Charity brands are born to challenge something, be it complacency, misunderstanding, injustice, stigma. So why isn’t our non-profit sector –180,000 organisations in the UK alone –bursting with challenger brands?
The typical charity donation – from a dwindling pool of donors – hasn’t grown since 2017, stuck at bank note denominations (a fiver, a tenner) despite inflation and our increasingly cashless society.
‘Punch above our weight’…’Make every pound count’… ‘Find our niche among big players’… ‘More impact, less resource’. Charities face the same tensions challenger brands emerge from and thrive off. But a challenger mindset can feel at odds with a charity’s need for collaboration over competition, where a brand is one to buy into, not buy.
A challenger approach means showing up boldly, urgently and unapologetically because nobody cares like you so what have you got to lose? It gets maximum attention with minimum resource by being relevant in culture, now, this evening. It nabs you a spot in the world’s most valuable real estate: inside someone’s mind (John Hegarty), and a thumb-stop in the feed of GenZ (aka Gen Generous, shaping up to be one of the most charitable generations yet).
It's easy to convince yourself you’re a challenger brand if you’re niche or small. Or maybe you are in spirit (in a meeting room) but not in output (outside, IRL). So here’s five challenger tactics to try:
1. Change the Tone
Nobody knew they needed sweary psychedelic toilet paper in their downstairs loo until challenger brand Who Gives a Crap popped up. But underpinning the irreverent peachy bum puns is a serious message on sanitation otherwise overlooked. Humour – as my colleague Richard Kelly captured brilliantly last month – builds relationships and attention, and every charitable cause needs that. Influencing change needs a big juicy personality. Youth-focused breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel! knows it.
2. Let Distinctive Brand Assets Play
Challenger brands know the power of playful brand assets, giving life to a logo. Think of Duolingo’s bouncy owl and Octopus Energy’s hyperactive octopus (Constantine, apparently). Environmental NGO Rainforest Alliance was ahead of the pack when it asked people to #FollowtheFrog back in 2011 and the understated yet symbolic yellow Jerry Can of Charity:Water stands out in a crowded space: ‘Water is our challenge – and our calling.’
3. Make the Complex Simple
The older an organisation, the more complicated it is. Too many clicks, words in a report, columns in a strategy. Challenger brands such as Monzo start from nothing, focusing only on what moves the needle. Grassroot charity Surfers Against Sewage turns a complex environmental issue – ocean pollution – into something deeply human and local, inspiring change from the ‘beachfront’ to the ‘front bench’ in parliament.
Convenience and spontaneity drive Gen Zer’s charitable behaviour so brands need to stand out in the flow of their lives with frictionless giving and rapid feedback loops showing how their support helps.
4. We not You
Who’d fight your corner? Who believes in your movement?
Challenger brand Gymshark made its audience feel instantly reflected and connected. Its latest ‘We Do Gym’ is unapologetically tribal. IYKYN. Men’s healthy charity Movember calls its five million ‘Mo Bros’ and ‘Mo Sisters’ ‘the rockstars…we are the roadies.’ The ‘all hands on deck’ urgency of charity fundraising can make audience segmentation feel limiting, but people engage with non-profits for highly personal reasons. Gen Z want to feel part of larger movements and moments that align with their sense of self. What attitudes and values drive your tribe?
5. Flip the Script
Challenging is more than just ‘doing the opposite’; it’s asking why things are done a certain way using ‘intelligent naivety’ (Adam Morgan). Beauty brand The Ordinary found its spot in cluttered bathroom cabinets with a ‘does what it says on the tin’ Ronseal approach over glossy celebrity endorsement. Refugee charity Choose Love broke the mould by wearing the codes of a fashion lifestyle brand and Step Change, the UK’s national debt charity, reskinned as a fintech: ‘Debt happens. Let’s deal with it’.
Challenging is hard work. It becomes an obsession. But the reward is a brand that works hard back, ensuring every pound spent makes the biggest possible impact on the reason your organisation exists, to make a difference to society.
By Marianne Blamire
Executive Strategy Partner
References:
- Charity Commission https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/sector-data/sector-overview
- Charities AidFoundation: UK Giving Report (March 2024)
- Research by Deliveroo and the Trussell Trust (May 2024)
- Report by Blackbaud Institute: Gen Z at the Table (May 2024)
- Eating the Big Fish by Adam Morgan
