Newark, NJ Parking Lot Wins Tagline Award

Exciting news!

A parking lot in Newark, NJ wins the 2009 Tagline Award with it's funny, pithy tagline -- Unparalleled Parking.

Just kidding, since the 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Award program is for nonprofit organizations. But I do love this tagline! It's accurate and humorous. That equals memorable and easily repeatable.

But since you work with a nonprofit organization, or grantmaker, enter your unparalleled tagline today in our award program. Deadline coming up July 31st!

P.S. Thanks to Getting Attention reader Carla Harman for passing on the Unparalled Parking siting!

Less is More (Again!) -- Newark Museum Tagline Success in Just 4 Words

 The Newark Museum is a marketing star, and I'm continually impressed with its creativity in engaging its diverse base.  2009 is the Museum's centennial and its marketing team has done a stellar job in making the most of that with special programming and a new tagline -- 100 years. always new.

This tagline is a star, in just 4 words. Here's how the tagline meets (or beats) the "tagline musts" outlined in the Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Report (subscribe to the Getting Attention e-update here to get the 2009 report update when published this winter):

• Conveys value (always new -- always the opportunity to learn something new, be surprised).
• Broadly and easily accessible and memorable.
• Makes an emotional connection. We all respect age and tradition (think grandmother) and adore what's new. The Museum promises the best of both worlds.
  
• 8 words or less! -- Less is more in taglines and most marketing copywriting. That's really all your base can remember, recognize and repeat. Make it easy for them.
  
• Highly visible and integrated into all communications. Check mark -- it's everywhere Newark Museum is.
• Captures the spirit and promise of the Museum. Embracing its history and tradition while pushing forward to explore new worlds.

Newark Museum staff members, I hope you're reading and will enter your tagline in the 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Award program.

You too, readers! Deadline is looming (July 31st) so enter today, please!

YMCA Brand Valued at $6.4 Million -- What This Means for Your Org

The YMCA of the USA’s brand is worth almost $6.4 billion, making it the nation’s most valuable nonprofit brand, according to The Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100.  This first-of-its-kind research report explores the unique relationship between nonprofit brand image and financial performance.

The survey uses brand image, 2007 revenue and potential for future growth to calculate brand value, a formulation similar to many for-profit valuations of brand, an intangible asset. Cone's goal, states the report, is to help orgs "understand how to protect and evolve their brands to generate as much revenue as possible," and "demonstrate to companies and other partners that there is an established and justified value and cost to working with them."

The top 10 are: YMCA, the Salvation Army, United Way of America, American Red Cross, Goodwill Industries, Catholic Charities USA, Habitat for Humanity International, American Cancer Society, The Arc of the United States, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. What's surprising is that both Catholic Charities USA and The Arc of the United States are under most consumers' radar despite top 10 rankings for Power Brand and revenue.

What's crucial to know is that nonprofits that clearly identified their mission in their name performed best. For example, the National Cancer Coalition scores higher among consumers than City of Hope.

But if your organization name is not descriptive (and even if it is), add clarification with an 8-word-or-less tagline. Remember, the name and tagline always work together -- a sum far greater than its individual parts. Learn more on taglines here

P. S. Don't forget to enter the 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Awards today. Over 850 entries already in!

Lending for Change -- 700th Entry in 2009 Tagline Awards -- Enter Your Tagline Today

I love this tagline from The Loan Fund, an alternative lender in New Mexico. It's as short as you can get, but informative and memorable. The staff there has done a terrific job in shaping a pithy message that showcases not just what they do, but the impact of the organization's work (which clearly differentiates it from other lenders).

But when I jumped to The Fund's Web site, I saw that it's using a different tagline all over the site -- "Building Communities Since 1989."  Yikes,  that's a cardinal sin of tagline use. Here's the 7th "don't" from the 2008 Nonprofit Tagline Report:

7. Don’t put two or more taglines to work. If you do, you’re doing everything you
can to undermine your organization’s brand. As a result, your audiences won’t get to
know or pass the word on your organization. Instead, they’ll be annoyed and confused.

Nonetheless, Lending for Change is a strong example of how powerful a tagline can be. It's one of your most effective marketing tools. But the 2008 GettingAttention.org tagline survey showed that 72% of orgs don't have a tagline, or rate theirs as performing poorly. GettingAttention.org is trying to change that!

Take 3 minutes to ENTER your tagline today! When you do, you'll automatically get a free copy of the fully-updated 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Report.

P.S. If you don't want to enter your tagline, but want to ensure you get a copy of the 2009 report, subscribe here to the free twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update.

Learn the Language of Change -- Your Org will Benefit Big-Time

Fundraising veteran Tom Suddes offers his golden (but free!) advice on how to shape your language to strengthen your organization, which Tom swears (and I think he's right) will change the way you think about your org.

Listen now to change your org's life, and your own perspective. Can't ask for more in 45 minutes.

Three key insights:

• Don't define yourself negatively, as a NOT-for-profit. Define yourself positively, focusing on your impact. You're a for-impact organization.
• Your impact drives your income, not the other way around.
• Just ask!

Here's my favorite takeway -- reframing key nonprofit communications language. Examples include:

• Old: charity --> New: cause or philanthropy
• Old: mission statement --> New: message (clear, consistent, succinct)
• Old: survival (of your org) --> New: transformation
• Old: sustainability --> New: solutions
• Old: inform --> New: involve
• Old: overhead/administrative costs --> New: priorities (people, programs and places).

Listen up now. It'll change your perspective today and increase your impact tomorrow, promise.

Tip of the hat to Gayle Thornsen.

P. S. Don't miss out on in-depth articles, case studies and guides to nonprofit marketing success -- all featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update.  Subscribe today.

