During the pandemic, every orchestra’s brand became more important. A strong, resonant brand—one understood and internalized by audiences and donors—was a powerful asset, helping organizations navigate uncertain waters. Faced with not being able to mount concerts on stages—or meet donors in person—many orchestras innovated: these initiatives, when informed by their desired brand attributes, had the potential to not only perform their tactical jobs well, but to build brand meaning, and move people closer.
In this webinar with the League of American Orchestras, participants learned how to proactively build a strong, meaningful brand—a brand that would not only foster awareness, engagement, and support, but help them innovate in a strategic, thoughtful, true-to-their organization manner. The session covered:
- what brand is, and how to build an authentic, compelling brand that accurately reflects your organization, your constituents—and what matters to them;
- how to configure a brand architecture that ensures your different efforts and offerings will accrue value to your organization—and not be spaghetti-on-the-wall one-offs;
- how to construct and deploy a messaging framework; and
- how visual expression and web behavior are integral components of messaging—and how to develop a system of visual expression that will deliver value across all media.
Lastly, participants got an inside look around how one of the nation’s most innovative orchestras, New Jersey Symphony, thrived in the face of COVID and launched a brand-building project to further propel their upward trajectory. Gabriel van Aalst, President and CEO (2016-2024) of New Jersey Symphony, joined Roger to tell the story of their strategic success during a challenging time.