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branding
Velvet Underground Sues Andy Warhol Foundation Over Visual
Jan 12th
How much is a banana worth? According to legendary rock band The Velvet Underground, it's worth enough to start a lawsuit.
The New York Post reported yesterday that band members Lou Reed and John Cale are suing the Andy Warhol Foundation over its use of of the iconic banana image from the band's debut album, "The Velvet Underground and Nico." The suit, which was filed in a Manhattan federal court, claims that the Foundation illegally licensed the image for use on iPad cases and accessories in an effort to exploit the "goodwill" generated by the group. The filing goes on to say that the Foundation is attempting to "deceive the public" into thinking the products have the approval of The Velvet Underground.
Warhol had served as producer of VU's debut album, and created the banana image from an ad that was in the public domain. Although he never copyrighted the image, the music community widely agrees that it has become a symbol of The Velvet Underground. The band has gone on to note that the image as its logo in a 1995 box set, and licenced its use in 2001 ad for Absolut Vodka. In this case, it appears the band was not consulted. The Andy Warhol Foundation had no comment to The Post regarding the suit.
The use of logos is always a touchy subject legally. A simple image can define an entire organization and groups are very protective of that power. That's why branding is so important for any group or organization.
You can read more about this story in The New York Post.
The New York Post reported yesterday that band members Lou Reed and John Cale are suing the Andy Warhol Foundation over its use of of the iconic banana image from the band's debut album, "The Velvet Underground and Nico." The suit, which was filed in a Manhattan federal court, claims that the Foundation illegally licensed the image for use on iPad cases and accessories in an effort to exploit the "goodwill" generated by the group. The filing goes on to say that the Foundation is attempting to "deceive the public" into thinking the products have the approval of The Velvet Underground.
Warhol had served as producer of VU's debut album, and created the banana image from an ad that was in the public domain. Although he never copyrighted the image, the music community widely agrees that it has become a symbol of The Velvet Underground. The band has gone on to note that the image as its logo in a 1995 box set, and licenced its use in 2001 ad for Absolut Vodka. In this case, it appears the band was not consulted. The Andy Warhol Foundation had no comment to The Post regarding the suit.
The use of logos is always a touchy subject legally. A simple image can define an entire organization and groups are very protective of that power. That's why branding is so important for any group or organization.
You can read more about this story in The New York Post.
Branding Promises You Should Make
Jan 3rd
Of all the nonprofit buzz words out there, branding reigns supreme. You would be hard pressed to find an organization that isn't trying to increase awareness of their brand.
It's all well and good to talk about branding, but a nonprofit won't find much success if they don't follow some essential elements. One of these is something called the brand promise, which is discussed in the book "Be Your Own Brand" by David McNally and Karl D. Speak. A brand promise is a short yet inspiring statement that will provide the focus an organization needs to apply its distinctive qualities toward making a difference. McNally and Speak offered the following suggestions for crafting a brand promise:
It's all well and good to talk about branding, but a nonprofit won't find much success if they don't follow some essential elements. One of these is something called the brand promise, which is discussed in the book "Be Your Own Brand" by David McNally and Karl D. Speak. A brand promise is a short yet inspiring statement that will provide the focus an organization needs to apply its distinctive qualities toward making a difference. McNally and Speak offered the following suggestions for crafting a brand promise:
- Remember to keep it short. Anything more than five to eight words is too much.
- Tone is key. It should have a direct and action-oriented voice to get people excited and inspired.
- Let people know, directly or indirectly, how your brand will pay off for them.
- On a related note, show how the brand provides value to others.
- Don't be afraid of revisions. There's nothing wrong with fine-tuning until it is just right. After many iterations, your brand promise should keep everyone motivated and focused on your organization's brand strengths.
- Test it with your friends and family. They are the ones who will be the best judge of how it reads. You will know you have a success based on their reactions.
An Unfortunate Case Of Branding
Nov 18th
File this one under unfortunate cases of branding.
You probably know by now that Jerry Sandusky, the central figure in the Penn State child sex abuse scandal, founded a charity called The Second Mile. It's stated mission is "helping young people achieve their potential as individuals and as community members and providing education and support for their parents and youth service professionals." Worthy goals, no doubt, but that mission has now been tainted by the charges against Sandusky. As a result, a lot of people don't view The Second Mile in a very positive light.
In a recent article on The Huffington Post, we learn about the unfortunate effect the Penn State scandal has had on a Philadelphia-based organization called The Second Mile Center, a nonprofit thrift shop that helps ex-cons get back on their feet. Although it shares a similar name to Sandusky's organization, they are in no way connected. But given the similarity in the two names, people have confused the store with the scandal plagued charity. Since the charges against Sandusky became public, The Second Mile Center has experienced a 30 percent drop in sales.
Ron Lucas, who sits on the board of the nonprofit, told Weeklyxpress.com that they have received countless angry phone calls from people, most of whom hang up before they can explain that they have no connection to The Second Mile. They have even put up signs on its door, one of which reads:
You probably know by now that Jerry Sandusky, the central figure in the Penn State child sex abuse scandal, founded a charity called The Second Mile. It's stated mission is "helping young people achieve their potential as individuals and as community members and providing education and support for their parents and youth service professionals." Worthy goals, no doubt, but that mission has now been tainted by the charges against Sandusky. As a result, a lot of people don't view The Second Mile in a very positive light.
In a recent article on The Huffington Post, we learn about the unfortunate effect the Penn State scandal has had on a Philadelphia-based organization called The Second Mile Center, a nonprofit thrift shop that helps ex-cons get back on their feet. Although it shares a similar name to Sandusky's organization, they are in no way connected. But given the similarity in the two names, people have confused the store with the scandal plagued charity. Since the charges against Sandusky became public, The Second Mile Center has experienced a 30 percent drop in sales.
