Good marketing and design are essential to advancing good causes
We all have seen the beautiful and slick ways that corporations advertise their products. Using brilliant marketers and designers, we are exposed to clever campaigns that push products we probably don’t need, and may not even want.
Contrast that to most good causes. There are a ton of organizations doing amazing work who do not have clear messaging, beautiful and strategic marketing materials, or a detailed plan of how to interact with their constituencies. Too often marketing departments consist of an outsourced graphic designer or are the side project of a development coordinator.
A strong brand should be just as important to a non-profit, social enterprise, or NGO as it is to their for-profit counterparts. Great design and marketing allows a mission-driven organization to communicate its purpose and value to all of its constituencies, from clients and donors to employees and the community at large. A strong brand, communicated strategically with great design can help strenghten meaningful and emotional connections with these constituencies, and can signal far more in far shorter time than words alone. A strong brand is a consistant touch point for everyone who interfaces with the organization. It allows employees and clients to easily convey the organization’s value, presents a coherent narrative to media outlets, and acts as a key differentiator.
Obstacles to good marketing
Despite the clear advantages of good marketing and design, how many non-profits or social enterprises have reached a critical mass with a coherent message over the last 30 years? The number is actually quite small.
Over a decade ago when social enterprise began to emerge as a buzzword in the non-profit world, questions about the importance and ethics of making money through fee for service were rampant. Similar cultural concerns may be adding to resource deficiencies to produce an underemphasis on these essential parts of building a successful organization. Non-profits in particular may value low overhead ratios to measurements of impact, although the trend on this seems to be shifting. Others might be lured by the promise of pro-bono work, only to find out that it rarely delivers the quality and strategic fit that a great organization desires.
Examples of good marketing and design in the social sector
One of our favorites is the organization
(RED). Through partnerships and celebrity endorsements, (RED) has built a great brand. When you walk into an Apple store and see a (RED) ipod, or get a (RED) American Express card in the mail, or see any of the products in their huge and growing catalog, you know in an instant that you are making a donation to help fight AIDS. A simple color conveys a powerful message. While this effort takes an enormous amount of work behind the scenes, when it comes to the end user, this strong brand seems to effortlessly and effectively do its job.
Teach for America is a great example of a non-profit that has used strategic marketing to build a strong brand. By appealing not only to young people’s desire to be a part of something greater than themselves, but also to a sense of leadership exclusivity, Teach for America has marketed itself as one of the most elite post-college opportunities, and its paid off big. On many Ivy League campuses, TFA has become a more sought after recruiter than management consulting companies like McKinsey and Bain.
Making it work
Whatever the obstacles, organizations doing good in the world, deserve and need to seek out good marketing and design. These are quickly becoming important ways to differentiate oneself in the corporate world, and despite some unique challenges, it is important that social sector organizations do the same. In a world where two-way, authentic, and targeted communications are emerging in favor of one-size fits all sales jobs, organizations that are actually producing something of great meaning and value to the world need to make sure they are communicating that value with strategy, clarity, and consistency.
