In the crowded forecourt of charitable organisations waiting to receive your donations, where worthy causes jostle for limited attention and increasingly limited resources, the significance of effective branding cannot be overstated. Just like any other business, charities must establish a compelling brand to distinguish themselves, attract support, and drive their mission. Having worked with a handful of old charities in 2023, we thought it would be helpful to look at the hows and the whys behind effective branding for charities.

First out of the hat is the ability to build recognition and visibility. It goes without saying that this is important for any organisation comprised of different people.  There will of course, be many people to whom your charity’s aims and objectives are relevant and close to their heart, but how well you communicate this is the difference between donations and engagement, and not. Recognition is a powerful tool in the competitive landscape of charitable giving. A well-established brand allows a charity to cut through the noise, making it more likely to be noticed and remembered.  Let’s look at a few of our favourites here:

1. RNLI (Lifeboats) by Missouri Creative
2. RNID by SomeOne and Dan Dufour
3. JDA by Shuttlefish Studio

Trust and Cred

Trust is the currency of the charitable sector. Donors want assurance that their contributions will be used effectively and make a real difference. Trust always manifests in the same way;  when people feel connected to you, and like they belong with you and are safe with you, trust happens.  For a charity, the first two apply and the latter applies to their donation.  Connect with your audience, build a community around your brand and donors will feel their money is safe with you.

How you articulate your brand values and mission starts this and helps to assure donors that their support will be handled responsibly – people who give to charity benefit from seeing the specific good that their donation is doing. Trust is not only built through transparency in operations but also through the emotional connection that a well-crafted brand brings, resonating with the values of your supporters.

It's Story Time.  It’s Always Story Time!

Branding is all about storytelling and this is an area which all charities have a headstart on for-profit organisations.  Every charity has a unique story, a narrative that explains its mission, values, and the impact it aims to achieve – most were established at some point by a person with a story directly related to the mission. Communicating this story of origin is the first step, obviously, but of greater relevance to your future supporters is how this mission transposes into the here and now. Telling this story is essential, and using the origin-story is almost like a reference, an assurance that you know what you’re doing and your longevity proves that.

You should never stop telling stories (this goes for all of us btw!)  Consistent messaging, visual elements, and a cohesive brand identity rely upon it.  Charities can evoke emotions and create a connection with their audience like no other businesses and a compelling story not only engages people but also helps the charity maintain a sense of its own purpose. 

Attracting and Retaining Your Tribe

Branding is not just about attracting one-time donors; it's about building a community of committed supporters. A well-defined brand attracts like-minded individuals who identify with the values and mission of the charity. So talk to them! The sense of belonging we have already talked about is instrumental in helping one-time donors become long-term supporters and even advocates for your charity, bolstering those all-important fundraising efforts. The emotional connection established through effective storytelling encourages ongoing engagement with keen followers, who will begin to actively promote the charity within their networks.

Adapting to Changing Landscapes

In the ever-evolving landscape of charitable giving, adaptability is key. Effective branding provides a foundation for adaptability by allowing charities to evolve without losing their core identity. Whether responding to changing societal values, addressing emerging issues, changing a name to maintain relevance, even,  or adopting new fundraising strategies, a strong brand gives you that continuity and recognition, in an ever-changing marketplace of potential supporters.

So, to sum up – your branding is not a luxury, it is a strategic imperative. It goes beyond creating a visually appealing logo or a catchy tagline; it is about shaping perceptions and building trust with your supporters, and building that tribe of advocates. Charities that invest in their story, their identity – their brand -  position themselves for long-term success. The charitable sector continues to evolve, and the role of effective branding is - and always will be - vital in driving positive change and making a lasting impact on the causes that matter most.

At Shuttlefish, we have valuable experience in working with charities and not-for-profit organisations.  We understand not only the importance of telling the story in a relevant way, but how to do this alongside the everyday challenges that many organisations face.  If you’d like to talk about your organisation or just have questions about where to start, or where to go next, we’re here for you.  Arrange your discovery call today.

In the break-neck alternative world of digital media, the landscape of video content creation can seem like its constantly undergoing some sort of revolutionary shift. Gone are the days when high-end production quality was the ultimate benchmark for success. Today, the emphasis is on the concept and the message rather than the gloss of production. The influence is bleeding into TV advertising now too, with most of us being targeted online instead. The “New EE” campaign launched this month is a big-brand example of this. https://newsroom.ee.co.uk/ee-enters-new-era-with-biggest-brand-launch-in-a-decade/ - Not only does it focus sharply on every-day authentic situations, it captures them in the same way we do, every day, bringing it together in an ultra-slick fast tempo reportage, choreographed in lockstep with a selection of big, impactful beats and slightly-off-the-mainstream tunes.

