By Caroline Roper
After redefining your mission and vision, conducting a SWOT analysis and focusing on internal branding, the next part of strategic planning is going public. Building an organization is hard work, and poor brand management and communication with the public could make it all in vain.
When building an organization, your external brand and what the public and stakeholders see outside your organization is an important piece of the branding puzzle. According to Quisto Settle, post-doctoral associate for the PIE Center, an organization’s external brand serves as more than a visual identity but also as a symbol of the organization’s values and reputation.
Below are a few helpful tips to remember when going public and externally branding your organization:
Consistency is key
Although your brand goes beyond your logo, it is important to make your visual identity a priority before going public. Designing your logo and symbol, setting a color scheme, deciding on what font you will use and possible slogans are important. These should be established before going public with your organization.
McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it” campaign demonstrates the importance of consistency. The trademark arches, the red background and “I’m lovin’ it” are all integral parts of its brand. Its consistent use of the slogan and symbols help the public easily recognize the brand. Consistency is key when communicating with the public and helps them remember the brand.
Make sure employees are prepared
Often when an organization begins to go public and work on external branding, they often forget the importance of employee preparedness. While it is important to make sure your brand has established an identity, it is also important to make sure employees are trained and prepared to discuss the organization. Employees represent the brand. For a brand to be successful, employees need to believe in and embody your organization’s mission, vision and purpose.
Interaction is important
When interacting with the public, every interaction is important. Every e-mail, phone call, social media interaction or store visit affects the public’s opinion of your organization and brand.
Whether through social media, over the phone or face-to-face, interacting with the public and maintaining a positive relationship is helpful in building your pool of potential stakeholders. Addressing short fallings and taking responsibility can go a long way to improve public opinion of your organization and build you brand.
Additionally, conducting customer surveys and asking for feedback can provide valuable insight into ways to improve your organization and meet customer needs.
Overall, external branding and working with the public are integral parts of an organization. You can improve your organization’s representation through a positive brand by being consistent in your identity and interactions with the public.
For more information on branding and its impact on an organization, read about the PIE Center’s work with the Florida Forest Service as they rebranded from the Division of Forestry and Settle’s article in the Journal of Applied Communications.
