Will an updated name or tagline fix your branding problem?

Is your nonprofit struggling to reach or engage the right audiences? Do you feel like a secret, and that more people should know about your work in the community? Are you tired of being mistaken for another organization? 

If you answered “yes” to any of the previous questions, we understand the urge to make a big change. For some nonprofits, that means a complete overhaul—new name, tagline, logo and visuals, the works. If people didn’t know you before, they’ll be sure to take notice now, right? 

Sometimes, a new name is exactly what it takes to move the needle on your awareness or clear up a major source of public confusion. And sometimes your organizational name isn’t the problem at all, and it would do its job well if only it were better supported (by a stronger tagline, visuals, other messaging, etc.). But how do you know when you need a new name, a new tagline, or something else entirely? You start a brand check-up, assessing each identity element to determine which one (or ones) isn’t up to task. 

Is your name doing what it needs to do?

While a perfect name would obviously do all the things—be short, clear, funny, serious, optimistic, realistic, bold, relatable, describe your services … you get the idea—it really only has to do two things: 

1. Identify your organization/be clearly associated with you.
2. Be accurate or, at the very least, not misleading or alienating.

Aside from these two qualities, everything else is gravy.

To illustrate our point, let’s take a look at the case of Access Justice Brooklyn. Access Justice Brooklyn provides high-quality, pro bono legal services and community education to Brooklynites, helping ensure a more accessible legal system and an equitable borough. Since the beginning, this has largely been their focus, but from their founding in 1990 up until 2022, the organization was known as the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project. 

The problem, as our collaborative check-up revealed, was that the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project no longer effectively fulfilled either core requirement. Yes, some people knew about the organization and its services, although probably not everyone who should. But even for those who did know the organization, some knew it by its full name, some by Brooklyn VLP, some by VLP, and others confused it with Brooklyn Legal Services or another separate organization. 

On top of the naming confusion, there was an accuracy issue. In 2021, we found: 

• The Brooklyn Bar Association was no longer involved with or connected to the organization.
• The organization had full-time staff and was not volunteer-led; their approach leveraged pro bono lawyers and other volunteers.
• What had once been a “project” was now a 30-year-old organization. 

While no name can do everything, this was definitely an instance where a new name could have a tangible impact. 

We worked on a shorter, easier-to-remember name for the organization. Brooklyn roots, clients, and services remained key. We developed a distinct name that shows their vision and main goals.

Access Justice Brooklyn is a great example of a complete overhaul. It began with understanding the challenges and limitations of the name and building on that. (Rebrand press release available here.)

So ask yourself, does your nonprofit name clearly identify the organization as you, or are you often confused with a peer? Do you hear from folks that it’s misleading or alienating?

Do you need a tagline (or an update)?

The importance people attach to taglines fluctuates drastically from year to year (and even day to day). Sometimes, people think they’re an essential component of any good brand. Sometimes they’re considered nice but completely optional. And at other times, they’re thought of as entirely disposable. 

A good tagline always fits in your brand toolkit. It can elevate your brand so you don’t need a bigger change, like renaming. Consider the Guttmacher Institute. 

Guttmacher, a leading research and policy organization for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) worldwide, needed to strengthen their brand, unify their voice, and amplify facts in a moment reshaped by the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. Our research and brand assessment revealed a desire to update the brand in a way that both reinforced their core and prioritized accessibility, inclusivity, and action-oriented thought partnership. Enter the trusty tagline. 

Guttmacher already had a tagline, “Good reproductive health policy starts with credible research”, but we learned through our assessment that it wasn’t doing quite enough to capture the attention of new audiences and bring them along. So we went to work on an updated tagline that not only enlivened the language but also doubled down on their updated brand positioning and the importance of facts.

The new tagline, “Center facts. Shape policy. Advance sexual and reproductive rights.”, gives audiences a clear signal that data and evidence play a key role in the fight for effective public policy. The updated tagline also elevates Guttmacher’s mission and serves as a call to action for audiences.

If your name isn’t the issue (or changing it is too hard), what other brief information, feelings, or actions (like “Just Do It”) could you use as a tagline to engage audiences?

Are you investing in the right marketing and communications activities?

There are times when you may go through a brand check-up and conclude that your name isn’t a challenge and your tagline is working perfectly fine. So why is your nonprofit still struggling with awareness or failing to meet other communications and engagement goals? 

Sometimes this disconnect isn’t about who you are or what you do. Instead, it’s about where your organization shows up, when you communicate, what else you say, or who else seeks your audience’s attention. In these cases, your best bet might be to update your communications and marketing plan or research your audiences. Know that there is a right-sized solution for every nonprofit challenge.

Do you know that your organization needs a new name and would like a partner to help you create one? Do you love your name, but would like to find other ways to make it shine? Are you unsure if you have a brand problem at all, but would like to find out? Drop us a line, and we can take the journey together to best position your nonprofit for success.