{"id":1242,"date":"2019-01-08T06:00:38","date_gmt":"2019-01-08T06:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uniontrack.com\/blog\/?p=1242"},"modified":"2019-01-07T16:58:25","modified_gmt":"2019-01-07T16:58:25","slug":"union-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniontrack.com\/blog\/union-brand","title":{"rendered":"How a Union Can Strengthen Its Brand to Better Engage Members"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ken Green
\nCEO\/Founder
\nUnionTrack, Inc.<\/a><\/p>\n

If you aren\u2019t cultivating your union\u2019s brand, you probably should be.<\/p>\n

Unions must continually grow to survive. But that growth isn\u2019t always easy to accomplish in the face of economic, legislative and prejudicial hostilities<\/a>. That\u2019s where branding comes in. To succeed, unions need to strengthen their brand to stand out in members\u2019 minds.<\/p>\n

Branding, says Amy Cosper<\/a>, vice president of Entrepreneur Media, Inc., is simply a matter of knowing who you are and how you communicate those values to others. The strength of a brand plays a big role in the success of any organization. <\/p>\n

Marketing agency Articulate<\/a> explains that strong brands benefit from awareness, credibility, reputation and customer satisfaction. These are all X-factors that can\u2019t be bought, but must be earned. \u00a0<\/p>\n

To do that, unions need to think like marketers.<\/p>\n

Rally Around the Visual Identity<\/h2>\n

A brand\u2019s visual identity captures what the brand represents and is used to form a bond with people. When others see the brand\u2019s visual identity, consultant John Rampton<\/a> says, they make a connection between what the brand represents and what they like about it.<\/p>\n

Consider any football team or any fast food restaurant. What\u2019s the first visual that comes to mind? Their logos. Logos are part of the bond and they evoke feelings and emotions as part of that connection.<\/p>\n

The same can be true for unions. A strong logo can spur the emotional connection members have with the union. Encourage members to display the logo. Use it on all union communications. The more members see it, the stronger the emotional connection. <\/p>\n

\"digital<\/p>\n

Develop a Strong Marketing Strategy<\/h2>\n

Yes, unions need to market themselves. <\/p>\n

Very often, new employees, current members and the community at large don\u2019t know what it is that a union does for its members. It is the union\u2019s responsibility to educate these audiences and communicate the union\u2019s brand value. That is why a strong marketing strategy is so important.<\/p>\n

When developing a marketing strategy, unions need to include both digital and traditional tactics to reach as many people as possible. In marketing-speak, you need an integrated marketing strategy. <\/p>\n

Digital Tactics That Support a Brand<\/h3>\n

A digital presence is a must for unions. Your members are online, and you need to be, as well. <\/p>\n

But you can\u2019t develop a website and call it a day. There needs to be a digital strategy<\/a> that encompasses various digital tools and prioritizes developing strong content that resonates with members.<\/p>\n

A good digital strategy should include most, if not all of these elements, according to Becca Bloch<\/a> at nonprofit website design agency Elevation Web:<\/p>\n