Steve Kozak helps nonprofits learn what are best practices for establishing a brand identity. From the right colors to the right voice, a brand is a promise. Presentation from the 2014 Cleveland Nonprofit Marketing Summit.

1. THE IMPORTANCE
OF ESTABLISHING
A STRONG
BRAND IDENTITY
Steve Kozak
August 1st 2014

2. TODAY’S AGENDA
1. Vision Exercise
2. Goal
3. The Importance of Brand Identity
4. Brand Identification Canvas
5. Color Psychology
6. Industry Symbolism
7. Key Takeaways

3. VISION EXERCISE
Who is your company today?
[in one sentence]
Who is your company in five years?
[in one sentence]
DRAW PICTURE DRAW PICTURE

4. GOAL
Your company is tasked with creating and
establishing a pristine brand that is
perceived in a positive and esteemed
light across a very competitive
landscape, and a prestigious group of
prospects.
We want to assure that the brand that we
create and define accurately reflects the
hard-working, dedicated and
competitive team that it reflects.

5. THE IMPORTANCE OF A
STRONG & CONSISTENT BRAND
• A brand is a promise. A brand is an asset.
• It defines who you are as an organization, and
how you are perceived within your market.
• A brand affects what your audience, clients and
prospects believe about you from a visual
perspective – “a visual first impression.”
• It is a vital component to your organization, and
its strength, clarity and consistency directly
impact your success in fulfilling your company’s
mission.

6. THE IMPORTANCE OF A
STRONG & CONSISTENT BRAND
• Building a strong brand requires
repetition and consistency.
• It requires discipline, and unified
behavior.
• It is the simplest way to
communicate to your customers
and audience that they are investing
in a trusted group of experts focused
on enhancing their business.

7. Differentiators, Core
Values and Mission
Values and Mission…
1. Aids in the decision making process
2. Educates other companies, potential
customers and employees about who they
are doing business with
The Importance of Core Values
1. Establish company direction/focus
2. The mission helps define the persona of a
company
The Importance of a Mission

8. Differentiators, Core Values
and Mission
YOUR BRAND
Differentiators…
• What separates YOUR BRAND from others in
your industry space?
• Why would a customer choose you over your
competitor?
• What core competencies make YOUR BRAND
stand out?
• Flexibility?
• Responsiveness?
• Culture?
• Experience/People?

9. BRAND IDENTIFICATION CANVAS
Worksheet Exercise
Please take a moment to review the Brand Identification
Canvas.
The Brand Identification Canvas worksheet will help
you deep-dive into:
• Discovery & Research:
• Target Customer
• Buying Process
• Competitive Landscape
• Identification
• Value Prop
• Core Values
• Personification of ECS
• Critical Facts
• BHAG
BRAND IDENTIFICATION CANVAS Branding Canvas to:
DISCOVERY & RESEARCH IDENTIFYING YOURBRAND
① Who is your target customer?
§ Company
§ Employees
② What is the buying process your customers face?
③ Who are the major players/competitors in your space? What
makes them successful?
④ What are your key selling points and differentiators?
[Value Proposition]
⑤ What Core Values drive your company as a business, and as
people?
⑥ To the best of your ability, describe the “personality” of your
company [Personification]
⑦ What ONE critical fact should your customers know about your
company?
⑧ Describe the BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) of the company -
if all goes according to plan, describe your business if totally
successful in its mission?
BRAND IDENTIFICATION CANVAS
WORKSHEET

10. DEFINING YOUR BRAND
Standing Out in Your Space

11. COLOR PSYCHOLOGY
In Brand Design
Our minds are inherently programmed to respond to color. They shape our thoughts and emotions. According to studies, color
affects more than mood – it has the ability to change our buying habits. Color can invoke as much as 80% change in
motivation when it comes to shopping, advertising, and marketing campaigns.
Bright and highly visible, it’s often used in logo
design to get attention, create happiness and
warmth.
Intense color that can summon strong
emotions from blood and passion. Used
to grip the viewer’s attention and has been
known to make one’s blood pressure rise,
or to make people hungry.
Implies royalty, mystery, spirituality and
sophistication. As a combination of red and
blue, it has both warm and cool properties.
Implies luxury.
Represents life and renewal. It is a restful and
soothing color but can also represent jealousy
and inexperience. Often find it used in
companies that want to portray themselves
as eco-friendly.
Yellow
Red
Purpl
e
Green
Orange is often used to draw attention. Find it
used in logos to create playfulness, stimulate
emotions, or creative thinking.
A color that conjures feelings of innocence
and delicateness. Often used in logos to
add a feminine flair. Often used to reflect
sexiness or romance.
A calming color that represents authority,
success and security. The most popular color
in logo design, it can be seen extensively in
government, healthcare, and Fortune 500
companies.
Brown indicates nature, woodiness and utility.
Brown is used in logos related to construction
and legal logos due to its simplicity, warmth
and neutrality.
Orange
Pink
Blue
Brow
n
The universal color for peace and purity. Find
it in logos as reversed text or negative space.
Reflects cleanliness, peace, purity, surrender,
truthfulness.
Symbolizes menace or evil, popular as an
indicator of power. Found in many logos for
its boldness, simplicity and sophistication.
White
Black

12. INDUSTRY SYMBOLISM
Successful Industry Brands

13. KEY TAKEAWAYS!
Let’s Focus What We’ve Learned from this presentation and the Brand Canvas to
Assure that our Brand Evangelists are Consistent in their Messaging!
• A brand affects what your audience, clients and prospects believe about you from a visual perspective – “a visual first impression.”
It is a vital component to your organization, and its strength, clarity and consistency directly impact your success in fulfilling your
company’s mission.
• Building a strong brand requires repetition and consistency. It requires discipline, and unified behavior.
• It is the simplest way to communicate to your customers and audience that they are investing in a trusted group of experts focused
on enhancing their business
The Brand Identification Canvas worksheet will help you deep-dive into:
Discovery & Research:
• Target Customer
• Buying Process
• Competitive Landscape
Identification
• Value Prop
• Core Values
• Personification of ECS
• Critical Facts
• BHAG

14. THANK YOU
QUESTIONS?