Why Social Enterprise Needs Effective Brand Management

For those in the social sector who believe that brand management is something you shouldn't worry about- you could not be more wrong!  Beyond establishing your mission and creating your organizational strategic plan, creating an effective brand is one of the most important elements of your social enterprise's success.  A brand is what your target market will remember and recognize about your organization and should be carefully created and managed.  It is the personality of your organization and you want the public to like you.

Everyone is familiar with successful brands.  The golden arches are synonymous with burgers and fries.  The infamous swoosh communicates athletic apparel across the globe.  These are both examples of global brand recognition that communicate to the public.  While most social enterprises are not aiming to reach the massive recognition of McDonald's and Nike, they should still work towards creating the most effective and recognizable brand for their audience.  Social enterprises are competing for attention and an effective brand can go a long way.
 
So, what is a brand?   Simply put, it's your organization's public image.  It involves an organization's internet presence, its company logo and promotional materials.  The goal of the brand is to create a positive and favorable organizational image in each target audience.  These positive reactions are based on an individual's beliefs, ideas and impressions of the organization's services, programs, and management styles.  Brands are the currency in which social enterprises trade upon for donors, funders, community support and clients. 

Brands can be cultivated online or offline.  Online social entrepreneurs can create blogs, websites and social media platforms to enhance their brand recognition.  Today anyone can create a free blog spot or use free hosting sites to create a website.  There are a plethora of marketing and advertising options (e.g. Google ad words) to promote your organization and gain a following.  More recently there has been the use of social media websites like Facebook and Twitter that have taken promotion to a higher level.   With the simple posting of recent events and status updates these platforms allow organizations to reach mass followers with little to no cost involved. 

Offline, an organization can create materials that possess content worthy of sharing and focus on subjects pertaining to your organization's mission and vision.  The tone, style and use of visual materials like business cards, post cards, posters, and letterhead all need to be consistent to convey the same message.  The public needs to be able to see your information and know who is producing it and what is being presented to them.  Done correctly, the target market will begin to look forward and expect that your brand equates to efficiency, professionalism and reliability. 

All too often, participants in the social sector feel that their good works should speak for itself, but that can only happen if people know who you are and recognize what you do.  This can only be accomplished with an effective marketing and brand management plan.   A strong brand is the main component in being noticed, which is why it is crucial for social enterprises to get their branding right.

What do you think?

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