# What makes a charity brand "the best"?

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/10/30/what-makes-charity-brand-quotthe-bestquot/
- Published: 2012-10-30T18:17:31+00:00
- Author: Kevin Baughen

**A recent [Third Sector article](http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/1156911/cancer-research-uk-retains-title-best-charity-brand)
reported that “Cancer Research UK retains title of best charity brand”.**

The article talks about the latest findings from the annual _Third Sector Charity
Brand Index_, set up to gauge public awareness of charity brands in the UK. And 
[Cancer Research UK](http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/home) has been named as the
charity with the best brand for the third successive year.

We don’t get to see any more details about the research but I have to ask; what 
makes a charity brand “the best”? I talk and [write a lot about brands having to work for their living](http://bottomlineideas.wordpress.com/category/branding-2)
and actually help charities achieve their objectives. Winning design awards simply
isn’t enough if you need to campaign around issues, lobby MPs and fundraise, is 
it?

## Advertisement

It will be great to see more of the underpinning evidence from third Sector’s research
over the coming weeks but for now, here’s my view of what the best brands should
do for the charities that nurture them:

 * Increase the awareness amongst target audiences of who the charity is, LINKED
   to the outcomes of their work (we don’t have to be universally famous unless 
   it directly supports our objectives)
 * [⌊Award trophy⌉⌊Award trophy⌉[
 * Create an emotional and rational connection in the minds of those audiences around
   what the organisation is all about – values, successes etc – giving people reasons
   to support and to remember them
 * Reflect (either directly or by positive association) what the charity does, how
   it does it and to give confidence that this is sustainable
 * Reflect positively on how the charity is perceived to treat or deal with people,
   supporters, volunteers, beneficiaries etc…
 * Directly support fundraising, campaigning, attracting volunteers, service delivery
   etc, consistently and in line with the charity’s objectives (we will have to 
   accept that not all of these can be supported with the same vigour all of the
   time by our brands). If an activity is key to achieving the charity’s objectives
   then it should be integral to the brand development process!

The acid test of whether a brand is adding most value to a charity is perhaps when
the combination of all of the above is enough to make people act in the way the 
charity needs them to. And then to keep doing so in support of whatever the charity’s
bottom line objectives are.

And for the record, I think Cancer Research UK can credit themselves with working
towards these ideas and not just occupying the top spot because of the size of their
marketing budgets.

What do you think?

PS – If you’d like to know more about **how** charities can apply this thinking 
to make their brands work harder as assets, [please do get in touch](http://www.bottomlineideas.com/contact).

 

 * **[Institute changes partners for preferred magazine and job site](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/01/08/institute-changes-partners-preferred-magazine-job-site/)**(
   8 January 2014)
 * **[Third Sector to be digital only from October](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/07/22/third-sector-to-be-digital-only-from-october/)**(
   22 July 2022)
 * **[Helen Barrett joins Third Sector to cover fundraising](https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/05/12/helen-barrett-joins-third-sector-cover-fundraising/)**(
   12 May 2006)