Bottom-up Branding
Change doesn’t always come from the top.
Let’s face it, 2020 was an upside-down kind of year. The events of the moment consistently drove our collective narrative. The goals and priorities that we individually set out with quickly fell to the wayside as we all navigated a pandemic, civil unrest, and a highly polarized presidential election. Top-down directives were largely made in response mode rather than through well-considered strategic direction.
2021 is starting with its own twists, turns, and external forces commanding our attention. The organization-wide brand initiatives that often kick off in a new year already feel all the more ambitious. Change can be hard even in the best of circumstances.
We still need to communicate. We still need to reach our constituents. We still need a coherent message. So where to start? Start small. Start at the bottom–take stock, target enhancements, test pilots. Working from the bottom up provides a more manageable approach for uncertain times.
Take stock
Just as there are two sides to any conversation, there is more than one voice to consider in clarifying your brand. Listen to your audience, engage your staff that is closest to the day-to-day work of your organization, and review all of your current communications materials.
Listen to your audience
In the purpose-driven space, it’s far too common for an organization to focus on what it wants to say rather than how it’s perceived. Reaching out to your audience through focus groups, one-on-one interviews, and surveys will reveal what your audience really thinks about you, along with what they need, hope for, and expect from you.
Engage your staff
Your working-level staff is certain to have an ear to the ground and insights of their own. Encourage these team members to fill in the gaps and tie what audiences are and aren’t saying to their understanding of your brand.
Audit your communications
Is your organization speaking with a consistent voice? How well are your digital properties performing? A qualitative review of all communications materials will reveal any inconsistencies in voice and tone while user testing and web analytics will provide insights into how you’re performing online. A review of your peers’ materials will offer additional insights and opportunities.
Taking stock will help determine the most critical areas in which to focus your attention.
Target enhancements
A large portion of your brand experience likely lives online. In interviewing your audience, much of their feedback is certain to be in response to your digital presence. The features and functionality of your website are just as important as the voice and tone that you share across the web. And likely, each area could use a little improvement.
Refine voice and tone
An organization’s purpose, mission, and vision aren’t always immediately clear. Clarifying language such as a succinct tagline can remedy a cumbersome or outdated mission statement, while edits to feature content on key webpages can go a long way towards presenting a cohesive message.
Improve website functionality
Essential functions like search should return expected results. When they don’t, your credibility takes a hit. If your audience isn’t sure where to look for what they need, establish additional pathways to content that make sense for those that don’t use your site every day. Any functional issues revealed through audience interviews should take top priority.
Provide new features
What does your audience want from your website? Could longer-form content be complimented by quicker takeaways? Could supporting data be visualized? Could supporting data be downloaded? New features can provide quick wins.
Targeted enhancements to your existing online presence can drive deeper engagement.
Test pilots
Some members of your audience likely feel either underserved by or uninterested in your current communications channels. In the audience interview process, it’s critical to determine where your audience is spending their time. Each place where your audience is and you aren’t is an opportunity to pilot a new offering.
Consider podcasts, email newsletters, and social channels as a starting point.
Develop a Podcast
The power of story can’t be underestimated in connecting an audience with an issue. Podcasts provide a unique opportunity to share your stories in an audio-only format that is accessed in and out of the office.
Create an email newsletter
Sure, your organization probably already has an email newsletter. How targeted is it? We all spend too much time in our inboxes and we tend to tune out whatever isn’t clearly directed towards us. How about a newsletter that is tied to a very specific issue or segment of your audience?
Adopt a new social channel
Facebook, Twitter, maybe LinkedIn. It might feel like you’ve got your social bases covered. As new channels emerge, the possibilities aren’t always immediately apparent. Who would have guessed that Twitter would essentially replace the press release or that Instagram could be so effective at delivering headlines in a visual format? Find the platform that your audience prefers and test the limits.
Each pilot comes with its own level of commitment from you and your team. Leverage the MVP (minimum viable product) mindset to start small and test ideas that can scale with demand.
What’s your brand goal for the coming year? A better understanding of your audience? An improved digital experience? A new pilot to test? Something more ambitious?
Bottoms up to 2021.