Welcome to Volume 1, Issue 5 of Issue #5 Winter 2006 Happy New Year! And welcome to the 5th edition of Branding Bytes. Branding Bytes is a FREE quarterly e-letter courtesy of Larry Checco of Checco Communications (please refer below to our privacy policy and how to subscribe/unsubscribe). Past issues are archived on my website (www.checcocomm.net). Simply click Branding Bytes on the website homepage menu to access them. NOTE: Branding Bytes is copyrighted and may not be reprinted or reproduced without attributing Larry Checco of Checco Communications as its source and providing the website address above. Thank you. In this issue: Question: What is an internal brand audit? Tips from the field: An Executive Director's response to the last Branding Bytes' question "How can we turn our board members into better Brand Ambassadors for our organization?" Bits & Bytes Question Q. I've heard of financial and communications audits, but what exactly is an internal brand audit? A. Like a financial or communications audit, an internal brand audit is an independent review of an organization’s brand, which, if done properly, provides the organization with a baseline for how clearly its brand is defined, how well it is promoted and what policies or systems are in place to protect it. For the sake of objectivity, the audit is best performed by an outside professional who has a clear understanding of what good branding is all about. If yours is a small- or medium-size organization that thinks it doesn’t have a brand, think again. Anyone who has ever come into contact with your organization—its programs, products, services or staff—or has heard of you through other sources, already has a “brand” impression of who you are and what your do. But is that impression accurate and complete? And is it the impression you want them to have? The answers to these questions are determined by an external brand audit, which we will save for the next issue of Branding Bytes. Your first objective should be to obtain an accurate snapshot of where you currently are internally with your brand. Below are sample questions for what a good internal audit should probe for with respect to: Defining your brand To ensure everyone affiliated with your organization stays "on message", have you created a brand positioning statement (sometimes referred to as an “elevator speech”) that clearly defines who you are, what you do, how you do it and why anyone should care enough to support you? Are your brand messages and logo used consistently and uniformly in all your internal and external communications? Do you know that your brand messages resonate positively and clearly with audiences you are trying to reach? Promoting your brand Does everyone affiliated with your organization—from board members to support staff and volunteers—know what your brand messages are, and do they understand what it means to be a good Brand Ambassador for the organization? Do your leaders and staff actively promote your organization in the community? How effectively does your website and signage reflect your brand? Protecting the brand Does everyone in your organization know what it means to protect your brand—and what’s at stake it they don’t? Are you transparent with your finances, and do you have systems in place to protect the financial integrity of your organization? Have you established ethical standards through which all of your policy and decision making are filtered? The above are only sample brand audit questions. A thorough audit is designed to delve deeply into your organization's core values to ensure that your brand accurately--and honestly--reflects who you are, what you do, how you do it and why anyone should care enough to support you. Keep in mind that a brand is not a cosmetic you apply to make your organization look pretty. Your brand is nothing less than your organization's DNA! Tips from the Field The Q&A in the last issue of Branding Bytes--"How can we turn our board members into better Brand Ambassadors for our organization?"--drew a number of responses from readers. One of the more instructive came from the Founder and Former CEO of Rebuilding Together, Patricia Riley Johnson. Ms. Johnson wrote: "This [Branding Bytes] is a great communication. You might wish to add role-playing to your list of things to help board members become better Brand Ambassadors. My board leaders asked me to conduct a role-playing exercise that would demonstrate exactly what I would do/say when I visited a corporate CEO. Years later, I continue to hear it was one of the most powerful 'helps' they ever received. Hearing the words aloud, watching the interactions between role players, etc. truly helped many board members much more than if they had simply read the information to themselves. And by discussing the feedback, the 'ask' [for funding] got even stronger." Bits & Bytes I've been invited to speak again about branding on Global Talk Radio's "De-Mystifying Nonprofits", hosted by Celeste Terry. I will be answering questions posed by the leaders of four nonprofits selected from around the country. The goal is to help them overcome specific challenges they currently face in trying to raise the visibility and value of their organizations. The show