1 – Getting started
Planning your project by identifying why you are doing this, what you are hoping to achieve and when you are going to complete the project.
Why this is important
In a small organisation, it is always tempting to do things on the hoof but if you do this with something as important as your brand, you may not define it properly or even at all.
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It is important to set yourself a deadline and carve out time when you will conduct the work. You may find it easiest to do this out of the office so that you are not disturbed. It is hard to be prescriptive about how much time you will require as that will depend on your particular circumstances and how you work. However, a rough guide would be to set aside half a day a week for four weeks (counting this as your first).
Identifying why you are doing this project / what you hope to achieve, will help focus your mind and shape the work that you do – it will provide criteria by which you can judge the ultimate success of the project.
What you need to do
Write down the reasons why you are defining or re-defining your brand – how is it going to help your organisation?
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To start you off here are some possible reasons:
- We need to be able to articulate what we are about clearly and simply
- We have a lot of competition and need to show how we are different
- We need to be clear about our key messages – what are the things that we should be saying about ourselves that will resonate with our audience?
- We only have a small marketing budget and need to make the most of it
- We want to attract and retain a loyal band of customers
Draw up your timetable
Set a completion date – this may be driven by a specific event such as a grant application, conference or meeting. Be realistic but firm about the time you will need.
Activity
Use Worksheet 1 to record the impetus for your project and your proposed completion date.
Outcome
Identification and written record of the key drivers behind the project.
Charities are getting better at recognising that the impression they make is everything. They are investing in all aspects of their brands, recognising that it doesn’t start and end with a nice logo.
