Perry
Hewitt
We want people to care about design as much as we do, but how can they if we speak to them in a foreign language? It’s important that, as we do with any user, we find a shared vocabulary and empower everyone else to become evangelists for our cause.
— Inayaili de Leon in A List Apart with a great reminder that even if we spend all day communicating across platforms, there’s a lot to be gained by building a narrative and a shared vocabulary.
Just read The Role of Brand in the Nonprofit Sector which pointed to the emerging acceptance of brand as strategic asset that goes beyond tactical fundraising tool.
There’s an interesting tension between the rise of individual voices through social media, and a dated perception that messaging hierarchies mandate institutional lockstep. This is definitely a top FAQ: “why bother with any kind of communications coordination in the age of social media?” For me, the answer is that social presents an opportunity to reinvigorate brand messaging – to listen and to reach out to constituents (be they employees, supporters, alumni) to understand more about your brand’s resonance — and then to use that understanding to craft messages that stick.
The authors said it best: democracy != anarchy. Working with nonprofit brands serves up an opportunity to learn and engage with social to refine brand positioning.