will be broadcast live over the internet on Tuesday, January 16, at 6 p.m. EST. Simply log onto www.globaltalkradio.com and click on "Listen Live" on January 16th at the appropriate time, depending on your time zone. Please join us. The phone lines will be open for your questions, as well. Accountability and brand integrity are closely linked. Whether you are a funder, civic leader, shareholder, or concerned citizen, everyone seems to be seeking greater and greater accountability from those they support. Accountability Central is a terrific new web-based resource for news, intelligence, insight, perspective, opinion, and advice on activities surrounding accountability, what it means and how to achieve it. For more information, log onto www.accountability-central.com If planning is a good management tool, then branding is a good messaging tool to help management achieve its stated goals and objectives. Independent consultant, Michelle Coussens, puts out a free, extremely informative organization planning e-letter. To get on Michelle's mailing list, contact her @ michelledcoussens@yahoo.com "Branding for Success" In addition to being sold throughout the U.S., I am pleased to report that my book, Branding for Success: A Roadmap for Raising the Visibility and Value of Your Nonprofit Organization, has found its way to Australia, Canada, South Africa and Sweden. Many readers have emailed to say how it has helped them to implement practical, cost-effective branding strategies for their organizations. Branding for Success is an inexpensive way to introduce the concept of good branding principles to your board members and staff. Order copies by logging on to my website: www.checcocomm.net. NOTE: The book is also available through www.Amazon.com, www.trafford.com, and numerous organization website. As always, I look forward to receiving your feedback, questions, success stories and challenges. Also, if you are in need of a motivational speaker, trainer or branding consultant/coach, I invite you to contact me or log onto my website for more information. In the meantime, good luck with your branding! Larry Privacy Policy—we do not sell, rent, or lend the e-mail addresses of our subscribers. N O T E: If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Branding Bytes by emailing me at Larry.checco@verizon.net and asking to be placed on the mailing list If you would like to unsubscribe from Branding Bytes, simply click Reply and type in "REMOVE" on the subject line. Branding Bytes is copyrighted and may not be reprinted or reproduced without attributing Larry Checco of Checco Communications as its source author.
Issue #5 Winter 2006 Happy New Year! And welcome to the 5th edition of Branding Bytes. Branding Bytes is a FREE quarterly e-letter courtesy of Larry Checco of Checco Communications (please refer below to our privacy policy and how to subscribe/unsubscribe). Past issues are archived on my website (www.checcocomm.net). Simply click Branding Bytes on the website homepage menu to access them. NOTE: Branding Bytes is copyrighted and may not be reprinted or reproduced without attributing Larry Checco of Checco Communications as its source and providing the website address above. Thank you. In this issue: Question: What is an internal brand audit? Tips from the field: An Executive Director's response to the last Branding Bytes' question "How can we turn our board members into better Brand Ambassadors for our organization?" Bits & Bytes Question Q. I've heard of financial and communications audits, but what exactly is an internal brand audit? A. Like a financial or communications audit, an internal brand audit is an independent review of an organization’s brand, which, if done properly, provides the organization with a baseline for how clearly its brand is defined, how well it is promoted and what policies or systems are in place to protect it. For the sake of objectivity, the audit is best performed by an outside professional who has a clear understanding of what good branding is all about. If yours is a small- or medium-size organization that thinks it doesn’t have a brand, think again. Anyone who has ever come into contact with your organization—its programs, products, services or staff—or has heard of you through other sources, already has a “brand” impression of who you are and what your do. But is that impression accurate and complete? And is it the impression you want them to have? The answers to these questions are determined by an external brand audit, which we will save for the next issue of Branding Bytes. Your first objective should be to obtain an accurate snapshot of where you currently are internally with your brand. Below are sample questions for what a good internal audit should probe for with respect to: Defining your brand To ensure everyone affiliated with your organization stays "on message", have you created a brand positioning statement (sometimes referred to as an “elevator speech”) that clearly defines who you are, what you do, how you do it and why anyone should care enough to support you? Are your brand messages and logo used consistently and uniformly in all your internal and external communications? Do you know that your brand messages resonate positively and clearly with audiences you are trying to reach? Promoting your brand Does everyone affiliated with your organization—from board members to support staff and volunteers—know what your brand messages are, and do they understand what it means to be a good Brand Ambassador for the organization? Do your leaders and staff actively promote your organization in the community? How effectively does your website and signage reflect your brand? Protecting the brand Does everyone in your organization know what it means to protect your brand—and what’s at stake it they don’t? Are you transparent with your finances, and do you have systems in place to protect the financial integrity of your organization? Have you established ethical standards through which all of your policy and decision making are filtered? The above are only sample brand audit questions. A thorough audit is designed to delve deeply into your organization's core values to ensure that your brand accurately--and honestly--reflects who you are, what you do, how you do it and why anyone should care enough to support you. Keep in mind that a brand is not a cosmetic you apply to make your organization look pretty. Your brand is nothing less than your organization's DNA! Tips from the Field The Q&A in the last issue of Branding Bytes--"How can we turn our board members into better Brand Ambassadors for our organization?"--drew a number of responses from readers. One of the more instructive came from the Founder and Former CEO of Rebuilding Together, Patricia Riley Johnson. Ms. Johnson wrote: "This [Branding Bytes] is a great communication. You might wish to add role-playing to your list of things to help board members become better Brand Ambassadors. My board leaders asked me to conduct a role-playing exercise that would demonstrate exactly what I would do/say when I visited a corporate CEO. Years later, I continue to hear it was one of the most powerful 'helps' they ever received. Hearing the words aloud, watching the interactions between role players, etc. truly helped many board members much more than if they had simply read the information to themselves. And by discussing the feedback, the 'ask' [for funding] got even stronger." Bits & Bytes I've been invited to speak again about branding on Global Talk Radio's "De-Mystifying Nonprofits", hosted by Celeste Terry. I will be answering questions posed by the leaders of four nonprofits selected from around the country. The goal is to help them overcome specific challenges they currently face in trying to raise the visibility and value of their organizations. The show will be broadcast live over the internet on Tuesday, January 16, at 6 p.m. EST. Simply log onto www.globaltalkradio.com and click on "Listen Live" on January 16th at the appropriate time, depending on your time zone. Please join us. The phone lines will be open for your questions, as well. Accountability and brand integrity are closely linked. Whether you are a funder, civic leader, shareholder, or concerned citizen, everyone seems to be seeking greater and greater accountability from those they support. Accountability Central is a terrific new web-based resource for news, intelligence, insight, perspective, opinion, and advice on activities surrounding accountability, what it means and how to achieve it. For more information, log onto www.accountability-central.com If planning is a good management tool, then branding is a good messaging tool to help management achieve its stated goals and objectives. Independent consultant, Michelle Coussens, puts out a free, extremely informative organization planning e-letter. To get on Michelle's mailing list, contact her @ michelledcoussens@yahoo.com "Branding for Success" In addition to being sold throughout the U.S., I am pleased to report that my book, Branding for Success: A Roadmap for Raising the Visibility and Value of Your Nonprofit Organization, has found its way to Australia, Canada, South Africa and Sweden. Many readers have emailed to say how it has helped them to implement practical, cost-effective branding strategies for their organizations. Branding for Success is an inexpensive way to introduce the concept of good branding principles to your board members and staff. Order copies by logging on to my website: www.checcocomm.net. NOTE: The book is also available through www.Amazon.com, www.trafford.com, and numerous organization website. As always, I look forward to receiving your feedback, questions, success stories and challenges. Also, if you are in need of a motivational speaker, trainer or branding consultant/coach, I invite you to contact me or log onto my website for more information. In the meantime, good luck with your branding! Larry Privacy Policy—we do not sell, rent, or lend the e-mail addresses of our subscribers. N O T E: If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Branding Bytes by emailing me at Larry.checco@verizon.net and asking to be placed on the mailing list If you would like to unsubscribe from Branding Bytes, simply click Reply and type in "REMOVE" on the subject line. Branding Bytes is copyrighted and may not be reprinted or reproduced without attributing Larry Checco of Checco Communications as its source author.
Issue #5 Winter 2006 Happy New Year! And welcome to the 5th edition of Branding Bytes. Branding Bytes is a FREE quarterly e-letter courtesy of Larry Checco of Checco Communications (please refer below to our privacy policy and how to subscribe/unsubscribe). Past issues are archived on my website (www.checcocomm.net). Simply click Branding Bytes on the website homepage menu to access them. NOTE: Branding Bytes is copyrighted and may not be reprinted or reproduced without attributing Larry Checco of Checco Communications as its source and providing the website address above. Thank you. In this issue: Question: What is an internal brand audit? Tips from the field: An Executive Director's response to the last Branding Bytes' question "How can we turn our board members into better Brand Ambassadors for our organization?" Bits & Bytes Question Q. I've heard of financial and communications audits, but what exactly is an internal brand audit? A. Like a financial or communications audit, an internal brand audit is an independent review of an organization’s brand, which, if done properly, provides the organization with a baseline for how clearly its brand is defined, how well it is promoted and what policies or systems are in place to protect it. For the sake of objectivity, the audit is best performed by an outside professional who has a clear understanding of what good branding is all about. If yours is a small- or medium-size organization that thinks it doesn’t have a brand, think again. Anyone who has ever come into contact with your organization—its programs, products, services or staff—or has heard of you through other sources, already has a “brand” impression of who you are and what your do. But is that impression accurate and complete? And is it the impression you want them to have? The answers to these questions are determined by an external brand audit, which we will save for the next issue of Branding Bytes. Your first objective should be to obtain an accurate snapshot of where you currently are internally with your brand. Below are sample questions for what a good internal audit should probe for with respect to: Defining your brand To ensure everyone affiliated with your organization stays "on message", have you created a brand positioning statement (sometimes referred to as an “elevator speech”) that clearly defines who you are, what you do, how you do it and why anyone should care enough to support you? Are your brand messages and logo used consistently and uniformly in all your internal and external communications? Do you know that your brand messages resonate positively and clearly with audiences you are trying to reach? Promoting your brand Does everyone affiliated with your organization—from board members to support staff and volunteers—know what your brand messages are, and do they understand what it means to be a good Brand Ambassador for the organization? Do your leaders and staff actively promote your organization in the community? How effectively does your website and signage reflect your brand? Protecting the brand Does everyone in your organization know what it means to protect your brand—and what’s at stake it they don’t? Are you transparent with your finances, and do you have systems in place to protect the financial integrity of your organization? Have you established ethical standards through which all of your policy and decision making are filtered? The above are only sample brand audit questions. A thorough audit is designed to delve deeply into your organization's core values to ensure that your brand accurately--and honestly--reflects who you are, what you do, how you do it and why anyone should care enough to support you. Keep in mind that a brand is not a cosmetic you apply to make your organization look pretty. Your brand is nothing less than your organization's DNA! Tips from the Field The Q&A in the last issue of Branding Bytes--"How can we turn our board members into better Brand Ambassadors for our organization?"--drew a number of responses from readers. One of the more instructive came from the Founder and Former CEO of Rebuilding Together, Patricia Riley Johnson. Ms. Johnson wrote: "This [Branding Bytes] is a great communication. You might wish to add role-playing to your list of things to help board members become better Brand Ambassadors. My board leaders asked me to conduct a role-playing exercise that would demonstrate exactly what I would do/say when I visited a corporate CEO. Years later, I continue to hear it was one of the most powerful 'helps' they ever received. Hearing the words aloud, watching the interactions between role players, etc. truly helped many board members much more than if they had simply read the information to themselves. And by discussing the feedback, the 'ask' [for funding] got even stronger." Bits & Bytes I've been invited to speak again about branding on Global Talk Radio's "De-Mystifying Nonprofits", hosted by Celeste Terry. I will be answering questions posed by the leaders of four nonprofits selected from around the country. The goal is to help them overcome specific challenges they currently face in trying to raise the visibility and value of their organizations. The show will be broadcast live over the internet on Tuesday, January 16, at 6 p.m. EST. Simply log onto www.globaltalkradio.com and click on "Listen Live" on January 16th at the appropriate time, depending on your time zone. Please join us. The phone lines will be open for your questions, as well. Accountability and brand integrity are closely linked. Whether you are a funder, civic leader, shareholder, or concerned citizen, everyone seems to be seeking greater and greater accountability from those they support. Accountability Central is a terrific new web-based resource for news, intelligence, insight, perspective, opinion, and advice on activities surrounding accountability, what it means and how to achieve it. For more information, log onto www.accountability-central.com If planning is a good management tool, then branding is a good messaging tool to help management achieve its stated goals and objectives. Independent consultant, Michelle Coussens, puts out a free, extremely informative organization planning e-letter. To get on Michelle's mailing list, contact her @ michelledcoussens@yahoo.com "Branding for Success" In addition to being sold throughout the U.S., I am pleased to report that my book, Branding for Success: A Roadmap for Raising the Visibility and Value of Your Nonprofit Organization, has found its way to Australia, Canada, South Africa and Sweden. Many readers have emailed to say how it has helped them to implement practical, cost-effective branding strategies for their organizations. Branding for Success is an inexpensive way to introduce the concept of good branding principles to your board members and staff. Order copies by logging on to my website: www.checcocomm.net. NOTE: The book is also available through www.Amazon.com, www.trafford.com, and numerous organization website. As always, I look forward to receiving your feedback, questions, success stories and challenges. Also, if you are in need of a motivational speaker, trainer or branding consultant/coach, I invite you to contact me or log onto my website for more information.
