does your association need a rebranding?
TRANSCRIPT
Communication News Published bimonthly for Communication Section members
Does Your Association Need a Rebranding?
October 9, 2012
By: George Stephan
Summary: Brands are more than just taglines and logos. They're promises you
make to members and stakeholders. A new look at your branding strategy can
give you an opportunity to increase member engagement and revenue.
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Are your members complaining about dues and not renewing? Are you having trouble acquiring new members? They
aren't rejecting you. They're rejecting your association's brand promise and how you communicate it.
If greater member retention, acquisition and ROI are what you're looking for, ask yourself, "Do we control and clearly
communicate our brand promise?" You might say, "Of course we do. We have a logo, a tagline, a mission statement
and a website, plus we run ads, send out direct mail, email, you name it."
However, that doesn't necessarily mean you control your brand. Your brand isn't what you say it is; your brand is
what the public says it is. If your audience's perception of your brand isn't what you want it to be (and, more
importantly, what you need it to be), you don't control your brand.
Think of some of your competitors. What are the first words that pop into your head? They might be "expensive but
worth joining," "inclusive but disorganized," "old-fashioned, not relevant." If your descriptions are what others say,
that's how those organizations are perceived and branded. In the same way, whatever the public thinks of your
association right now, well, that's exactly what your brand is.
So how do you get control of your brand?
The Brand as Promise
A brand is not a logo or a tagline, though it may include those. It's not a mission statement, website, or ad, though it
may be expressed in those. A brand is a promise your organization can keep. It's a benefit to members and prospects
that is understandable, believable, delivers superior value of affiliation, and differentiates you from the competition.
Whatever your current branding efforts are designed to do, they are perceived by your audience as making a
promise. And if that promise is not what you want to communicate, you're in trouble.
So research your members and prospects to find out what they think about what your brand is and what people
perceive you as promising. You'll discover if you're standing out in the way you want. Associations like the Sierra
Club, AARP, and the American Heart Association are so remarkable that people seek them out—to donate, to partner
or to become members themselves. Associations without a remarkable brand promise risk becoming just another
commodity.
To avoid the commodity trap, try to have an "only" in your promise. Volvo's tagline—"Volvo. For Life."—says that only
it promises the safest ride. BMW's—"The ultimate driving machine"—says only it promises you the ultimate driving
experience. The American Heart Association's—"Learn and Live"—says only it promises trustworthy education and
medical support to prevent and fight heart disease.
What does promise-based branding do for your organization? First, it builds an emotional connection between your
services and your members. By saying, "this is what your service promises" it also says, "this is who your members
are." It reinforces your members' self-image. American Heart Association: "I am someone who is empowered to care
for myself and to educate others. I can make a difference." What flows from this promise? Better acquisition and
retention of members. Better ROI. And a better bottom line.
How to Develop a Brand
Perform a brand-promise assessment: Interview your internal and external audiences. You'll learn three things:
1. what members want
2. what benefits your association delivers but may not promise
3. what other associations don't promise
The place where these three things intersect can be your brand promise.
You deliver that promise at every point of contact with your members. Start with internal communications to your staff,
so everyone knows and internalizes your promise and becomes an ambassador for your services or programs. To
make sure everyone in your association gets the consistent message, you might train one of your staff to become
your CMO: Chief Messaging Officer. From there, you can extend your promise into your website and digital
communications, offline advertising, collateral materials, social media, events and public relations.
Of course, you may hear objections to a rebranding effort. Let's take a look at some common ones.
"It sounds costly." Promise-based branding makes money. Often, the store brand at a supermarket has the same
formula as the national brand, yet the national brand is priced higher. People pay that price. What are they paying
for? The value of the brand.
"It sounds limiting." Some people will say, "When we talk to a prospect, we have to change our pitch depending on
who the prospect is—his or her demographics, psychographics, etc." One brand promise can resonate with a large
group. BMW's promise ("The ultimate driving machine") appeals to all affluent people who consider themselves
serious drivers, and most affluent people do. Likewise, the American Heart Association's promise ("Learn and live")
differentiates it from other health organizations because it promises that its special brand of care and education. It
unifies those who are sick with their families and supporters.
"Now is not a good time." It's the perfect time. Now that many people have less money, they are looking to break
out of their old spending habits. In the New Yorker, James Surowiecki explained how Kellogg and Post dominated the
packaged-cereal market in the 1920s, but Kellogg pulled ahead during the Depression by doubling its ad budget. Just
remember: Before you spend on advertising, make sure you have a brand—a promise—to spend behind.
Branding based on a great promise helps your association today and positions it for tomorrow. Promise-based
branding accelerates member acquisition and retention, and extends their lifetime value. If you don't take control of
branding by making a great promise, your audience will continue to brand you in ways you may not want—taking the
future out of your hands and in the control of others.
George Stephan is managing partner of Stephan Partners, a branding and digital marketing company. Email: