In a world where donations can be given with the click of a mouse, it’s more important than ever for your brand to stand out in a crowded market. A strong brand can help build your donor database, provide clarity of your message, and most importantly grow your donations.

The donor of today is not the donor of yesterday. Today’s donor has more options than ever to give and no longer is an organization selected just based on proximity. It’s also no longer based on giving to just one organization – many donors today are looking for a number of organizations to provide monetary donations, physical donations, or volunteer opportunities. Brand means more today than it ever has before for non-profit organizations. You can be one of the most well run, well managed, and helpful organizations but without a strong brand, including story and messaging, you may be missing out on donors, volunteers, board members, event attendees, and associate board members.

Every day individuals see more than 4,000 number of ads. We’re all bombarded with social media posts, ads, text messages, and even spam calls. Add in emails, bills, and even political advertising and let’s be honest — we are all overwhelmed and confused about where we can put our dollars. Donors want to know that their donation is being used in an appropriate way but they also want to make sure to understand the organization they are giving to. You have to stand out — both visually and through messaging.

Want to reach that donor of today and donor of tomorrow? Follow these few steps or message the Fearless Thinkers to build a package that will help you grow your donations, build your donor database, and help you reach that next goal for your organization.

Build a story that spreads.

A common misconception is that brand means your logo. But it’s so much more than that. It’s the story your organization is telling. What’s that five minute (or less) elevator speech that will take me from a passive observer to an engaged donor?

Define your why — and be clear and direct.

In addition to that brand story — how and where you are telling that story is important. With mere seconds to tell the story while someone scrolls their Instagram or Facebook feed, you have to be clear and be direct. Why should I care? Why should I give? And what does that dollar do to support those that you support?

Meet your donors where they are — not where you want them to be.

It’s not about that print newsletter or appeal anymore. In fact, more and more donors are seeing the cost behind those mailings. What can you do in a cost effective way that shows that you take the donation seriously and that you are meeting the donor where they are – which more often is online. There’s always a time and place for a physical mailing or appeal, but separating and building your donor database means that you are meeting each donor in the way they want to be marketed to.

Follow-up is everything — build a relationship.

Donors want and need to feel appreciated. Sometimes that’s through an in-person meeting, sometimes it’s through an email saying thank you, and sometimes that’s through a handwritten thank you. But the donor of today is not guaranteed to be your donor of tomorrow. You need to build the relationship with them to ensure that you are consistently top of mind when they have the ability to give. And most importantly — make that thank you in a timely fashion.

Don’t be afraid to ask — but don’t ask too many times.

Again, be direct. But also don’t depend on that one donor to be your every time donor. Notice the effects of donor fatigue, or better yet, have that donor engaged in a new way that opens a new door. Have them invite friends out for a tour of your space. Host a volunteer day. Ask if they would host your meeting in their office. You may be surprised that with that small ask comes a big reward – possibly a donation but more importantly a brand advocate for you and your organization.

In the realm of nonprofits, a strong and compelling brand is not just a logo or a tagline; it’s a filter through which an organization can manage voice, perception, and action. Brand strategy and key message development have the profound impact of not only clearly establishing the organization’s market position but also examining how it influences donors, the community, and, most importantly, those the nonprofit serves.

Why Brand Strategy? Why now?

Defining Brand Success

Brand success for a nonprofit is more than just recognition; it’s about creating a lasting and positive impression on donors, stakeholders, and the community. Success can be measured through:

1. Increased Donor Funding

• Growth in donations and support from existing and new donors
• Enhanced trust and credibility leading to sustained financial backing

2. Recruitment & Hiring Success

• Attraction of top-tier talent drawn to a compelling and well-defined mission
• Improved organizational culture and employee satisfaction

3. Community Appreciation

• Positive perception within the community, fostering a sense of belonging
• Increased participation and collaboration from local residents

4. Board of Directors Excellence

• The board attracts individuals passionate about the cause
• Better decision-making and strategic planning

5. Impact on the People Served

• Reaffirmed and sustainable strength translating to more effective programs
• Greater outreach and support for the target demographic

The TWIST Approach: A Roadmap to Nonprofit Brand Success

Building a nonprofit brand involves a meticulous process, and working with a brand agency like TWIST can significantly amplify the impact. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

1. Discovery

• In-depth analysis of the organization’s mission, values, and target audience
• Identification of unique selling propositions and differentiators

2. Strategy

• Development of a comprehensive brand strategy, including messaging and visual elements
• Alignment of the brand strategy with organizational goals

3. Design

• Creation of a visually cohesive brand identity, encompassing logo, colors, and typography
• Development of branded collateral that communicates the organization’s story effectively

4. Implementation

• Rollout of the new brand across all channels, from digital platforms to physical materials
• Training and guidance for internal teams to ensure consistent brand representation

The Impact on the Nonprofit Environment

Once brand success is achieved, the nonprofit organization experiences a transformative shift within its internal and external environment:

• Cohesive Culture: A shared sense of purpose and identity among team members
• Enhanced Productivity: Clear communication and streamlined processes
• Increased Collaboration: Greater support and participation from the community
• Fulfillment of Mission: The ability to make a more significant impact on the target audience

Brand building is a critical business function and strategic investment that reaps dividends in donor funding, recruitment success, community appreciation, and most importantly, in positively affecting the lives of those the organization serves. With TWIST’s expertise, nonprofits can navigate the journey to brand success, ensuring a lasting and impactful presence in the philanthropic landscape.

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, one thing remains constant: change.

As ad placement sizes continue to shift, so must the approach to creative content. For marketing directors, C-suite executives, and nonprofit directors, staying ahead of the curve is not just beneficial; it’s imperative. Read further to understand how our agency, TWIST, navigates this dynamic environment by building inverse pyramids of creative concepts, ensuring that even the most reduced ad sizes pack a powerful punch.

“The efficiency and trackability of mobile advertising, mid-market organizations can maximize their regional advertising budgets, delivering impactful messaging that resonates with local audiences and drives meaningful results.”

— Cristine Torek, President, CMT Consulting (TWIST Media Partner)

With the dynamism of ad placements today, clients often default to advertising vehicles they have a personal connection with. However, today there are so many cost-effective solutions that are so precise that we can keep the buy small but deliver a big impact. Mobile advertising is a prime example, given that more than 58% of all web traffic in 2022 came from mobile devices. This channel allows us to reach our customers’ target audience efficiently and effectively, with little to no wasted spend compared to traditional media tactics. Mobile advertising enables a sniper-like approach, reaching the defined target customer on the right device at the right time, reducing wasted spend, and increasing engagement.

As mid-market companies increasingly allocate 85% or more of their regional advertising budgets to digital platforms, the need for adaptable and impactful creative becomes paramount. No longer can marketers rely solely on traditional, static ad formats. The rise of various digital channels demands a strategic and flexible approach to ad creation.

At TWIST, we’ve embraced the concept of inverse pyramids. Instead of starting with a broad, all-encompassing creative and attempting to scale it down for various ad sizes, we begin with the smallest canvas in mind. This approach ensures that the core message remains potent, regardless of the ad placement size. By building from the ground up, our creatives are optimized for effectiveness across a spectrum of digital dimensions.

Mid-market companies, with their focus on regional buys, benefit immensely from this approach. The digital landscape offers a diverse range of ad sizes, from expansive banners to compact mobile placements. Crafting creatives with an inverse pyramid mindset guarantees that your message doesn’t get lost in translation as it’s resized for different platforms.

In the realm of regional advertising, where budgets are often constrained, the synergy between organic and boosted social media becomes a linchpin in the strategy. Social media platforms offer a unique opportunity to engage audiences at a local level. TWIST understands the significance of layering messaging effectively, combining organic posts with targeted boosts to amplify reach without breaking the bank.

Organic social media serves as the foundation, establishing an authentic connection with the local audience. This content, carefully curated and aligned with the brand’s identity, forms the base layer of the messaging pyramid. As we move up the pyramid, strategic boosts are applied to amplify key messages, ensuring they reach a wider, yet still targeted, audience.

The beauty of this layered approach is its cost-effectiveness. Mid-market companies can harness the power of social media without overspending. By strategically boosting content, they maximize the impact of their messaging within specific regions, driving engagement and conversions without draining their budget.

As ad placement sizes continue to evolve as fast as the mediums that serve them, so must our creative strategies. TWIST’s commitment to building creative concepts in an inverse pyramid structure ensures that our clients are equipped with content that resonates across various digital platforms. For mid-market companies with regional focuses, the integration of organic and boosted social media adds a layer of cost-effective messaging that speaks directly to local audiences. Furthermore, despite the erosion of viewership with traditional broadcast television, live sporting events continue to draw large audiences simultaneously on mobile devices. On average, more than 44% of live sports viewers look up sports stats on a mobile device while they’re watching the event. This presents a unique opportunity for advertisers to capitalize on the mobile trend, ensuring their message reaches consumers where they are most engaged.

