Charity rebranding "is the easy way to fix the problem, rather than the real way to fix the problem…maybe the brand is its own worst enemy in that particular regard.”

That's one of the points made by Michael Birkin, our Guest on Two Ps on a Pod this week

Michael is CEO of KYU, a global collective of creative companies that are focused on tackling some of the world’s most complex problems by harnessing innovation to drive societal and economic change.

But it’s very much his time as CEO at Interbrand and Vice-Chair of Omnicom Group that we are focussing on today. Google Michael, and you’ll find that he is one of the world’s global authorities on branding – he actually invented brand valuation. With his help and direction, we are looking at charity branding and rebranding, considering what branding can do for charities and what it can’t and when a rebrand should happen and when it shouldn’t.

We discuss what branding means, why rebranding as a quick fix to tackle deeper structural problems is a mistake, why the new broom rebrand by the new arrival rarely stands up to scrutiny and how there are other more effective ways to re-energise a struggling charity than embarking on a rebrand.

Michael's perspective is very different from those that we usually hear in the charity sector, and I think it is an essential one to consider in the face of the charity rebrands that can serve as a hinderance to growth rather than a driver.

As ever, if you disagree or have any thoughts to share, why not make a comment on LinkedIN or send them to Giles at Giles@gilespegram.com or me at hello@bluefroglondon.com.

Happy fundraising.

I'm back with another episode of Two Ps on a Pod with Giles Pegram CBE, and one of my favourite fundraisers, Ken Burnett. In today's episode you'll hear that we chat about the brand-new edition of Ken’s fantastic book on donor-centred fundraising, Relationship Fundraising.

You'll hear that we don't tell Ken how brilliant the book is (it is brilliant). Instead, we look critically at why Relationship Fundraising has failed! After all, there are very few significant charities that practice it today.

Despite evidence supporting Relationship Fundraising as the sole long-term strategy guaranteed to boost lifetime and legacy giving, its widespread adoption seems to have been hindered by the delayed realisation of its benefits.

This means that the new broom or innovation FOMO (fear of missing out) syndrome can easily destroy its impact, way before the rewards are felt.

But I can vouch for Relationship Fundraising. Over Bluefrog’s history, we have seen the benefits of implementing it for many of our long-term clients. Even at times of crisis (pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine and economic downturns) we have been able to grow income for charities that follow its guidelines.

I have also seen what happens when innovations or rebrands are introduced without giving thought to donors' needs. That’s when we see income stagnate and go into decline – even in the face of increased spending.

The fact is it takes about two years for a “new creative or strategic direction” to have a significant negative impact on a previously well-run relationship fundraising programme. Donors are, after all, pretty forgiving. That’s enough time for the collective memory in the charity to grow dim and fuzzy, loosening the ties to the original strategy as decline is now accepted as the ‘new normal’. What usually follows is a series of lurches from one new creative solution to another as a charity tries to regain the growth that was once taken for granted.

If you’ve read the first or second edition of Relationship Fundraising, there is plenty of new insight in the new volume. Ken focuses on the donor experience and covers my favourite area of fundraising – thanking. He also takes a deeper strategic view, as you’ll hear in our conversation, where he considers the importance of developing a strong and supportive organisational culture.

You can buy a copy of Relationship Fundraising through Ken’s website – kenburnett.com or you can get a free copy by answering Giles' question, which you’ll find towards the end of the podcast which is, What is the most interesting thing you can do with Two Ps?

Make of that what you will!

Answer in the comments on Youtube or email Giles at giles@gilespegram.com or me at hello@bluefroglondon.com. We’ll announce the winner at the end of September.

Happy listening!

In today’s episode of Two Ps on a Pod, Giles and Mark meet up with Paul Amadi MBE, Chief Supporter Officer at the British Red Cross.

In a wide-ranging discussion, we consider the rights and (mainly) wrongs of transactional fundraising, we look at where the Red Cross is looking to innovate and what the future of successful fundraising might look like.

Paul shares his thoughts on how a charity can encourage people who give at times of emergency to continue their support when the news media moves on to other concerns. And we consider how the Red Cross brand is managed and whether it is important that the promotional focus of the charity should cover all aspects of the charity’s operations.

If you'd like to speak to Giles, you can email him at giles@gilespegram.com. Mark can be found at hello@bluefroglondon.com.

Agree? disagree? Why not make a comment and let us know. And if you've got an opinion you'd like to share, tell us why you'd like to join us on the sofas!