| |
Marketing and Branding in the Non-profit Sector
Author: Wes Robertson
Does the stereotypical "soup kitchen" come to mind when you
think a non-profit? Well, homeless shelters funded by a single
church or wealthy individuals are out there but these have not
been representative of the sector for many years. Bring on the
promotional items! Regional or nationwide, non-profits need to
promote themselves like any other big organization does.
A large charitable organization like the Red Cross looks a lot
like a well-oiled business machine. Does this mean that they
need to approach promotional products the same way any
for-profit business would? Yes and no. Context is king in
marketing; one idea doesn't meet the needs for everyone equally,
and this applies to a non-profit organization as much as it
would for anyone else.
One difference would be the availability of funds to spend on
marketing efforts at a non-profit. Thanks to things like profit,
money to spend on the less solid things like marketing and
branding is more available. Budgets at non-profits can end up
very limited, especially because the reputation of a non-profit
can be a huge factor in its success. |
|
|
| |
Some non-profits see it as a priority to keep the amount of
money they spend towards "administrative costs" as low as
possible. Critical to their reputation, even. In the case of a
charity, how likely are you to give if they seem to spend half
of their donations on themselves?
The usual guidelines you'd pay heed to when using promotional
items in a business setting still apply to non-profits. A trade
show means keeping promotional items easy to carry but still
attention-getting. No will want to carry something around all
day if the promotional products they've been given are heavy
junk, no matter how neat it is. Avoid the temptation to just
toss money into purchasing any little trinket you can find,
either. Giving out an easy to carry but completely useless
promotional item is just going to be a waste of money. Money
that may more difficult to come by in a non-profit environment!
Without the big financial safety net, you might be tempted to
play it safe in a non-profit setting. Really though, less room
to maneuver might mean letting those creative juices flow and
utilizing promotional items that others might not consider.
Charities can attract a younger and creative group of employees
or volunteers, so it is important to tap into that creative
resource. Take advantage of the fact that many people don't look
at non-profits as a business, which can mean more freedom.
Picking a promotional item that might not be entirely
professional could be a bigger benefit to a brand than a
hindrance!
The non-profit sector doesn't have as much interaction with the
promotional industry as it should. It is important to not write
off the non-profit sector as a source of potential clients, if
you're a promotional items seller. They're out there and they
need your help! If you are a non-profit, the promotional items
out there could be a critical contribution to getting some
awareness out there and some contributions rolling in. Our
sectors can mutually benefit one another, and society as a
whole.
About the Author:
Wes Robertson has been in the custom promotional products
industry for several years. He is an author and marketing
consultant. |
|
| |
Back to Knowledge Center |
|
|
|
|
|
Click on Character
