The Money-Raising Nonprofit Brand: Motivating Donors to Give, Give Happily, and Keep on Giving

Chapter TwoBranding in the Real World

Your brand is something your donors experience, not just a marketing framework you or your agency dream up. Creating that reality for donors is critical. But don't let that keep you from building the marketing framework part of your brand.

I'm stuck in a dysfunctional relationship. Abused and unhappy, I can't break away, even though doing so would take little effort and improve my life.

Here's the situation: I travel a lot for business, and I fly mostly on one airline. Let's call it Amalgamated Air.

I appear to be a fanatically loyal customer. Amalgamated probably thinks so. But truth is, there is no corporation in the world I hate as much as I hate Amalgamated Air.

For decades, Amalgamated Air and its snappish, unhelpful employees have heaped discomfort, inconvenience, and even physical pain on me. They've kept me up all night, shuffling like a zombie from one hopeless airport gate to the next. They've lied to my face about flights that simply weren't coming or going. They've detained me for pointless hours on overheated airplanes parked on the edges of airports. They've made me miss important meetings, time with my family, and whole stretches of my life.

The very mention of the name Amalgamated Air gives me a gut-wrenching sense of foreboding. I could be relaxing on the beach, deep in conversation with someone I love, or praying in church—if I hear the words “Amalgamated Air,” I'll instantly become one of those red-faced scowlers ...