marshallstrategy.com
© Marshall Strategy 2013
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