Question
A. Like a financial or communications audit, an internal brand audit is an independent review of an organization’s brand, which, if done properly, provides the organization with a baseline for how clearly its brand is defined, how well it is promoted and what policies or systems are in place to protect it. For the sake of objectivity, the audit is best performed by an outside professional who has a clear understanding of what good branding is all about.
If yours is a small- or medium-size organization that thinks it doesn’t have a brand, think again.
Anyone who has ever come into contact with your organization—its programs, products, services or staff—or has heard of you through other sources, already has a “brand” impression of who you are and what your do. But is that impression accurate and complete? And is it the impression you want them to have? The answers to these questions are determined by an external brand audit, which we will save for the next issue of Branding Bytes. Your first objective should be to obtain an accurate snapshot of where you currently are internally with your brand.
Below are sample questions for what a good internal audit should probe for with respect to:
Defining your brand
Promoting your brand
Protecting the brand
The above are only sample brand audit questions. A thorough audit is designed to delve deeply into your organization's core values to ensure that your brand accurately--and honestly--reflects who you are, what you do, how you do it and why anyone should care enough to support you. Keep in mind that a brand is not a cosmetic you apply to make your organization look pretty. Your brand is nothing less than your organization's DNA!
Tips from the Field
The Q&A in the last issue of Branding Bytes--"How can we turn our board members into better Brand Ambassadors for our organization?"--drew a number of responses from readers. One of the more instructive came from the Founder and Former CEO of Rebuilding Together, Patricia Riley Johnson.
Ms. Johnson wrote: "This [Branding Bytes] is a great communication. You might wish to add role-playing to your list of things to help board members become better Brand Ambassadors. My board leaders asked me to conduct a role-playing exercise that would demonstrate exactly what I would do/say when I visited a corporate CEO. Years later, I continue to hear it was one of the most powerful 'helps' they ever received. Hearing the words aloud, watching the interactions between role players, etc. truly helped many board members much more than if they had simply read the information to themselves. And by discussing the feedback, the 'ask' [for funding] got even stronger."
In the meantime, good luck with your branding! Larry Privacy Policy—we do not sell, rent, or lend the e-mail addresses of our subscribers. N O T E: If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Branding Bytes by emailing me at Larry.checco@verizon.net and asking to be placed on the mailing list If you would like to unsubscribe from Branding Bytes, simply click Reply and type in "REMOVE" on the subject line. Branding Bytes is copyrighted and may not be reprinted or reproduced without attributing Larry Checco of Checco Communications as its source author.
Other Issues of Branding Bytes Vol 1 Issue 01 Vol 1 Issue 02 Vol 1 Issue 03 Vol 1 Issue 04 Vol 1 Issue 05 Vol 1 Issue 06 Vol 1 Issue 07 Vol 1 Issue 08 Vol 1 Issue 09 Vol 1 Issue 10 Vol 1 Issue 11 Vol 1 Issue 12