Ron Lucas, who sits on the board of the nonprofit, told Weeklyxpress.com that they have received countless angry phone calls from people, most of whom hang up before they can explain that they have no connection to The Second Mile. They have even put up signs on its door, one of which reads:
"We are not in any way connected to the Second Mile of the Penn State scandal. We are the Second Mile Center."The Second Mile Center has been in existence for 30 years, while The Second Mile was formed in 1977. It would be a shame if the negative attention towards that organization bought down this Philadelphia thrift shop. In the mean time, Lucas and everyone else at The Second Mile Center can only hope people will start to learn the truth.
A Story of Re-Branding
Aug 3rd
Re-Branding is done for a variety of different reasons. Sometimes an organization wants to move away from some controversial events that had soiled their previous brand. Other times, its just the result of an evolution in the organization's thinking. In the case of Good360 and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), it was clearly an effort to "refresh" their brand. In the newest issue of The NonProfit Times, the story behind the re-branding of these two nonprofits is discussed:
When Gifts In Kind International (GIKI) changed its name earlier this year, it wasn’t just some tweaks at the edges or a few nips and tucks to its logo. The Alexandria, Va.-based nonprofit unveiled its new name, Good360, this past spring, in the midst of revamping its business model in a sort of mashup of Kiva, eBay and DonorsChoose.org.
And, it’s not done yet: Phase II will launch by the end of the summer, integrating its two websites and rolling out an online catalog where individuals can become “microphilanthropists” by underwriting the shipping and handling costs of product donations. Charities often must consider when to transition image and brand, which might have grown from a small, fledgling effort into a nationally recognized organization. It’s not uncommon for nonprofit managers to think about whether the brand needs to be revamped with age or whether to retain the equity in a name it’s had for so long.
For Good360, it turned out to be a new name, web portal and business model, leaving behind a name, and more, that it had for almost 30 years. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), also some 30 years old, didn’t want to lose its established name and brand, so a new logo was characterized as a “refresh” of the brand.
(read the full article here)
The article goes on to paint a fascinating story of the process behind the rebranding of these two organizations. There comes a time in the life of any nonprofit where major changes have to be made in order to ensure continuing success. Change can be difficult but, as you can see with Good360 and MADD, they can ultimately be for the better. Has your organization ever had to undergo changes like these? Please feel free to share your stories with us in the comment section.
When Gifts In Kind International (GIKI) changed its name earlier this year, it wasn’t just some tweaks at the edges or a few nips and tucks to its logo. The Alexandria, Va.-based nonprofit unveiled its new name, Good360, this past spring, in the midst of revamping its business model in a sort of mashup of Kiva, eBay and DonorsChoose.org.
And, it’s not done yet: Phase II will launch by the end of the summer, integrating its two websites and rolling out an online catalog where individuals can become “microphilanthropists” by underwriting the shipping and handling costs of product donations. Charities often must consider when to transition image and brand, which might have grown from a small, fledgling effort into a nationally recognized organization. It’s not uncommon for nonprofit managers to think about whether the brand needs to be revamped with age or whether to retain the equity in a name it’s had for so long.
For Good360, it turned out to be a new name, web portal and business model, leaving behind a name, and more, that it had for almost 30 years. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), also some 30 years old, didn’t want to lose its established name and brand, so a new logo was characterized as a “refresh” of the brand.
(read the full article here)
The article goes on to paint a fascinating story of the process behind the rebranding of these two organizations. There comes a time in the life of any nonprofit where major changes have to be made in order to ensure continuing success. Change can be difficult but, as you can see with Good360 and MADD, they can ultimately be for the better. Has your organization ever had to undergo changes like these? Please feel free to share your stories with us in the comment section.
NPTtv Summary: Livestrong Gets a Stadium
Jun 1st
Note: This is a summary/reaction to a story from the latest webcast of The NonProfit Times.
Despite allegations by team mates that 7 time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong used banned performance enhancing drugs, his brand hasn't appeared to suffer much. Want proof? Look no further than Kansas.
Sporting Kansas City (SKC) is set to open its new $200 million Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium in Kansas City with the name Livestrong Sporting Park. The Livestrong Foundation licenced the use of its name on the stadium, and will receive a cut of its revenues without having to pay a dime. Typical MLS naming rights range between 2 and 2 million dollars, so the Foundation got quite a deal here.
To make that deal even sweeter, SKC has guaranteed a donation to the foundation of at least $7.5 million over six years. This money will come from a portion of ticket and concession stand sales to Major League Soccer matches, as well as other stadium events. Overall, The Livestrong Foundation will get between 1.2 and 1.5 million dollars each year.
Despite allegations by team mates that 7 time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong used banned performance enhancing drugs, his brand hasn't appeared to suffer much. Want proof? Look no further than Kansas.
Sporting Kansas City (SKC) is set to open its new $200 million Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium in Kansas City with the name Livestrong Sporting Park. The Livestrong Foundation licenced the use of its name on the stadium, and will receive a cut of its revenues without having to pay a dime. Typical MLS naming rights range between 2 and 2 million dollars, so the Foundation got quite a deal here.
To make that deal even sweeter, SKC has guaranteed a donation to the foundation of at least $7.5 million over six years. This money will come from a portion of ticket and concession stand sales to Major League Soccer matches, as well as other stadium events. Overall, The Livestrong Foundation will get between 1.2 and 1.5 million dollars each year.
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