Wanted: Powerful Nonprofit Taglines -- Enter 2009 Tagline Awards Today

Your nonprofit could be a 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award winner! Take 3 minutes now to enter today.  More information here.

Answers to Your ? on 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards

 Yahoo! Just hit 300 entries (after just 1 day) in the 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards.

Enter here right now, while it's on your mind. Deadline is July 31st. And please spread the word to your peers, grantees and other networks!

I received several great questions (thanks all) yesterday when I launched this year's awards, and wanted to share the answers with you:

• We use two taglines, or we use three taglines (one for our org, and one for each main program) . Can I enter both/all of them?
  • Yes, you can, each as a separate entry. If you enter a program tagline, add (program) at the end of it when you enter it in the form. You will have to have a colleague enter the second tagline, or clear your browser cookies, to enter a second tagline. BTW, I recommend against using two organizational taglines. It's confusing!

• We haven't launched out tagline formally yet, but still want to enter it. Is that ok?
  • Yes, do it!

• What's the timeline for the awards?
  • Deadline for entry: July 31st
  • Open poll for winners (among selected finalists) September
  • Winners announced: October
  • Release, fully-updated 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Report: December 

• Who were last year's winners?
  • Here's the list of last year's winners. Great models if you're working on your tagline now!

• What are the prizes?
  • Winners get great recognition, lots of attention/publicity. But, the value of entering is best said by two of last year’s winners:
  • “We were very pleased to have our tagline recognized by our colleagues in the industry.  Our award has given the U.S. Fund extra visibility for its marketing and brand work!“       --> Kim Pucci,  Marketing Director, US Fund for UNICEF
  • "We were thrilled to be selected as the tagline award winner in the Human Services category. We leveraged the award as we rolled out our new brand and kicked off the public phase of our $5M capital campaign.  It was highlighted as an achievement in all of our capital campaign foundation grant requests and spotlighted in our agency newsletter and in the local media.  And, the media buzz that this award created helped JFCS maximize its marketing efforts without the need for allocating additional dollars in this difficult economy.”   Rose Chapman, LCSW, President/CEO of Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Sarasota-Manatee, Inc. (That's Rose at top left!)
    

But most importantly, please enter your nonprofit or foundation tagline today.

P. S. Follow the tagline award news on Twitter at @orgtaglines.

Wanted: Powerful Nonprofit Taglines -- Enter 2009 Tagline Awards Today

Your nonprofit or foundation could be one of this year's Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award winners!  Enter today.

A strong tagline does double-duty -- working to extend your organization's name and mission, while delivering a focused, memorable and repeatable message to your base. It's one of your most effective marketing tools, but the 2008 GettingAttention.org survey showed that 72% of nonprofit organizations don't have a tagline or rate theirs as performing poorly.

I'm trying to change that with this annual award program, highlighting the best in nonprofit taglines.  

Take 3 minutes now to enter your nonprofit's tagline here.   All entrants will receive a free copy of the fully-updated 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Report in late 2009. It's the only complete guide to building your org's brand in 8 words or less -- filled with how-tos, don't-dos and models.

Enter today, while it's on your mind. Deadline is July 3st.

BTW, here are the winners of the 2008 Nonprofit Tagline Awards (selected by nearly 4,000 voters in the field). This could be your org in 2009!

P. S. Follow the tagline award news on Twitter at @orgtaglines.

How to Use Storytelling to Engage & Motivate Your Base -- Free Guide

I was astonished to see how succinctly storytelling expert Andy Goodman summed up the must-dos in his NTEN Webinar, covered here by Fundraising Success. He's a consummate storyteller himself, but few folks can share their wisdom in such a clear way.

Here are Andy's musts for a well-told story:

Five Key Structural Elements

1. Protagonist. The person who we follow through the story.
2. Inciting incident. Something that happens that kicks the story into action.
3. Barrier. Something that stands in the protagonist's way. According to Goodman, this is what makes stories interesting and is absolutely critical.
4. Resolution. When the hero gets around the last barrier.
5. Goal.

Six Must-Have Qualities
   1. Concise, but colorful.
   2. Told in the language of the audience.
   3. Not predictable.
   4. Emotionally engaging.
   5. Includes a moment of truth.
   6. Shows, rather than telling.

Read the complete article for more detail and a few case studies! You'll never look back, especially after you see how (as Andy advises will happen) your base remembers much more about your org's work conveyed in a story, versus just telling them about it.

P.S.  A high-impact tagline for your org is another vital marketing strategy. Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don't dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

Photo:  GavKenny

Join Me & Two Branding Experts Tues, 6/2 -- Free Online Chat on Promoting Causes on Social Networks

Here's the deal...In today's economy, nonprofit leaders need to understand how to effectively promote their organizations, programs, and fund-raising campaigns.

Many groups want to use online social networks to get their messages out, but don't know how to build their brands and get attention on these networks.

Learn more by participating in tomorrow's (Tuesday, June 2nd, noon eastern) free online discussion. I'll be joined by two online branding brains -- Danielle Brigida of the National Wildlife Federation and Felicia Carr of the National Parks Conservation Association -- to discuss how to ensure your organization stands out on online networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and explore how those tools can complement traditional marketing efforts. You ask the questions so you guide the focus!

You'll also learn how to teach your organization's leaders, staff members, and volunteers to speak with a unified voice when they talk to others about your organization's mission and seek contributions.

If you can't make it, download the cliff notes version for must dos, don't dos and what we dids from Danielle and Felicia and Red Cross social media maven Wendy Harman. They're some of the smartest branding brains in the biz!

P. S. Don't miss out on the in-depth articles, case studies and guides on branding, messages and more of what you need to know in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update.  Subscribe today.

Flickr photo: itripp42