18th December 2019 by Chloe Roach
Investing in your brand and website might feel like a distraction from ‘real work’, but here’s why it’s worth your consideration.
A lot of charities we meet are very focused on maximising their impact with minimal resource. It’s a constant battle assessing where to focus time, energy and money. And the problem is charities frequently feel they can’t justify putting any of these things into their brand and website. Sometimes it’s a case of ring-fenced or incredibly tight budgets, but sometimes it’s just not considered a priority when pitted against service delivery and work with beneficiaries.
One of our recent clients told us that before they started their brand and web project with us, the challenge of changing their website, let alone reworking their brand, seemed almost insurmountable. For years they’d been putting plasters on the website, there was no clear management of it and their architecture had spiralled out of control. Meanwhile, their brand had completely lost its relevance to the people they represented. It’s no wonder this seemed like a mountain to climb. They had been tempted to carry on as before, but it became clear that they could only progress so far with their existing brand and site. It was now or never.
The project was certainly a journey, for both the charity and ourselves, but the outcome has made such a huge difference for them. It’s led to dramatically increased donations and funding, invitations to speak at high profile events, greater engagement and interaction with the website and, most importantly, more interest in the work they do. They told me that if everyone knew the transformative effect it would have on their charity, they would do it in a heartbeat.
By investing in your website and brand you encourage others to invest in you – and for charities that’s a big deal. In a country where austerity has contributed to the closure of so many charities and we’re increasingly moving towards the American model of private sector donations and individual giving, communicating your identity and work has never been more critical. Consistency and a clear identity professionalises your organisation, gets others to take you seriously and makes people get behind your cause.
