When is the right time to rebrand your nonprofit organization? Here are five questions to ask that will help you determine if now is the right time to rebrand your organization.
Whether you’ve been in the nonprofit space for 15 days or 15 years, you’ve likely realized that the end-goal for (nearly) every organization is to move the mission forward. Whether its applying for a new grant or bringing on a new team member – the intent is to expand impact so the organization can do more of its good work.
But what happens when your organization’s brand – its messaging, positioning, logo, fonts, colors – is more of a hindrance and is holding the organization back from engaging potential supporters, team, or constituents?
On one hand, a thoughtful rebrand can help refresh your nonprofit’s image, reengage supporters, and attract new audiences.
However, rebranding is a time-consuming endeavor that could potentially have negative effects – what if your donors don’t resonate with the new direction?
This is why the decision to move forward with a rebrand must be done for the right reasons. And those reasons? We’re so glad you asked – keep on reading for five key questions that your organization needs to ask to know if now is the right time for a rebrand.
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What does it mean to rebrand?
Before we walk through the signs, let’s first define rebrand.
Your brand is the perception someone has of your organization – how they think, feel and act about it and the experience it provides. And, it exists to build a specific connection, with a specific target audience, through a specific message.
Given this, a rebrand is intentionally changing the perception – those thoughts, feelings and actions – because the connection, audience or message isn’t resonating or has changed. More often than not, the process of a rebrand includes updating the brand’s strategy, messaging and visual identity.
Do you need a full rebrand, a brand refresh or a brand update?
As we mentioned above, a rebrand is intentionally changing the entire perception that someone has of your organization.
That being said, going through a rebrand isn’t the only way to update your organization’s brand. We like to think of brand updates as existing on a spectrum where a full rebrand means updating both the internal and external brand. This includes the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of the brand – the mission, vision, values, position, differentiator, message, personality – as well as the forward-facing brand like the logo, color palette, typography, website, and collateral.
A full rebrand is a great option if you’re needing a complete transformation because the heart and soul of the organization needs upgrading or is changing direction. This could mean changing the name, changing the mission or vision, and/or changing the key stakeholders. This is the best option for an organization when a lot of components within the brand are not working well and in need of a fresh start.
The opposite end of the spectrum is a brand update. This is when an organization uses the existing brand identity to create new supporting collateral. They may be an update to one color or the addition of a new font, but overall, the idea of an update is more-so to update the marketing materials while staying within the confines of what already exists. Things like social templates, presentation slides or business cards. We’re using what’s already in existence and giving it a fresh outlook.
An update is a great option if you’re just needing to breathe new life into your existing brand. Your internal structure is staying the same and you’re not wanting to change the externals much. But rather, bring a little new energy into your existing identity.
Then, somewhere in the middle is a brand refresh. This is when an organization updates the external visual identity while keeping the internal brand (brand strategy) the same. A refresh can mean updating the full visual brand suite or maybe just updating the elements that support the logo like colors and typography. Either way, the constant is the brand’s strategy – the mission, vision, purpose, personality, message and positioning.
This is a great option if the overall structure of the organization is staying the same and is working well, but the visual aesthetic is no longer supportive. You’re wasting time with visuals and feel constraints because of your existing identity.
Does your organization have a brand problem or a marketing problem?
Because we’re all about getting on the same page before we dive in deeper, let’s first define marketing (from Seth Godin): Marketing is persuading someone to take action.
As a nonprofit, this generally means that you market to persuade someone to make a donation, volunteer, become a sponsor or engage you for services.
So, what does that have to do with your brand?
Well, your brand is what helps that person, company or foundation stick around and stay engaged. It’s what creates that specific connection to move them from one-time engager to life-long advocate.
And this is why it’s incredibly helpful to understand the distinction because sometimes we can think that we have a brand problem when in actuality, marketing efforts need the extra love.
While this is a bigger question that deserves some dedicated investigation, here’s a quick litmus test to determine where you may need support:
It’s likely a marketing problem if a stakeholder isn’t giving at all because they aren’t aware that you exist or what’s available within your organization. It’s likely a branding problem if a stakeholder gives once or twice but then moves on.
Does your organization have the capacity to go through a rebrand?
Because the goal of a rebrand is to change the overall identity of your organization, the process is a lot more in depth than just getting a new logo and calling it good. Which means it’s important to consider whether or not your organization has the time and energy to go through the update.
Now, the brand partner you choose and the role they play in the process can have a significant impact on the needed investment. However, you can spend some time now mapping out when your organization would have capacity to undergo a rebrand.
Think about who on your team will be involved in the project and at what level. Think about what departments need to have the most involvement and which ones are more in-the-moment.
Then, look at your calendar and see where the gaps are. I.e., if you have an annual event, it’s helpful to plan around that so your event marketing won’t be affected. It’s also worth considering the board meetings and updates that will need to be presented to the board and/or any other stakeholders.
What are you hoping to achieve with a rebrand?
If you go into the process with an ambiguous idea of what you’re hoping for, then it’s more likely that you’ll get a result you aren’t entirely happy with.
Remember, a brand is intended to create a specific connection with a specific audience, using a specific message. Meaning, specifics are important to creating a strong brand.
Sit down and get clear on what success means for you, your team and your organization. Here are a few questions to get you started:
- Who is the audience that you’re hoping to connect with the most with this rebrand?
- What does our brand stand for that isn’t being communicated right now?
- Where are the big inconsistencies with our visuals?
- Is our brand personality effectively coming through?
- Is the website performing or supporting our organization’s goals?
The list can be pretty endless in terms of results but we promise, the more clarity you have on what you are actually looking for, the better the outcome will be. Not only because you can communicate that desire to the brand partner you’re hiring, but also because this list can be used to find the right person in the first place.
Are you wanting to hire a brand partner or do it yourself?
Which brings us to the last consideration – are you wanting your team to handle the rebrand or are you wanting to hire support?
Capacity and resources are the primary reasons for choosing one or the other.
Some organizations have more capacity but limited budget, so they choose to DIY. Others have limited capacity but more budget, so they bring in a brand partner. There’s no right or wrong here, but rather, a determination of what makes the most sense for your organization based on your specific needs.
If you’re only needing a brand update, perhaps it makes more sense to do the work internally. Versus, if you’re wanting a complete overhaul, it’s generally best to bring in outside support because a full rebrand is a lengthy and time-intensive process.
And shameless plug, if you decide that your next right step is bringing in a brand partner, we’d love to support your organization in a rebrand, brand refresh or brand update. Simply reach out to us and get started.
Feature image photo by Federica Galli on Unsplash
Kelly is a passionate brand strategist and designer who loves supporting nonprofits on their mission to do more good work in this world. She’s seen firsthand the power of creating a consistent and cohesive brand – from building better connections with your audience to streamlining marketing and fundraising efforts.