For businesses and causes of all sizes the ability to accurately locate a brand’s true market position is a strategic imperative. To achieve growth and success, understanding the awareness and perception of a brand is paramount. After all, you can’t get where you’re going if you cannot locate where you are. This is where comprehensive customer research comes into play, providing the necessary insights to chart a course from a brand’s current market position to its envisioned or strategic growth position.

The Significance of Customer Research:

Customer research is the GPS that guides businesses through the complex terrain of the market. It involves delving deep into the minds of current clients, past clients, influencers, and prospective clients to unravel the intricacies of their perceptions and attitudes towards a brand. By doing so, businesses can gain a clear understanding of their standing in the market and make informed decisions to drive success.

Why It Matters:

1. Accurate Awareness Assessment: Customer research allows businesses to gauge how aware their target audience is of their brand. It answers questions like, “Do people recognize our brand?” and “What is the level of familiarity associated with our products or services?”
2. Perception Analysis: Understanding how customers perceive a brand is crucial for shaping its image. Customer research digs into the emotions and opinions tied to the brand, uncovering strengths to be capitalized on and weaknesses to be addressed.
3. Strategic Growth Planning: Armed with the insights gained from customer research, a brand can strategically plan its growth trajectory. From identifying areas of improvement to capitalizing on competitive advantages, the data obtained sets the foundation for future success.

The TWIST Brand Awareness and Perception Survey:

Creating an effective survey is key to obtaining meaningful data. Here are the steps we at TWIST take in the development of a survey that captures insights from current clients, past clients, influencers, and prospective clients:

1. Define Objectives: TWIST begins by clearly outlining the objectives of the survey. What specific information are you seeking to gather? Whether it’s brand awareness, customer satisfaction, or market trends, having defined goals ensures a focused approach.
2. Identify Target Audiences: Our research team tailors the survey to different segments of your audience – current clients, past clients, influencers, and prospective clients. Each group may have unique perspectives that contribute to a holistic understanding.
3. Craft Relevant Questions: We design questions that align with your objectives. Use a mix of closed-ended and open-ended questions to gather quantitative and qualitative data. Ensure clarity and simplicity to encourage maximum participation.
4. Consider Survey Channels: TWIST chooses appropriate channels for survey distribution. Whether it’s email, social media, or direct outreach, select channels that resonate with your target audience to maximize response rates.
5. Ensure Anonymity: We encourage honest feedback by assuring respondents of the anonymity of their responses. This fosters transparency and ensures that customers feel comfortable sharing their genuine opinions.
6. Pilot Testing: Before launching the survey, we conduct pilot testing with a small group to identify any potential issues with question clarity, survey length, or response options. This helps refine the survey for optimal results.
7. Analysis and Action Planning: Once the survey is complete, analyze the data meticulously. Identify patterns, trends, themes and areas of improvement. We use these insights to develop an action plan that aligns with your brand’s growth objectives.

In the dynamic world of business, customer research is the compass that guides brands towards their true market position. By understanding awareness and perception through well-crafted surveys, businesses can navigate the path from their current standing to strategic growth, ensuring they reach their destination with precision and purpose.

Private Schools and Faith-Based schools have an opportunity to engage now with more students than ever before. The EdChoice Grant provides students and families with the opportunity to select the right school for their needs. Recent changes to the EdChoice Grant has extended this opportunity to more families for both elementary school and high school students. In order to best prepare for the changes — as well as to grow admissions and reach families eligible for the EdChoice Grant — use these five tips to prepare your admissions department and your school overall!

Build Your Brand

How you present your school’s brand is important as parents and students are evaluating their school options. What’s the thing that makes you different and special? What messaging is driving interest in the school? What are the values that bring families in the door? 

Create Consistency

Whether it’s your social media accounts, your admissions staff, or the teachers in the classroom; everyone should be speaking the same language. Share your brand strategy with all key team members who help to assist with or impact admissions.

Use Ambassadors

Teachers, parents, or alumni have had an experience with you that they are willing to share. Word of mouth is always a strong driver of admissions and third party endorsements become key as you look for new admissions.

