Envisioning 2.0

I thought I’d add to the “explosion” (pun intended) of commentary about the latest PR blogger to hit the scene: the sexy “Strumpette” or “Amanda Chapel.” She (or it) is getting lots of buzz, so I’d thought I’d draw attention to my quiet, serious, low-circ blog by mentioning her, or it, or whatever. For anyone who cares, this is an obvious attempt to garner “link love” — but for a good cause, so read on.

Outing “Strumpette”

It appears that “Amanda” may be close to being outed. In a comment posted on Robert French’s blog infOpinions?, Mike Driehorst says:

“Now, I know relatively little about technology. So, the following may be hogwash, and no harm is meant by it. But . . .

I found the IP address for Ms. Chapel’s comment at:
http://www.contentmanager.net/community/forum/11/15/16.html
It’s a discussion through about “Miro International Supports Mambo Open Source Community in Disputing Furthermore Claims”
Ms. Chapel’s comment IP address is the same as someone named “Furthermore” in that discussion.

If you follow the link by “furthermore”:
http://www.literatigroup.com/versusmambo/content/view/54/46/1/2/
that is in that discussion, you get to a statement about Miro International. In that statement, there is reference to a Brian Connolly of Chicago-based Furthermore Inc.

Mr. Connolly had a couple comments on Steve Rubel’s blog in February about the Edelman Talk Shop look and brand: http://www.micropersuasion.com/2006/02/talking_shop.html

Mr. Connolly’s Furthermore Inc. publishes wepublishing.com, a platform for managing Web community information.

So, is there a legit connection between Ms. Chapel and Mr. Connolly? Or, has my inept tech expertise been exposed?”

Now For The Legit Stuff: Healthcare Non-Profits That Deserve Link Love

Robert French has been asking people to share some link love with non-profits to draw attention to their activities and to support their blogging efforts (see this post.) I’ve nearly completed my massive report on healthcare blogging and there is a big section in it on healthcare non-profit blogs. So, here’s me giving link love to the non-profit blogs I highlight in my report. Visit their blogs, support them (if you agree with their cause) and link to them. Now, the list:

Healthcare Non-Profit Blogs

-Planned Parenthood: Save Roe!
-The March Of Dimes: Share Your Story
-The Amercan Lung Association Of Minnesota
-The Hastings Center: Bioethics Forum
-The MIRACLE Campaign
-The Constellation For AIDs Competence
-Camp ASCCA Journal
-A Healthy Blog

That’s all folks. . .

“The Attack of the Brand Shamans” is a great blog entry on the dangers of an unfocused branding effort. The post outlines how the United Cerebral Palsy foundation changed its name back in 2001 with many negative results.

For a name-changing effort, there is one hard-and-fast rule: Make sure the name accurately reflects what your organzation is about. If people read your new name and are scratching their heads, you’ve got a problem.

You can find this post at the donorpowerblog by clicking here.

If asked to rank their current and future needs, many managers of
non-profit organizations would likely place branding at the bottom of the list. If asked why, some might reply: “I can’t afford to undertake a major branding effort right now.” That’s the wrong answer. In today’s competitive funding environment branding, or communicating the character or purpose of an organization, is more important than ever.

Developing or revamping a non-profit’s brand can have many benefits. Some of the most significant include increased donations and membership. Given this, can any non-profit afford not to do it? Following are five reasons why branding just can’t wait.

Reason #1: Branding Instills Discipline

Any branding effort should begin with a careful analysis of whether an
organization’s mission is truly aligned with its activities. Is the organization
delivering on its promises? If it isn’t, it has a big problem. Non-profits that have strong brands do what they say and say what they do. A branding effort can help a wayward organization correct its course.

Reason #2: Effective Branding Improves Clarity

Potential funders and members are more willing to donate time and money
to organizations they understand and support. A non-profit with a strong brand will have an easier time communicating its mission and value.

Reason #3: Branding Increases Quality

Organizations with weak brands often deliver poor service. Those that
provide high quality products and services have strong brands and
intense customer loyalty. Undergoing a branding effort can force a
non-profit to carefully evaluate the quality of its offerings and
improve where necessary.

Reason #4: Branding Can Motivate Staff and Volunteers

Staff and volunteers that identify with and support an organization’s
mission are more motivated and engaged. Organizations with strong brands are in a better position to inspire and activate these important human resources.

Reason #5: Branding Benefits A Non-Profit’s Constituents

A non-profit’s constituents can only benefit from an organization that has a clear mission, high-quality service and motivated staff or volunteers. This is the number-one reason organizations should consider undertaking a branding effort.

Clearly branding is critically important. Non-profits can’t afford to neglect this important activity if they want to ensure they are operating and communicating as efficiently and clearly as possible.