A while back, we wrote a post entitled, 7 Things to Consider When Designing A Nonprofit Logo. We received great feedback and now want to share some insights on the concept of branding that will help your organization now—and in the future. Branding is usually defined as: the promotion of a particular product, company, or organization by means of advertising and distinctive design.

The first step to successful branding is to not just think of your logo and letterhead. You should really be thinking about your overall branding. When it comes to keeping branding on your radar, it’s important to tell your graphic designer that you are not just looking for a “logo” but a complete style guide. A style guide or style manual is what will help you and all those in your organization have a set of standards for the writing and design of documents, either for general use or for a specific publication. The implementation of a style guide provides uniformity in style and formatting of a document.

Below, are two examples from the corporate and Jewish nonprofit world of how branding comes into play.

The Branding of Google

How exactly does a brand like Google become so strong? What are the secrets behind creating a memorable, consistent brand identity? And in general, how does Google, as a large company, shape their brand? Whether you’re a just getting started or already have branches across the globe, you’ll surely benefit from reading the Google Visual Assets Guidelines – Part 1 and Part 2 – a booklet laying out the principles that Google’s designers use when they create their icons, logos, and illustrations. The resource is essentially a case study by Creative Lab, a design agency that has provided clear yet very concise and informative guidelines which all serve to maintain Google’s branding concept of visual coherence.

You’ll also be able to see some very interesting examples of how-to’s and how not-to’s, and even find out about many other useful tips  in Google’s lesson on brand shaping.

The Branding of Aish HaTorah

How exactly does a global organization like Aish HaTorah decide upon branding. Here is an important read from FoundationCenter.org, entitled, The Devil’s in the Details: From Inspiration to Implementation. It is a must read for any Jewish nonprofit when it comes to all things branding related.

Below, you can also read about the branding of Aish HaTorah in the book “Brand It Yourself:”

Looking for an example of what a style guide looks like? Here is a link from FoundationCenter.org as to what their style guide looks like.

How far does branding extend? Here is the link to see branding templates for email newsletters, flyers, and more.

We hope that you find this information helpful and wish you much success with all of your branding! For more information, see our Online Resources page on Branding and the following Online Books: Branding Faith and Branding for Nonprofits.

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