Get Social

Whether we want to admit it or not, most people are active on one or two forms of social media. Reach your audience by using hashtags, tagging your partner organizations, and utilizing location markers. 

Assist with Tuition and Admissions Process

Admissions and tuition can be overwhelming for families. Create an easy application process and talk to your families about opportunities for grants, vouchers, and other scholarships offered.

Part of our formula is the graphic design duo Rachel Teuscher and Thiago Wimberly.

Ambitious and imaginative, these two form an unbeatable dynamic. Rachel and Thiago are the creative minds behind the design of many Cleveland brands and causes. Through thought-provoking art, they challenge our team and clients to think fearlessly about who they can be and what their brands
can achieve.

“At TWIST, we pride ourselves on building teams of creatives who have complementary skill sets, styles, and aesthetics. Like in other creative disciplines — like music or comedy — breakthroughs happen when you blend a straight line with a curve. Rachel and Thiago are Fearless Thinkers of the highest order. As individuals, they are highly capable. But when you combine their skill sets, the outcome for our clients is nothing short of magical.”

— Mike Ozan, TWIST Co-Founder & CEO

Under the guidance of Chief Executive Officer Mike Ozan and Chief Creative Officer Connie Ozan, Rachel and Thiago provide design direction and creative leadership to TWIST’s roster of clients. They are the driving force to our clients’ creative growth.

“Rachel Teuscher and Thiago Wimberly are a one-of-kind design team. Together, they can handle any project or a handful of projects that come their way. Even when under pressure to meet client deadlines, they show up happy, cheerful, organized, and resilient. The office is a brighter and lighter place with their choice of a different music genre playing each day — they set the tone for positivity and creativity. As a power team, their combined skills work in harmony to produce outstanding work for our clients. I’m grateful to work with such wonderfully talented people.”

— Connie Ozan, TWIST Co-Founder Chief Creative Officer

Rachel is both a talented designer and a master planner. Rachel’s unique ability to understand the project, the deadline, and how to reach the goal effectively and efficiently has provided leadership throughout the agency. In her five years at TWIST, there’s never been a challenge too big for Rachel’s cool and calm approach. Her fresh, innovating concepts enhances any brand strategy and makes her an integral part of our culture of creativity.

As Associate Creative Director, you’ve got to be fearless — that includes your design and your attitudes. Rachel holds many strong opinions, including one that is contrary to popular belief: Print is not dead. Brands often ignore print media as part of their mix, but Rachel believes that’s a mistake — it’s understanding how traditional mediums can complement a diverse portfolio of design, including digital efforts.

“Direct mail, magazine ads, trade show signage…it’s about educating clients. Finding new ways to create even more engaging experiences through innovation.”

She attributes her commitment to learning and trying new things that propels her design forward. She recently led the team from concept to completion of the Cleveland-Cliffs Sustainability Report 2022. Despite the convenience of digital, Rachel says audiences still love print.

“The sense of holding a publication in your hands, it’s an experience,” she said. “Yes, you can find the stats online. But the optics of a beautiful cover and printed spreads can be quite impressive.”

Thiago knows what it takes to be a Fearless Thinker, bringing his adventurous energy to every project he touches. He is a brilliant collaborator, always working with the team to find solutions while having fun along the way. Thiago lives and breathes “the big idea.” His expertise and sophistication are just what TWIST needs in the design department.

“It’s amazing to be able to support a client’s vision,” he said. “Turning brand strategy from concept to reality is my superpower.”

Thiago believes one of the greatest things he can do is to be able to give clients the feeling of awe in design. After the TWIST team completed Discovery — the information-gathering process TWIST engages new clients in — with the staff at Bedrock on the Tower City Identity & Environment, Thiago was excited by its potential. He immediately got to work.

A new identity can elicit strong reactions, but that didn’t deter Thiago.

“Being in a job where I can create a world where people have a warm and exciting response to a logo or color palette… it’s electrifying!”

The direction Thiago took for the revitalized urban shopping experience captured the client’s desire for a modern look with their need to improve the overall vibe and experience of the place. As redevelopment was underway the new identity and environmental graphics brought new life to a Cleveland landmark as it was transitioning to the next generation of visitors.

In their roles as Associate Creative Directors, Rachel and Thiago ensure creativity thrives in everything we do and further drive our mission to fill Cleveland with world-class design.  They bring a lot more to TWIST than creative and design backgrounds. They light up the agency with an undeniable energy that can elevate any brand’s perception and positioning.