Top tips for an effective charity rebrand

Charity rebrand: why, when and how?

Deciding to undertake a charity rebrand is a significant move. Your charity’s brand shows people who you are, your mission, your values, and inspires strong and lasting connections. It’s an integral strategic tool that brings a charity’s purpose to life and provides a stable foundation to help you achieve your goals. So, getting it right is vital!

This doesn’t just apply to larger charities; small and medium-sized charities have the potential to wield as much power through their brand and create great impact.

But, where to start? Well, there are a few key reasons why it might be time to explore going through a rebrand.

Why undertake a charity rebrand?

Why and when is it time to take the plunge and go through a rebrand? From our experience, these are the most common reasons for deciding to undergo a rebrand:

Alignment with new goals and mission: For charities looking to expand their scope, refocus their mission, or introduce new goals and values, this can present a prime opportunity to explore brand realignment.
Communicating purpose: Sometimes, a charity’s name, logo, or messaging may not effectively align with, or communicate, its work, purpose, or impact. Rebranding can help to improve communication and boost engagement with key audiences.
Differentiation: In a crowded non-profit landscape, a charity rebrand can help an organisation distinguish itself from competitors and reinforce its unique case for support.
Updating the visual identity: An outdated identity can make a charity appear old-fashioned, out of touch and even less trusted. An effective rebrand can enhance a charity’s identity, change perceptions, and build trust and loyalty.

Our top tips for an effective charity rebrand

Now we understand why a charity may undertake a rebrand, let’s look at some key points worth considering to ensure an effective and (hopefully) exciting rebrand journey.

1. Understanding the need for change:
Arguably the most important aspect of a rebrand is understanding the reasons for it. Aligning all those involved under a shared vision and purpose promotes objectivity and acts as the north star for decision-making. Having a defined need for change enables you to take others on the journey with you, exciting them with the potential impact this process will have on your charity and those it helps.

2. Setting clear objectives:
Another crucial step is defining clear objectives and measures of success. Again, this helps align internal and external teams on a shared mission, with no ambiguity regarding what you’re looking to achieve as a result. Measurable objectives are also a fantastic way to track progress and adapt the goals or metrics if necessary.

3. Research and analysis:
Research and analysis are fundamental in the process of a charity rebrand. They provide the foundation for informed decisions and a deep understanding of your members, their needs, frustrations and perception of your organisation. You will also gain crucial insight into your strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. This information will guide subsequent decisions about your rebrand, ensuring it reinforces your mission, delivers on your objectives and effectively engages with your audience.

4. Craft your brand story:
Your brand story is the narrative that communicates your mission, values, and impact in a way that engages, inspires, and connects with your audience. It’s an opportunity to communicate why your charity exists, what makes it unique and the change it aspires to bring. A well-crafted brand story taps into the emotions of your audience, helping them relate to your charity on a personal level and inspiring support.

Image for A person stands next to a sign.

5. Updating your visual identity:
This is easily the most emotional and subjective stage of any rebranding process and is the one which can easily derail a project if not handled correctly. To remove the subjective element as much as possible, frame discussions around the mission and objectives of the rebrand. Ensure that any development work aligns with your values, leverages brand equity and capitalises on any opportunities identified through your research.

6. Engaging stakeholders:
Engaging with employees, volunteers, donors and beneficiaries throughout the process is essential. It helps maintain the trust and support of those involved with, or impacted by, the charity. A collaborative approach minimises resistance to change and may offer unique perspectives and insights about the charity’s strengths and weaknesses.

7. Implementation:
Once you have safely navigated your way through objective setting, user research and stakeholder signoff, you’re now ready for the best bit – implementing your new brand! If possible, build an implementation team, responsible for managing the process. You should audit the entire organisation to understand the various touchpoints and materials that will need to be updated. Begin by rolling the rebrand out internally, presenting all of the thinking behind the work and engaging with the team to explore how the changes can be brought to life in their role. Once all touchpoints have been updated, you can start the external rollout. Again, ensure you communicate the objectives of the project and the benefits it will have for the charity and its members. Remember that change is difficult and there will be inevitable resistance. However, a well-communicated vision, sincere storytelling and a clear reason for change should convince the most resolute of sceptics.

Summary

The decision to rebrand is not one to be taken lightly. It requires thoughtful consideration, meticulous planning, and an unwavering commitment to the core values and mission that underpin a charity’s existence. However, when executed effectively, a rebrand can rejuvenate the charity’s identity and drive renewed support and enthusiasm for its cause.

Written by Paul Connor, Brand Lead