With the increase in competition in every industry, companies are constantly looking for ways to make their brand relevant says Matthew Brannelly. Many of them re-strategize to change the brand identity through rebranding.

Rebranding requires a lot of investment and research. In fact, it takes some companies more than a year to fully carry out their plans. Because of that, every brand chooses to rebrand when they strongly believe the return of an investment will be worth it. Unfortunately, these rebranding projects often fail to live up to their business expectations.

While some rebranding fails because of lack of proper research and customer’s disengagement, others fail because the change is not necessary. Read on as Matthew Brannelly, the founder of Orbit and NFP hub, a company what  works with NFPs to become more efficient and achieve their goals explains why rebranding often fails.

Lack of proper research

It is important to always carry out extensive research before changing anything about your brand. This will help you know what might not work for your brand. Rebranding can bring a huge growth, change, and customer’s enthusiasm to your business. But it can also be detrimental and cost the brand huge losses  if the change is different from the customers' view about the brand. Extensive research will also avoid cultural and spiritual faux pas.

“Analyse your target market, know your competitors, and understand how customers perceive your brand. Understand the impact of rebranding on your customer’s feelings and analyse what their attitude will be towards it. This is important because many customers already have deep emotional bonds with your brand and rebranding can hurt their feelings,”  Matthew Brannelly advises.

Using the wrong strategy

Using the wrong strategy can cause a lot of damage when rebranding. Evaluate the need for change from customers view, be sure it is the right decision, and look at the opportunities carefully. Moreover, a partnership is important. Therefore, you need to work with the right agency. Work hand in hand with your partners and be sure they are very objective, experienced, and committed to getting you the best result. Carefully study the market analysis and customers' reactions around your rebrand.

According to Matthew Brannelly, innovators in the business world create new products, methods, and ideas, each day. They manage to look at problems differently and come up with solutions others cannot, and they provide an endless stream of value to their companies. In fact, innovation just might be the most important component of a successful company.

Look at the reasons innovations is so important, and you will have a better understanding of why you need to innovate every chance you get.

Grow in Leaps and Bounds

Sixty-six percent of respondents in The Deloitte Innovation Survey 2015 stated innovation is important for growth. Businesses that innovate are able to scale up and add more employees. That allows them to take on more customers and grab a bigger share of the market says Matthew Brannelly.

Innovation makes it easier to grow, regardless of the size of the business. You might have a small startup, but if you innovate, you can grow your business. The same is true for a fortune 500 company. It might be a huge corporation, but it can take even more of the market share if it manages to innovate. It’s easy for innovative companies to grow.

Stand Out from Competitors

Your company fits inside of a specific niche or industry, and it’s far from alone. Let’s say, for example, you manufacture light bulbs. Tons of companies also manufacture light bulbs, and you need to stand out in some way. You can do that through innovation.

The right innovation will allow you to offer something unique to your customers says Matthew Brannelly. For instance, what if you managed to create a light bulb that automatically turned off when people left the room? That’s a crazy example, but that’s how some of the best innovations work. Top innovators take popular products and make them even better. That makes brands stand out in the market and makes it easy for companies to increase revenue.

According to Matthew Brannelly, nonprofits are confronted with an immense financial burden. The demand for services is at an all-time high, putting the burden on their resources as seeking external help is limited.

Nonprofits rely on donations, and during these health crises raising funds poses a significant challenge. The reports of The Salvation Army indicate that as compared to previous years, funding rising stooped to 18 %. But all credit to social media platforms, non-profit setups with strategies have been able to reach their fundraising and selling goals. During the pandemic, people have become relaxed with digital devices captivating the customer base for engagement.

An example that emerges is Orbit NFP Hub founded by Matthew Brannelly provides professional help to non-profit organizations.

Social Media and their Benefits to Nonprofit Organizations

For a Nonprofit organization, it is an effective tool for marketing. The major advantages include

Numerous popular nonprofit organizations have working social media marketing methods for operating successful marketing modules says Matthew Brannelly. Their philosophy is to ensure that an organization follows transparent protocols and opts for maximum efficiency. They have a network of professionals that enables an organization to align with its vision and mission statement.

