Does rebranding really work?

Nonprofits increasingly seem to be rebranding as a way to reach external audiences–particularly donors– more effectively. But changing your communications can be expensive, time-consuming, and scary. Will it be worth it?

To answer that question, Big Duck commissioned the fabulous research firm FDR Group to help us conduct a formal survey. The results of what happen when most nonprofits rebrand are surprising, and unequivocal. Rebranding is, for the majority of organizations that do it, really helping in many ways.

How, you ask? The data shows that rebranding helps improve revenue, increase numbers of donors and donor retention, recruit program participants, engage activists, and more. Download our free ebook, The Rebrand Effect, to read it for yourself.

And it’s our birthday!

Big Duck is turning twenty years old this month (I know, I know: we don’t look a day over sixteen, right?)! We’re celebrating in all sorts of ways. To help you get in the mood, too, take a moment to reflect on four of 1994’s many cultural highs and lows.

1. The Lion King

They sure don’t make Disney movies like the used to. The Lion King came out back in 1994, marking the official entry of “Hakuna Matata” into our vocabulary. We’ve been asking people, “Did you know it’s technically an adaptation of Hamlet?”—no, but really, did you?—at dinner parties ever since.

2. The Whack Heard Round the World

Also known as Tonya Harding’s attack on Nancy Kerrigan. Thank goodness the darkest days in American figure skating are now two decades behind us.

3. The death of Kurt Cobain

This one’s a sad one for many of us, personally. Had we never discovered Nirvana, we probably wouldn’t be nearly as obsessive-compulsive about music today.

4. My So-Called Life

And then twenty years later, Jordan Catalano got his first Oscar!

Unlike ‘90s fashion trends that come and go (before coming back again), good nonprofit communications are here to stay. I know I speak on behalf of all the other Ducks when I say that it’s been a privilege working with some seriously lovely people from amazing organizations over the years.

Won’t you join the party?

Here’s how you can partake in the merriment this month:

• Download The Rebrand Effect ebook and join us in conversation about it on our Facebook page or on Twitter using #rebrandeffect
• Look for Sarah Durham’s article in the upcoming communications-focused issue of the Nonprofit Quarterly about the risks and rewards of rebranding
• Keep your eyes peeled on our blog, upcoming trainings list, and enews for more good, clean, birthday fun. 

And thank you, kind reader, for being a part of our work.