Henning Communications Blog

January 17, 2012

Brand Valuation
The Streets of Rome

On a trip to Rome several years ago, I learned that some brands have been around for thousands of years. I was walking down a street in Rome and noticed the letters SPQR embossed on a man hole cover. I remembered seeing these letters on a banner carried by a charioteer in the classic film Ben Hur. The letters stand for a Latin phrase "senatus populusque Romanus" - the senate and people of Rome. With only a little research I discovered this brand is still in use today on the crest of the city of Rome. Now that's consistency!

Whether a powerful, ancient city or a local nonprofit, organizations that invest in their brand learn the value of consistency and clarity. Audiences become accustomed to your look and feel. Friends and supporters become comfortable with your messages. Employees and staff find it easier to deliver quality communications, putting an end to the frustration of feeling like they are always starting over. Most of all, donor confidence improves and loyalty increases.

How can you be sure your investment is paying off? Ask these three questions:

  1. Do our strategic partners and stakeholders know our brand?
  2. Can our board members articulate the brand message?
  3. Is our brand used effectively through all communications channels?

Take a look at a brand valuation analysis below for some of the country's most well-known not-for-profit organizations. The dollar amount attributed to the brand equals the investment that would be required to raise awareness to current levels if the charity opened its doors today. Over time, the cumulative impact of brand marketing is evident.

Brand Valuation is an indicator of the strength of the organization's image. Knowing the value of a brand provides nonprofits with the information and inspiration they need to make their brands work harder. Brands listed below were valued based on five years of consolidated financial data and a nationally representative consumer perception survey, among several other metrics.

  1. YMCA of the USA, US
  2. The Salvation Army, US
  3. United Way of America, US
  4. American Red Cross, US
  5. Goodwill Industries, International/US
  6. Catholic Charities USA, US
  7. Habitat for Humanity, International/US
  8. American Cancer Society, US
  9. The Arc of the United States, US
  10. Boys & Girls Clubs of America, US

$6.4 (billons of dollars)
$4.7
$4.5
$3.1
$2.5
$2.4
$1.8
$1.4
$1.2
$1.2

Our goal at Henning Communications is to help nonprofits better understand how to protect and project their brands to generate increased interest and revenue. Even if your organization has a strong brand its power needs to be leveraged. Three ways to improve your brand positioning are:

  1. Make sure your communications and branding goals reflect your strategic goals. Branding and marketing messages are crafted quite differently from a mission statement. Be clear!
  2. Insist on board involvement. They are your best advocates and need to be able to easily and comfortably express the brand essence. Own it!
  3. Branding should impact all communications. Start slowly, but gradually work toward delivering your strategic messages and brand personality through all channels from donor letters to your community report and website. Stick with it!

Your brand is who you are. It is the personality of your organization and gives character and life to your mission. Your brand messages and images should be striking, unique and powerful . . . simple, imaginative and fresh.

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> The Streets of Rome


Patrick Henning, M.A.
President

314.436.6464 Ext. 26
patrick@henningcommunications.com