According to Matthew Brannelly – strategic leader from Brisbane, there are still ways for you to grow your business during the pandemic. When many companies are working remotely, operating at limited capacity or shut down completely, it may seem like there are few, if any, opportunities to achieve business growth. Despite these setbacks, there are ways to make the most of the current circumstances and continue growing your business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are some tips given by Matthew Brannelly, which will keep sales coming in and your customers and employees engaged.

1. Digital Marketing Strategies

Although many digital marketing channels like blogs, email newsletters and social media are free or low-cost, businesses trying to grow right now must be strategic about the time and resources they dedicate to their marketing efforts. Be careful and resourceful with every dollar you invest in marketing, said by Matthew Brannelly.

We are living through a very uncertain time — from day to day it seems almost impossible to predict what will come next.

It’s easy to see that the rather dramatic occurrences in 2020 have impacted businesses of all sizes, and especially small businesses. One study of 5800 small businesses in the US pointed to the fact that smaller companies tend to be “financially fragile,” which only exacerbates the problems that face them during times of national crisis, for instance.

It's impossible to fully predict what will happen in 2021 and beyond, but there are strategies that can help small businesses stabilize and grow. Let’s discuss five of them here.

According to Matthew Brannelly, the COVID-19 pandemic had a detrimental impact on the whole world. Affecting civilians, government organizations, and private organizations all alike. And to no surprise, the Nonprofits were no exception.

A survey revealed by Orbit NFP Hub, an organization led by Matthew Brannelly that helps nonprofits to become more efficient, showed a clear decline in revenue, individual giving, and grants that have consequently affected the services provided by them during the months of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such it also had an impact on the employment aspect of these nonprofit organizations and furloughing of employees and laying them off was a common sight.

Of the total number of respondents in this survey, conducted by Matthew Brannelly and his team, 80% of the nonprofits reported a decline in revenue generation through various means. The most apparent of them being revenue generation through different events and activities. This decrease in revenues naturally has affected the capacity of these organizations to retain their employees and 38% of them reported reducing their workforce. And furloughing their employees was the most common approach.

Added to these problems was the imbalance in demand and output. Reduced revenue and employees but the increased demand for services during the COVID-19 pandemic caused staff disruptions in these nonprofits. This hindered the realization of their goals.

But not all of the respondents were in a negative puddle. 25% of them reported an increase in employment during this period and 75% among them view such employees as a permanent addition to their workforce. Some organizations even have projected that they will reach their revenue goals. And even many others have opted to merge with partner organizations to continue providing their services and cut other costs. This step will also decrease the workload on individual employees during these trying times.

According to Matthew Brannelly - strategic advisor from Australia, if you are planning to start a nonprofit or charitable organisation, then you need to consider some questions before you embark on your initial journey.

Who else is out there?

There are literally hundreds of thousands of nonprofit organisations in Australia. Your first step should be to look at whether there is an organisation already doing what you want to says Matthew Brannelly. This way you can see answer questions such as:

Am I doubling up in an area?

Is there high competition for grants?

Could I join/partner with/share resources with an existing organisation?

How will my nonprofit be structured?

If you want to register your nonprofit organisation, you will have to look at how it is structured – either as a company or an incorporated body.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission have compiled a factsheet of information, to help you choose the appropriate structure of your organisation.

Remember, each state has different rules and regulations regarding setting up of a nonprofit organization says Matthew Brannelly. It would be best to check with your respective Office of Consumer and Business Affairs.

Are you keen on fundraising activities? According to Matthew Brannelly, recent market conditions after the 2020 Pandemic abstain the entities from gathering funds in a conventional door-to-door manner. Over the past few years, many top associations like the Orbit NFP hub collaborate with nonprofitsto stream the income sources.

They also use the omnichannel approach to gather funds for 'fundraising .' Matthew Brannelly is the visionary for stretching a helping hand towards such nonprofits and aid them in governance with the local government.

The collection of voluntary financial contributions through multiple resources refers to fundraising activities. Although it might appear a complex process when you channelize the process, funds are gathering over from all across.

