Free Book and Some Great Advice

My pal, Guy Richards, one of the premiere organizational branding gurus in America, has written a brief article that I think is well worth reading.    At the end of the article  he offers a free copy of his excellent little book, Talkable, and a brand alignment test.  

Here's some wise counsel worth pondering:

Five Indicators Your Brand Is About to Die

1. The majority of your donors are dying. Even if they’re not dying, they’re getting old. Think about it: If you haven’t had a young donor in a long time, your relevance is fading. When your donor base dies out, your organization will also die. A living organization can’t grow on dead people’s money.

2. Your visual identity hasn’t been touched in 30 years. Does your brand scream 2011, or 1995? Have you allowed a dated website, logo, colors, photos, signage, or ads to portray your brand as an outdated relic? In today’s fast-paced, visually driven society, visual neglect is unacceptable. Think you look pretty good? If your website hasn’t had a facelift in three years, check your pulse.

3. When people describe what you do, you never get the same answer. If you ask two different people in different contexts to describe what your brand offers, you should get virtually the same answer. If your people answer the question, “we are like…add competitor here,” your brand is likely murky and undefined. And when nobody knows what you’re selling, it doesn’t bode well for you.

4. In your organization or board, nobody under 50 is making decisions. We know lots of 50-year-olds who are hip and smart, but let’s face it—they’re not living the up-to-the-minute lifestyle or mindset of a 20- or 30-something. Younger people are uniquely equipped to rethink outdated strategies and brand approaches, keep you current, and break into new, cutting-edge territory. If you can’t keep passionate young employees on your payroll, decline is near.

5. Morale is gone. If nobody is excited to come to work, swap ideas with other employees or share great stories at your board meetings, morale is probably low. When walking through your halls, do people make eye contact?

Download a free copy of Talkable and use the complimentary Brand Alignment Test code ($40 value) to see where your brand ranks. 

Comments

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