Growing Brands and Working for the Common Good
Anyone that knows me, knows how passionately I love my job and how devoted I am to Avocet, the agency that was started by my father over 30 years ago, and that I was blessed enough to help grow by his side and under his expert guidance.
Since the day we first opened our doors, Avocet has been committed to working with nonprofits and with organizations that work for the common good. It is our passion center and is woven through every part of our culture. Avocet was even recognized by the Longmont Area Economic Council for its community outreach and work with nonprofits in 2014. Some of the organizations we have represented include the arc Thrift Stores, Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association, the Colorado Cross-Disability Center, the I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County, Laradon, Bravehoods, Vehicles for Charity, and Step Denver.
Nonprofit Marketing Strategies
Creating and deploying marketing strategies for nonprofits is tricky. Nonprofit organizations don’t often have a great deal of money and the thought of spending what little funds they DO have to gain awareness amongst a crowd of louder and more financially able organizations can be overwhelming. The competition is fierce, and simply relying on fundraising is no longer enough. Nonprofits, just like any business, MUST use all the brand-awareness building tools available to them in order to be positioned to grow and live out their missions.
Our goal as marketers is to help our nonprofit clients define their purpose and mission in powerful ways that engage with the audiences that matter most. This requires an integrated approach that incorporates storytelling and the creation of powerful emotional connections. Every strategy we deploy for our nonprofit clients has to begin and end with the question, “how do we build relationships?” Because, unlike a brand promoting a product or service, a nonprofit is promoting something quite different. They are asking their audiences to care, to care enough to give of their hard-earned money and even their time, and to commit to the cause..
Many current marketing strategies are especially well suited for building awareness for nonprofits…and luckily, most don’t have to cost a ton of money. Some of the strategies we have used include the use of video to tell a powerful story, social advertising, content creation and promotion via social platforms, and email marketing. Check out some of the work we have done for our nonprofit clients here.
Even with a limited budget, you can implement some very powerful marketing campaigns that help nonprofits get the word out, grow, and make an impact.
If you would like to listen in to some of my interviews with marketing leaders in the nonprofit sector, take a listen to the following Integrate & Ignite podcasts:
Episode 50: Lloyd Lewis, arc Thrift Stores
Episode 234: Tricia Halsey, The Big Idea Project
Episode 55: Rick Wright, the Children’s HopeChest
Episode 20: Julie Reiskin, CCDC
Episode 15: Lloyd Lewis, arc Thrift Stores
Episode 49: Maggie Scivicque, arc Thrift Stores
