Communicating, Branding, and the Case for the “M” Word
Improving the effectiveness oforganizational communications
At [your organization name], we do a lot of communicating…
For more information:https://www.slideshare.net/coolstuff/the-brand-gap
…and many hands play a role in what we say to our audiences.
Sometimes, however, our left hands don’t know what our right hands are doing…
…and as a result our audiences often end up confused.
Branding is one of the most misunderstood words around.
A brand is NOT a logo.
Neither is a brand a mission statement.
The college's mission is to generate new knowledge in engineering and related fields
and to equip students from diverse backgrounds as future leaders and responsible citizens in these fields
for the betterment of individuals and society.
A brand isn’t a strategic plan, either...
Simply put, a brand is the sum of how our audiences perceive us…
“One of the most beautifuluniversities I’ve ever seen…”
“Great aerospace department…”“Go Buffs!”
“Party school…”“Wannabe Berkeley…”
So if our audiences are confused, what does that say about our brand?
We don’t actually have one.
The important questions we must answer:
Who are we? What do we stand for? How are we different from our peers? How do we want our audiences to perceive us? Why are we communicating?
MThe case for the “M” word…
It’s no secret that many people in the public sector have a negative perception of marketing.
“Marketing obliterates subtlety and nuance … in pursuit of mass name recognition and the superficial catchiness of a three-minute pop song.”
“Universities are not companies vending consumer satisfaction….”
“More and more university senior administrations are besotted with ideas of ‘branding’ and ‘strengthening the franchise.’”
In reality, though, traditional definitions don’t quite do it justice.
Marketing is not merely propaganda, “spinning,” advertising, or sales…
These days, marketing is everything we say and do that affects how we are perceived—whether we mean it to or not.
vs.
At any organization, we engage in marketing (both intentional and unintentional) every day.
BrochuresWebsitesSocial mediaPublic/media relationsVideo/multimediaOutreach programsVisits/toursExecutive communications
Conduct issuesInvestigationsAdvocacyTraining Labor issuesService to communitiesPresentations/conferencesCommunity engagement
So in order to more effectively market ourselves, we must be more deliberate and consistent in . . .
WHAT WE SAYand
WHAT WE DO…
?We must decide as an integrated organization
how we wish to be perceived…
… and build a more strategic approach to our communications…
…so our audiences better understand what we’re all about.
A strong brand benefits the entire organization.
• More positive relationships with our audiences
• The ability to tell our story so others don’t tell it for us
• A solidified reputation with our internal and external audiences
• Greater ability to compete with other institutions for resources, employees, fundraising opportunities, etc.
The brand continuum
http://brandingbreakthroughs.com
(or Action)
The value of consistent brand messaging
• Align communications with the organization’s vision and initiatives
• To be more efficient and effective with limited resources
• To enhance our ability to tell our story so others don’t tell it for us
• To solidify our reputation and build more positive relationships
• To better compete for limited resources and attention
What do you mean, “messaging”?
In simple terms, branded messaging consists of:
–Our slogan (the phrase we use to reinforce what we stand for)
–Our position (the one thing we want people to remember about us)
–Our core messages (the facts and details that support our position)
–Our brand voice (the personality behind our communications)
(It’s not just words, but also speeches, photos, multimedia, and visuals—anything and everything that involves communicating.)
Creating branded communicationsThe communications plan/creative brief—answering the following questions
is the first step in developing branded communications…
1. Who is my audience?
2. What do I hope to achieve with this communication?
3. How is my communication an example of my organizational position/core messages/brand attributes?
4. Which core message is the primary focus of my communication?
5. What additional messages will I include in my communication?
6. Which brand attributes will drive the tone of this communication?
7. What do I want audiences to do as a result of this communication?
8. How does this effort complement other communications my audience might see?
9. How will I assess the effectiveness of my communication?
2 Internal staff
1 Insiders, VIPs,
leadership
5. General
public
KEY SEGMENTS/TIMING FOR A BRAND ROLLOUT
4. Primary
users/community
members
3. Primary
partners/
stakeholder
groups
“The art of marketing is the art of brand building. If you are not a brand, you are a commodity.
Then price is everything and the low-cost producer is the only winner.”
–PHILIP KOTLER, Professor of Marketing Kellogg School of Management
Northwestern University
Questions?