--- title: "Daily Buzz: Building a Branding Strategy" id: "44615" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-building-a-branding-strategy" published_at: "2018-10-26T19:55:46+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T23:04:02+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/10/26/daily-buzz-building-a-branding-strategy/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/10/26/daily-buzz-building-a-branding-strategy.md" excerpt: "You might not think of your nonprofit as a “brand,” but it is. And it needs a branding strategy to become more recognizable. Also: Look beyond ideas when considering innovation." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "Marketing" - "nonprofit" - "rebranding" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: Building a Branding Strategy The word “brand” is usually associated with the for-profit world, but any organization can cultivate its own persona—something that “reflects both their tangible and intangible attributes, such as their values, tone, or voice, and creates a single consistent message that drives their marketing strategy,” [says Natasha Lane in a post on the Engaging Volunteers blog (opens in a new tab)](https://blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/2018/10/25/making-a-name-why-branding-for-nonprofits-matters-more-than-ever/) . But for nonprofits, which don’t exist primarily to sell products or services like their for-profit counterparts, creating a recognizable brand identity can be a challenge. Lane shares three tactics to use in your branding strategies: **Tell a story.** “No matter the business, audiences have come to expect a story,” she says. “They want meaning and connection; they want to build a relationship with the brand.” **Establish partnerships.** Pair up with nonprofits and for-profits that align with your mission to gain visibility with audiences you might not have otherwise. **Build out the brand at all levels.** “A strong brand and story will unify your staff and supporters around a specific cause, energizing them to work hard in their roles to support your organization’s important work,” Lane says. ### Innovation Beyond Ideas > Innovation isn’t about ideas. It’s about solving problems and doing the hard things first. (by [@Digitaltonto (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/Digitaltonto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > ) [https://t.co/fLpOcDfYIh (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/fLpOcDfYIh) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > [pic.twitter.com/AcLWHVWNVU (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/AcLWHVWNVU) > > — Deirdre Reid, CAE (@DeirdreReid) [October 26, 2018 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/DeirdreReid/status/1055861640468619267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Ideas are easy, execution is hard.** The problem with innovation is that it’s often discussed in terms of ideation, but there’s more to it than that. [In a blog post on Medium (opens in a new tab)](https://medium.com/s/story/4-things-nobody-ever-tells-you-about-innovation-5a9168b89968) , author and *Inc.* contributor Greg Satell says the way that innovation is brought to life matters more than the original spark. Of course, there’s no specific script for that. “The truth is that there is no one path to innovation. Everybody has to find their own way,” he writes. “Just because someone had success with one strategy doesn’t mean it’s right for the problem you need to solve. So the best advice is to gather as many tools for your toolbox as you can.” ### Other Links of Note **You spend hours on your email marketing strategies,** but it’s all for nothing if your emails aren’t being delivered. The SendX blog shares their [guide to email deliverability (opens in a new tab)](https://blog.sendx.io/definitive-guide-to-email-deliverability/) . **Wondering what to expect from Apple’s iPad event?** *TechCrunch* breaks down [what could be announced at the company’s last hardware event of the season (opens in a new tab)](https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/26/what-to-expect-from-apples-ipad-event/) . **If you’re a millennial CEO,** *Forbes* explains [how to manage experienced executives effectively (opens in a new tab)](https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurencebradford/2018/10/24/how-to-manage-experienced-executives-as-a-millennial-ceo/#6f32355acca5) . (tumsasedgars/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#Marketing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/marketing/) [#nonprofit](https://associationsnow.com/tag/nonprofit/) [#rebranding](https://associationsnow.com/tag/rebranding/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: National Adoption AssociationOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-national-adoption-association/) - [VideoRecap from the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 19, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/19/recap-from-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 2 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 14, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/14/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-2-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoDaily Recap: Day 1 from the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/daily-recap-day-1-from-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2018%2F10%2F26%2Fdaily-buzz-building-a-branding-strategy%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !