Brands are moving into the territory that used to be just for charities and not-for-profits. This isn’t a natural evolution that is happening by accident. It is a concerted effort because it is what consumers are demanding from brands. They want to spend their money with brands that reflect what they believe in.
This creates a bit of a tricky situation for non-profits. They're in danger of getting overshadowed because, unlike regular businesses, they often have way more rules and regulations to follow. This is especially relevant when it comes to proving their impact and the science behind their work. That proof is often tied directly to their funding or not-for-profit status.
For-profit companies don't generally have those same hurdles. I’ve worked in and with many of them. They can jump on cultural trends to get their message across, no stakeholders making sure it aligns with rigid goals and expectations. They also by their very nature aim to be flashy and distinctive. That is how they attract new business.
Dove are a great example of a brand effectively using purpose in a way that fits their audience.
Their sole goal is to make the audience pay attention - that isn’t the same for not for profits. They’re not attention grabbing machines, they’re problem solving machines. But at the end of the day they are a brand like any other. They still need to grab attention. For-profits generally don’t have to fix problems in the purpose space, take a look at some of the most award winning work. It’s generally brands reflecting a problem to the audience to raise awareness instead of solving societal issues.
But what does that mean for not for profits? Well, they are in danger of being left behind. Like any business there is a lot of red tape and a lot of stakeholders, but due to their very nature, they have more hoops to jump through. They have to have the proof. The science. The knowledge. The research.
So, what should you do? Let go of the fear and treat your organisation like a for profit one. I am going to use a UK charity called Papyrus as an example. As a charity their sole purpose is the prevention of youth suicide. One of their main services is called the Hopeline, a 24/7 service for those struggling with suicidal ideation.
One problem they had was getting the information they had on suicide prevention across to an audience that didn’t want to interact with them. Suicide isn’t exactly something that people want to talk about. It’s scary. People don’t want to read a leaflet about intervention techniques to stop suicidal ideation, but it is vital information that everyone should know.
Another problem was donations. How do we increase them at a time when people were feeling the pinch? Ged the founder came in for a meeting to share his inside knowledge, and we worked together on freeing ourselves from the rules. We forgot stakeholders, forgot how the category does things, and approached things differently. We realised we could approach the problem as an opportunity. The problem wasn’t finding a new revenue stream and a way to get people to read our leaflets. That was the solution. The playground we got to explore and have fun in.
What came out of that was The Art of A Peaceful Mind, a mindfulness colouring book with a difference. Each page was a design created by the real audience of the charity featuring ways they used to manage their mental health struggles. It was for the community, by the community, in a format that was engaging and refreshing. All the information you get from the leaflets that PAPYRUS created but in a format for people to enjoy, but it also became a revenue stream for the charity.
So the problem is not that brands are stepping into the not-for-profit and charity space with their comms, that is the opportunity. The new lens to approach the work that you do. The opportunity to make good stuff happen.