The result is a really modern, relevant campaign that morphs and adapts brilliantly across TV, social. It looks like the people it wants to attract and from the look of it, that really is everyone.

But this isn’t ripped directly from a meme or grabbed-from-Youtube and adapted for TV footage (See We Buy Any Car’s latest earworm musical slogan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2MgUylgAPo

This is big agency, big budget stuff, it’s great, and while it’s slick, evidently expensively researched and executed, the adverts don’t want to show you where the money’s gone, they want you to focus on watching people like you, filmed by people like you.

In fact, the more "smartphone" the footage is, the better. This paradigm shift reflects a growing audience demand for authenticity and relatability in the content they consume.

The Rise of Authenticity

In the not-so-distant past, professional-grade cameras, intricate lighting setups, and sophisticated editing were the keys to setting out difference – ‘we’ve spent money on this, look at those panoramas’ and even further back, having video marketing at all would have set you apart. YouTube et al have rewritten the rules. Audiences are now drawn to content that feels real, unfiltered, and, most importantly, authentic.

Smartphones are now at the forefront of this revolution. Their accessibility and ease of use have empowered creators to capture moments spontaneously, without the constraints of elaborate setups. The process of shooting, editing, lighting – everything – has been completely democratised and with it, the final say on what’s cool and what’s not. Brands follow trends now, they don’t create them. Connecting with your tribe is first about listening to them and now, watching their videos.

Add a dose of AI on top of that and the ability to quickly seek out patterns is like never before, and can be done in almost no time at all. This shift has given rise to a new breed of content that thrives on rawness and immediacy, breaking away from the polished facade that defined the previous era.

Concept Trumps Production

While production quality certainly has its place, the era of high production budgets as a guarantee of success for marketing has gone. Audiences are drawn to content that resonates with them on a deeper level – content that tells a compelling story or conveys a meaningful message. This marks a departure from the conventional wisdom that the more cinematic a video, the more successful it will be.

Consider the success of videos that have gone viral on platforms like TikTok. Nearly all of these videos are shot on smartphones, utilizing the limitations of the device to enhance rather than detract from the content. The focus is on the concept, the humour, or the relatability rather than the pixel-perfect production quality, to the point where the subpar quality does a full 180 into desirable attribute. It’s cray cray! This shift is a testament to the changing priorities of viewers who value substance over style.

The Democratisation of Content Creation

Smartphones have become the great equalizers in the world of content creation. (writer disappears briefly into a favourite-phones-I-owned-before-they-got-cleverrabbit hole – take a bow Nokia 6210) With a powerful - snoop-level-ten - camera in almost every pocket, anyone can become a content creator. This democratisation of content creation has given a voice to the masses, allowing individuals with unique perspectives and stories to share them with the world, for better or for worse.

This accessibility has sparked a renaissance in storytelling. Now, the success of a video is not determined by the resources behind it but by the creativity and authenticity embedded within it. This shift has forced established creators and brands to reevaluate their strategies, realizing that connecting with audiences requires more than just a polished exterior.

Breaking the Perfection Myth

The pursuit of perfection in video production often led to a sanitized and homogenized version of reality. Audiences today are hungry for genuine experiences that reflect the messiness and imperfections of life. Smartphone-shot content, with its occasional shaky cam or unfiltered lighting, captures the essence of the moment in a way that highly produced videos often miss.

This departure from perfection has implications for marketers and advertisers as well. Brands are finding success in campaigns that embrace authenticity, even if it means sacrificing the veneer of perfection. Consumers are more likely to engage with content that feels real, relatable, and aligns with their own lived experiences.

Adapting to the New Normal

It's imperative for creators, brands, and marketers to adapt to the new normal. Embracing the "smartphone aesthetic" doesn't mean abandoning quality altogether; it means redefining what quality looks like in the context of authenticity and relatability.

Creators should focus on developing compelling concepts, crafting narratives that resonate with their audience, and leveraging the immediacy that smartphones provide. It's about capturing the raw, unfiltered moments that make content memorable, rather than relying on the gloss of post-production enhancement.

The future of video content lies in its ability to connect with audiences on a personal and emotional level. The shift from production-centric to concept-driven content marks a turning point in the way we perceive and create videos. The democratization of content creation through smartphones has given rise to a new era where authenticity reigns supreme.

In this age, the success of a video is not determined by the pixels it boasts but by the impact it leaves. Creators, brands, and marketers who embrace this shift and prioritize meaningful concepts over flashy production will find themselves at the forefront of a new era in digital storytelling—one where authenticity is the key to capturing hearts and minds.

As we navigate this evolving landscape, let us remember that the power of a story lies not in its gloss but in its ability to resonate, inspire, and connect. The era of the smartphone aesthetic is here to stay, and it brings with it a promise of genuine, unfiltered storytelling that transcends the boundaries of traditional production norms.

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