Field Notes: Brand Development
Many think of a nonprofit brand about being about a logo and tagline. It’s so much deeper than that capturing perceptions of what a nonprofit stands for, what it does, and how much social impact it is thought to achieve. Peter Frumkin at the Masters in Nonprofit Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice writes about this in The Eight Building Blocks of Strong Nonprofit Brands.
According to Frumkin, “Brands are so valuable because they make the life of the nonprofit so much easier. They open doors, attract support, create buzz, and bring resources that in turn allow the brand to flourish and become even stronger.”
On a recent visit to Boston we appreciated seeing a community brand albeit one used on a limited basis and slightly different from the tv commercial with Tiffany Haddish.
Over a decade ago Detroit had a slightly better experience with the development of the “One D” brand. This $1 million brand development exercise brought together stakeholders regionally as part of a brand campaign with 5 brand pillars: Cars, Culture, Gaming, Music, and Sports.
- What is One D? A brand. A unique collaboration to market the region and promote economic development through tourism. An effort to present Detroit and its assets in a positive light.
- Target Audience – 21 to 34 year old for regional leisure travel.
- Brand Positioning – a simple powerful statement about what makes us different; offering the customer something no one else can offer. DETROIT IS WHERE COOL COMES FROM.
- Brand Personality – character of Detroit defined as if it is a person; through images copy and maps
DETROIT IS VIBRANT, URBAN AND REAL. - Brand Promise – largest legitimate claim that it can make. COME GET CAUGHT UP ON THE LATEST, AND LEAVE FEELING LIKE YOU’RE IN THE KNOW.
- One D is a framework for setting up and supporting your own, specific story.
