Earlier this week I attended the annual conference of the International Forum of Visual Practitioners for the first time. I’ve been curious about this area of practice for a while, but could I be any good at it? I’d read The Graphic Facilitator’s Guide, Brandy Agerbeck’s first book. She’s a leading practitioner and thought leader…
A few years ago, a small performing arts organization in California was having an identity crisis. They were asking themselves the question: Who are we – really?! Background Pacific Crest Youth Arts Organization was founded in 1993. Back then they didn’t want to be known only as a drum and bugle corps, an organization that…
Knowing who you are as an organization and how you are perceived is a critical part of the branding process. Once you’ve got a handle on your mission, vision, values, and messages (congrats!), you’ll want to start disseminating your brand identity to the world. But do you really know who you’re trying to reach? A…
Haven’t you noticed Suddenly I’m bright and breezy? Because of all the beautiful and new Things I’m learning about you Day by day If you’re reading this, you’re probably on my email list (and if you’re not, what are you waiting for??). I have a question for you: have you ever hung out with somebody who…
We know that branding is a great way to uncover and define an organization’s authentic self. But did you know that some of the most authentic stories may come from the past? A group that’s growing its brand reputation and perception should consider not only look into the future, but backwards, too – to identify and honor…
A Mood board is a tool that can be used during branding to help organizations get a sense of how their brand is evolving. Mood boards are a collage of: Colors Textures Patterns Images I’m a creative person and graphic designer. Even if I’m not working on a project that involves designing visual identity, I’ll start to…
I feel like I’m always using the word authentic to qualify the word brand. I do this because authenticity in a brand is of paramount importance. You can’t just make up your brand. No matter how much you want to pay me, I can’t develop the character of your brand either. Your brand is who…
Is your nonprofit… Passionate? Personable? Nurturing? Confident? These are just some of the Brand Personality traits a nonprofit might have. What are yours? Not sure? Does your personality change with each message, audience, or marketing piece? Why it’s important to have a clearly defined Brand Personality Defining an organization’s Brand Personality is one aspect to…
Lately I’ve found myself in the odd position of recommending an organization not pursue developing a new (or re-designing their existing) logo and tagline. Why do people so commonly think it should be their first marketing step, and why am I – a branding consultant – pulling back the reins? Your logo is good enough…
