Presentation on how to an organizational rebranding, led by Mame Annan-Brown of Results for Development

1. Building a Powerful Brand
TTIPEC Peer Learning Session
July 29, 2014
Mame Annan-Brown
Results for Development Institute
Chief Communications Officer

2. Agenda
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 Introductions
 The importance of defining your brand
 What is your brand?
 8-Step Guide to building a powerful brand
 Q&A

3. The importance of defining your brand amid the
shifting think tank landscape
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1. Policymakers in Africa are facing a number of
critical policy choices.
2. Africa is going through major structural
transformations - think tanks are playing an
even more critical role.
3. Governments and civil societies are facing the
challenge of making the right decisions in an
increasingly complex context.
Growing Influence Funding and
Independence
Outreach
Voice of America, Feb. 2014

4. What is your brand?
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5. What is your brand?
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 In its simplest form your
“brand” stands for
your reputation.
 Your brand is “not” your
name, logo or tagline, but
a combination of emotions
and facts about your
organization.
 The best brands are defined
by clarity of purpose.

6. 8-Step Guide to Building Your Brand
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7. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
Ask the hard
questions
Assess your
brand assets
8-step guide to building your brand
Build buy-in
and identify
needed
changes
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Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 4Step 8
Build your
team
Create a project
plan and
execute
Launch your
brand!
Fine tune and
review
Decide
what “type”
of rebrand
you need

8. STEP 1: Ask the hard questions
Look at your brand with brutal honesty and ask yourself:
1. Is it no longer relevant to your core audience?
2. Is it no longer relevant to your ethos, mission?
3. Is it causing you to lose bids?
4. Is it stopping you from winning new partnerships?
5. Have you outgrown it?
6. Are you unsure of what it stands for?
7. Is it no longer giving you a distinct identity?
8. Is it looking tired against the competition or just in
isolation?
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9. Case in point: R4D’s rebrand process
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 Timeframe: 6 month process (March 2013 – Sept 2013)
 Investment: $30,000 USD
 External firm: Orange Element
“R4D is a young, nimble organization that has had remarkable
growth. R4D is punching above it’s weight and the brand
should reflect that boldness.”
– R4D Brand Focus Group Respondent, 2013

10. Case in point: R4D’s rationale for rebrand
 R4D launched new brand in 2013.
 Impressive organizational trajectory since 2007.
 Rapid growth of R4D’s reputation and programs.
 R4D brand was lagging behind the organizations work
and impact.
R4D’s brand did not match it’s growth, impact and culture
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11. STEP 2: Decide what “type” of rebrand you need
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 Partial rebrand: Simple changes to the your logo the leave it
recognizable stakeholders while attracting new ones.
 Full rebrand: Major changes to the visual identity, and public
image or your organization.

12. STEP 3: Build buy-in + identify needed changes
 You can conduct research on several
levels to identify the specific changes
that your company needs to make to
rebrand.
1. Poll employees
2. Ask for feedback from external
stakeholders
3. Conduct research using surveys
or focus groups
4. Get leadership on board by
sharing outcomes of these surveys
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 Gleaned internal and
external perspective
from key audiences
 Held 1 internal staff
brand workshop
 7 focus groups and 1
external stakeholder
survey
 In total, consulted 80+
people
R4D

13. Case in point: Sample R4D focus group questions
1. What tone do you believe should be
portrayed in the brand – what
adjectives/action verbs come to mind?
2. Looking ahead 10-20 years into the
future, what personality trait would
you want the organization to be most
recognized most for?
3. Of your competitors brands, which do
you admire most or the least?
4. When talking about your organization
to external audiences, what aspect do
you find is easiest to talk about? What
most excites you? Can you describe
distinct attributes or WORDS that
illustrate this excitement?
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Gauge internal
and external
perspectives

14. STEP 4: Assess your brand assets
What brand assets do you have? What do you need to create?
1. Mission statement
2. Value proposition
3. Key audiences
4. Organizational values
5. What your brand stands for now
6. What you want it to stand for
7. Elevator speech
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15. STEP 5: Build your team
Build external team:
TOR/RFP process
1. Set a realistic budget and
timeline based on other
think tanks’ projects.
2. Give yourself 1-3 months to
source RFPs – source at least
4 prospect vendors.
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Build internal team:
1. Identify people in your
organization who have
influence and who can help
you drive through decisions,
e.g. your CEO, Executive
Director or Board Chair.

16. Top 3 tips for the brand RFP process
1. Outline the top branding challenges you are facing and ask
external vendors to suggest a solution in the RFP.
2. Select at least 2 finalists and ask them to bring their team to
meet you in person to pitch their RFP. Chemistry and
likeability is key.
3. Go for process and experience over flash.
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Check-List of Deliverables for Full Rebrand:
Logo, Branded Materials and Templates, Brand
Tenets/Attributes, Brand Guidelines,
Website Mock-Up, Elevator Speech/Tag Line

17. STEP 6: Create a project plan and execute
 Create a project plan jointly with your internal team and/or
external agency you choose.
 Closely manage the project plan and communicate to staff
the high-level timeline.
 Consult with your internal team, as needed, along the way.
Make sure you plan the required touch points to get buy-in
and decisions made smoothly.
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 Create an internal roll out-strategy
 Develop brand launch staff presentation and/or event.
 Create a knowledge management process.
 Create an external roll-out strategy
 E-mail communications to external stakeholders.
 Create a “Top 100” list of stakeholders.
 Recruit peers and partners to promote your brand
 Time your brand launch for a special event –
anniversary, major event or convening.
STEP 7: Launch your brand!

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 New R4D office design
 Refreshed online footprint
 New print materials
 Use of project photography to
showcase R4D’s staff and work
 Brand tenets
Case in point: R4D’s brand launch Sept 2013

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Case in point: R4D office redesign
DYNAMIC
EFFECTIVE
INVENTIVE
DIFFERENT
PROBLEM
SOLVERS
GLOBAL
R4D
brand tenets

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Case in point: R4D materials and campaigns

22. STEP 8: Fine tune and review
 Now that your new brand has launched get stakeholder
feedback (within 3-6 months of launch).
 Do periodic reviews of your brand assets.
 Enjoy your new brand but don’t be complacent.
Periodically step away and return to STEP #1, asking the
hard questions.
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23. Q&A
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