Messaging What Matters:

Making Meaning to Make a Difference

Holding good ideas up to the light

Message

•Program messages advance the day-to-day work

•Brand messages describe the organization

A brand is a person’s gut reaction

about a service, product or

organization.

Source: Marty Neumeier, Brand Gap

Your Brand = Your Reputation

A brand explains an organization

to itself, its stakeholders, and the

people it serves.

It is the DNA of your organization.

A brand is more than a logo

Your brand is not…

an ad campaign

a logo

a web site

Your Brand is the Sum of Everything

comm

unications

programs

values + vision

wor

ds

beha

vior

s

soul

Aim

StaffBoardFundersDonors Volunteers

UseEvolveLive it!

Focus

Three Steps

Align

Act

THE SOUL OF AN ORGANIZATION

PROMISEWhat’s the contract

you offer? What do you deliver?

VALUESWhat drives you?

PERSONALITY How do you operate?

How do people experience working

with you?

Promise Statement

The brand promise statement is…the value your constituents receive from your work.

The brand promise statement is not… intended as a public message, but as a tool to convey the organization’s essence.

The Center for American Progress is a think

tank dedicated to improving the lives of Americans

through ideas and action. We combine bold

policy ideas with a modern communications

platform to help shape the national debate,

expose the hollowness of conservative

governing philosophy, and challenge the

media to cover the issues that

truly matter.

Mission Statement

Progressive ideas for a strong, just and free America.

Brand Promise

Mission Statement

To promote a larger,

healthier urban forest as

part of the urban ecosystem

through community

planting, maintenance,

education and advocacy.

Create a greener San Francisco,

tree by tree.

Brand Promise

The brand values are

the animating idea

behind your brand.

They drive you to do what you do and they help

align your behaviors with your brand promise.

Brand Values

Authenticity

Equality

Trust

Brand Values

Relevance

Action-ability

Legacy

Brand Values

The brand personality are the attributes and

qualities that come to mind when someone

hears about you.

These help to distinguish you from other

organizations and, along with the promise,

offer a reason to work with you.

Personality

Brand Personality

THE SOUL OF AN ORGANIZATION

PROMISEWhat’s the contract

you offer? What do you deliver?

VALUESWhat drives you?

PERSONALITY How do you operate?

How do people experience working

with you?

Case Study

PROMISEChange the

Conversation. Again.

VALUESTruth-telling

Transparency Community PERSONALITY

Fearless Watchdogs Outspoken

“There’s nothing about cancer that is pretty or pink or soft or fluffy. Life is worth celebrating, not cancer. People recognize the truth when they see it and the reality is cancer does suck. It’s time we all told the truth about breast cancer. Join us.” --BCA

Let’s play!Exercises designed to unlock the

building blocks of your brand identity

DNA

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2.

3.

4.

5.

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7.

8.

9.

10.

DNA

What 10 words best describe what lies at the heart of your organization and its work?

• Look at the list you created in the DNA exercise.

• If you had to lose five of the words/ideas, which would they be?

• What if you could only have three?

• What one idea would you fight for keeping at any cost?

• That’s your word – without it, you wouldn’t be you.

Forced Sacrifice

A great way to unlock what you are most passionate about is to determine….

Purposeful Passion

What are you fighting for? What are you fighting against?

• Imagine that your organization is a person. Describe that person.

• Now write their online dating profile.

Personality

Elevator Speech

What are your

ideas?

Keep It Simple, Sweetheart!

INSPIRATIONIL

LUM

INAT

ION

INTENTION

INSIGHT IMPACT

@LBCollab

www.lightboxcollaborative.com