Giving Thoughts

A Bad Product Name Doesn’t Bode Well for Impact

By Gary Wexler, Founder, Seize the Conversation Transformational Seminars, and Adjunct Lecturer in Nonprofit Marketing, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism

From my years as an advertising copywriter and creative director, working on clients ranging from Apple to Coca-Cola, I know how important a brand name is when struggling for sales impact. “Nonprofit” is a brand name, a really bad one. The sector needs to be rebranded to help organizations pursuing a social endeavor deliver on their promises of impact.

“Nonprofit” is a weak name. It sounds second class and lacks backbone. It doesn’t describe the sector’s vision or goals; it describes organizations’ tax status. The term certainly doesn’t motivate people or make them proud. What other sector or product goes by a name that given to it by the IRS?

Let’s be frank—the nonprofit brand has become polluted. The sector is the butt of many people’s jokes, including those who work in it. Whether it’s true or not, people generally perceive nonprofits as inefficient, bureaucratic, and slow. People see these organizations as populated by do-gooders who have no business sense.

Introducing a new construct: “Activist sector”

To rebrand the sector, we need to think about who’s behind it:

• Activists who put themselves on the line to change the world.
• Activist people who understand that a new era has dawned and are taking risks to create new constructs and ways of thinking.
• Activist thinkers who know that without collaboration with business, government and the creative class, this sector has no future.
• Activist visionaries who understand that activism is an art form, because it must touch people’s souls.
• Activist implementers who realize nothing comes alive unless you know how to implement at a level of excellence.
• Activist questioners who know how to question everything, even when they are being constantly told it’s all about impact and data.
• Activist business minds who know that today’s business practices and skills translate to impact.
• Activist communicators who understand that with technology, the Internet and globalization, communications is now the force and the nerve center of all creativity. design thinkers who bring a visual sensibility to all thinking, planning, creation and implementation.
• Activist idea makers who realize that without idea creation and excellent implementation, none of those outcomes from strategic planning processes will ever come alive with power and compete.

The corporate sector can make this happen
No one in corporate society will argue that a bad name inhibits success. Corporations spend hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of dollars rebranding, because they know how important it is.

At the same time, corporations are investing billions into the activist sector. Today, that investment includes time, labor and products, not to mention the cash that goes towards measuring the impact of it all.

A rebranding for the sector that replaces connotations of drudgery with an emphasis on passion and success is in companies’ best interests. It will invigorate constituent organizations, giving them a reason to be proud, and helping them appeal to the type of activists they need to make their work a success. All this means one thing for their backers: more impact. If something is holding back the impact that corporations are spending millions to measure, isn’t it in their best interest to lead this change?

If the corporate sector pushes a name change, it will happen. Between their marketing departments and ad agencies they can organize this process. And it is a challenge with which their ad agencies and marketing departments would love to be engaged.

About the author:

Gary Wexler is the founder of Seize the Conversation Transformational Seminars. He is the Adjunct Lecturer in both Nonprofit Marketing, as well as Advertising in the Masters program at USC/Annenberg School of Communication. He has helped to market over 1000 nonprofit organizations in the US, Canada, The Caribbean, Europe, China and Israel. During his ad agency career, he created award-winning campaigns for clients ranging from Apple Computer to Coca-Cola. Read more of his work at www.seizetheconversation.com.