People like Matthew Brannelly, who have a keen interest in developing NGOs for public welfare, come up with charitable foundations, companies, agencies, and individuals to collectively gather funds for the nonprofits.

Enhancement of digitalization led to the incorporation of online fundraising mediums that reach out to larger masses and involve minimal fuss. Besides, it is possible to remotely monitor and manage the collection process without trespassing any geographical limits.

Before you learn about the various tools, getting a glimpse of potential donors is also mandatory.

Organizations that can enable you to gather funds from donors such as:

Intelligent intellectuals like Matthew Brannelly know the potential to online marketing, and they effectively imbibe the fundraising initiative through multiple online tools and mediums. It also emphasizes developing a soft corner amongst the donors for achieving the nonprofit objectives. Motivation to donate for others' welfare is the fundamental principle of fundraising, and few entities can optimize it through online tools for your growth and market sustainability.

There will always be some important trends influencing business across the globe every year says Matthew Brannelly. While some are fleeting and don’t last long. Some trends are significant and seem to make an impact for a longer time. However, the trends brought about by the pandemic were not anything anyone ever bargained for. The rapid shift in consumer behavior was unprecedented and businesses were obliged to quickly adapt to these changes. These brought about trends across businesses of all sizes and industries and opportunities that can be leveraged to drive businesses forward.

Matthew Brannelly, the founder of  Orbit NFP hub, an organization driven with passion in helping NFP (not-for-profit) organizations grow observes that these trends will impact significant growth during and after covid 19. You will need to understand the trends and technologies in order to ensure your business is moving in the right direction towards growth.

Here, Matt Brannelly provides pandemic business trends that are transforming the business landscape now and post-pandemic in Australia.

Digital Adoption

The closures of stores, brick and mortar businesses, malls, restaurants, gyms, and concern of personal safety have got consumers shifting online in a big way says Matt Brannelly. This means businesses that were still on the fence are left with no choice but to embrace online business in order to cater to their customer needs. In fact, during the 2020 Black Friday/Cyber Monday online shopping sales period, over 2 million Australian families have placed orders online. Australia witnessed a record-breaking online sales boom more than ever during the pandemic. The new normal is restaurants receiving takeaway orders online. Gyms providing virtual fitness classes, grocery stores shifting online for product ordering and delivery, and many more.

Work from Home

The transition to work from home is probably the most significant trend that is driving the new normal. Businesses are now experiencing firsthand that they do not need to be restricted to the four walls of the office before they can be productive. This has brought about flexibility in work arrangements. Although some are still wary of the good and bad that come with work from home brought, the pros sure outweigh the cons. Expect more companies allowing employees to work from home even after the pandemic ends.

Virtual Conferencing and Events

With social distancing, businesses have to embrace virtual conferences.” How can you attend a charity auction if you cannot go? How can you raise a charity fund if your partners are unable to attend? Nonprofits companies are turning to virtual gatherings not only to engage with the public but also to spark financial support”, Matthew Brannelly explains.

Customers are the lifeblood of every business says Matthew Brannelly. Any business or organization that is not attracting new customers or growing its customer base will soon find itself kicked out of the game. Simply put, if there are no customers, there is no business.

Hence, it becomes essential to reach new customers and incorporate innovative approaches to position your brand to the right audience or sell your ideas, products or services. We ask expert, Matthew Brannelly founder of Orbit NFP hub, an organization helping non-profit to grow. He provides tried and proven expert marketing tips to help businesses acquire new customers.

You can’t be seen without Search Engine Optimization

If you already own a website, have engaging interesting content for visitors to read or run a blog, they won’t amount to much if they are not being found by the right audience. And this can be made possible through search strategies.

Search strategies encompass various techniques and approaches such as SEO, content marketing, search engine marketing, keyword optimization and link building strategies. When applied, your website and brand will be able to top the first page of major search engines like google. This way you can boost visibility and increase customer reach. A much-needed step to attracting new customers.

Don’t Go Solo

“There is no doubt many businesses started alone when they just got started on the entrepreneurial journey. However, as businesses grow and customers increase, partnering with the right people and becoming a member of a like-minded community might be what you need to grow,” Matthew Brannelly says. Matthew suggests building your business to success without going solo.