What's In A Name?

There has been an awful lot written recently about the concept of "branding." No, I'm not talking about the act of branding livestock with the insignia of a ranch (although the concept is actually based on that act). I'm talking about the concept of branding your organization. Some of you may be getting tired  of hearing about "branding" but I think it's something that we all have to look at as we try to position our organizations to be successful in this new century.

The problem for us -associations, societies, chambers of commerce, and other membership organizations - is that the lines are blurring. The competition from the private sector, from the internet, from public institutions like universities and government agencies, and even from our own members, is making it harder and harder to identify what members can get from our organization that they can't get elsewhere. We have to show how we're unique or we get caught in direct competition with these other entities which have far greater resources than we do.

That's where branding comes in. If we can create an image with our "customers" that helps us stand out in some way from the competition, we have a chance to gain their loyalty and their membership. Branding your organization simply means that you create a visual, cultural, and, to some extent, emotional image around your organization and its products, services, and programs. The private sector has done this for many years and membership organizations need to start doing it, too. For some organizations that have been trying to do this, it means doing it better!

There are some key things to consider before you start your branding efforts: 

• Who are your target markets? In whose minds do you want to plant that "image?"  Some typical target markets are current members, potential members, the media, government agencies, and the general public. You need to prioritize these markets, and you need to realize that you may not want to have the same "image" to each of these markets.
• What is your current image? If you don't have some understanding of how  these publics currently view your organization you can't set reasonable objectives or plans of action to change them. You probably need to do some baseline surveys to determine what your current image is with these various publics.
• What image do you want to have? Can you articulate - or even draw a picture - of how you'd like to be viewed by these different markets ? If not, you won't know how to focus your efforts.  Do you have a plan? Just doing "more" isn't enough. You have to decide specifically what steps you can take to change  your image.

Once you've answered some of these questions you can then determine what techniques you can use to brand your organization in the minds of your various target markets. There are several methods you can use in these  branding efforts:  

• Brand your organization through consistency.

Whatever image you try to create, be consistent. Use your slogan, logo, and other branding techniques in a consistent way. Repetition is critical to creating that image you want, so try not to confuse your publics with too many messages. The more they see or hear something that brings your organization to mind immediately the closer you are coming to the goal of being the organization of choice. 

• Brand your organization through visual images.

Try to create a logo or other visual image for your organization that is easily identifiable and easily distinguished from others. You might be able to use the entrance into a new century as a reason for changing, updating, or adding to your current logo.

• Brand your organization through a slogan or written image.

In addition to a logo or visual image, you can brand your organization by having a slogan that creates an image of quality and uniqueness. The American Institute of CPAs use "The CPA. Never Underestimate the Value." Maybe it hasn't achieved the recognition level of "You Deserve a Break Today" but it's a start.

• Brand your organization through affiliation.

More and more membership organizations are trying to create an image of community involvement and public service through affiliation with special projects or causes. This helps the organization become recognized not just for the industry or profession it represents but also for the way it represents those members.

There are other ways to brand your organization. The important thing is to do something on a proactive basis. Don't wait until your competition has ingrained itself in the minds of your various publics, because it's first image that comes to mind that people will support and respond to. You need to be the leader in your industry, profession, or community not only in words but also in reality. That means that you have to "brand" yourself as a unique, valuable, quality organization. The ideal situation would be if your organization is the ONLY one that comes to mind when someone thinks of your industry, profession, or community.  

What's in a name? It's up to you. Your organization's name can mean nothing, or it can mean everything.