Do you know what position you play?

When writing these blogs, I usually like to take a lesson out of what’s happening in my life at the moment. I’ve just watched my son play in a field hockey match. He plays striker, which is all about positioning (the theme for this month 😊). Positioning is about being at the right place at the right time. In field hockey each player has a designated position, their specific purpose or role in the match. The rest of the team knows what that position is and their goal for the match. The same applies to your brand as a non-profit. Do people know what it is that you do? Are people crystal clear what your primary purpose is, and what makes you unique?

Another lesson from field hockey is being in the right place at the right time. Are you visible? As a hockey player, you must keep moving to get away from the opponents who are trying to mark you. You have to be visible to your teammates and stand out, as it were, from the crowd. Your NPO’s brand also should be seen so it can be found by prospective donors. You need the people who want to be on your team to find you with as little effort as possible. If I continue this field hockey metaphor, I’m going to stretch it beyond its breaking point, so enough of that!

The key principle to any marketing strategy is to know your audience and then tailor your activities to be attractive to that specific audience. As a non–profit, you may be trying to appeal to multiple, and very different audiences (corporates, individuals, grant-making entities). You either need to focus on one primary audience or have a strategy for different audiences on different platforms. Your positioning strategy should be aligned with your fundraising strategy Some organizations will prioritize donations from a broad array of individuals while another organization will focus on a particular type of grant-making entity. Your organisational strategy should inform your branding, positioning and marketing activities, consistently communicating the key aspects of your organisation that are attractive to your target market.