How effective event branding can raise your fundraising efforts

Posted on 12 Oct 2011 by ACEVO Consulting
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There are many ways of fundraising but one of the most popular, particularly at this time of year, is through events.

Events need careful and considered management a long time in advance. Part of that preparation should include plans for how the event is branded, in a way that engages not just your participants but also the supporters who may be asked to offer financial support.

What must the event branding do?

The branding of an event is as important as the branding of your organisation. It has to establish itself very quickly and is often not in place for long. It needs to make an instant impact to assist recognition and have the flexibility to ensure that it works well in the ‘long tail’ of media where it needs to be seen.

With the plethora of media that are involved in promoting a successful event – particularly digital media – successful event branding involves more than “slapping a logo in place”. You need a fully flexible ‘toolkit’ that will enable you to successfully and consistently promote the event in widely disparate environments – for example, on large format banners and a much smaller Facebook or Twitter page.

Your event branding also needs to work well with the logo of any corporate partners you sign up. This relationship should be carefully managed, not least to ensure that your partners remain confident that your event logo is adding and not detracting from the credibility they are lending to your organisation. You should also ensure you’re your event branding works effectively in your partner’s environment (for example on supermarket shelves).

Ideally the event will reach out to people that your charity has not touched before, so event branding needs to support your core values. Although it is important that the event has its ‘own’ brand identity to achieve impact, it also needs to acknowledge the parent charity so that the link is not lost and new supporters are effectively recruited. Like good general branding, consistent event branding ensures that every promotional penny spent sends out the same message and in doing so creates greater impact.

Where should I use it?

For participants, the event identity forms a focus for their endeavours and a special pack of branded items that they receive from the charity is important. This might include T-shirts and caps or invitations and recipes, depending the type of event.

Not only does this ensure visibility for your brand at the event, it also demonstrates to participants that their fundraising efforts are valued by the charity and encourages them to raise their own game and seek more support.

But first you need to recruit participants and the adverting required to do this can usefully draw on earlier examples of the event, if appropriate. If the event has not taken place before it can be worth investing in a special photo shoot featuring branded items. Another reason why planning should start well in advance.

As well as still images for the press, there is plenty of scope nowadays for short films to use on your website and channels such as YouTube.

Consider a micro site

Ideally the event will be able to support its own micro web site which can be readily updated to provide information on all aspects of the event – registration details, applications, venues, top tips, case histories, forms and promotional posters that participants can download and print on their own printers. It can be a springboard to and from other digital media such as Facebook, Twitter and Virgin Money Giving. The event branding can be articulated across all aspects of the micro site.

Be practical and cost-conscious when designing branded promotional material that can be used again and delete dates to make material re-useable the following year.

Details such and individual badges for TV interviews and event marshals and signage (which might include menus!) should not be forgotten.

Ensure you capture imagery for your website (s) and next years’ promotion and for what you hope will be extensive press coverage of the successful fundraising outcomes across the country. Your event logo (or more likely a branded action picture) can help both you and newspapers editors seeking to add visual variety in their pages.

After the event, branding continues to have an important part in play in awards, prizes, thank you letters and certificates. If framed certificates can find their way onto pub, club and restaurant walls they can be surprisingly enduring reminders of your organisations good work – and act as ‘silent salesmen’ for the next event.

In brief, an effective event branding will make you Famous, should be Flexible and will add to your Fundraising achievements.

Branded items

Must haves

• Event identity/logo
• Facebook page (if audience is under 30)
• Supporter’s pack
• Fundraising page (Virgin Money, Just Giving)
• Letterheads/forms/signage/certificates/signage etc

Nice to have

• Images / video for promotion use, PR
• Microsite
• Twitter page
• Advertising on and off-line
• Banners/ Promotional items
• Co-branding with partners

Written by an Expert Fundraising Consultant from ACEVO Consulting

To speak to an advisor about the matters raised in this article please call 020 7280 4933 referencing the article.

If you are thinking of running an event and do not have the in-house resources to do so look no further! ACEVO’s Event Management Service www.acevoeventmanagement.or.uk will work with you to deliver a successful event. Contact 020 7280 4965 to speak to one of our expert advisors.

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