Akil Henry’s Post

Who says that an NGO isn't a brand? One of the best parts of my work is focusing on brand management at Internationella Kvinnoföreningen i Malmö in a way that both internal teams and external audiences connect with our mission on a deeper level. A brand isn't just a logo, colors, or a website—it's much more than that. Brand is the voice, the message, and the emotions of the people within the organization. It’s about how we communicate these feelings to the world and, more importantly, to the communities we serve—our direct target group. When this connection is strong, the participants don’t just support our work; they become loyal to the brand and the best ambassadors we could ever have. Managing an NGO’s brand means ensuring that our mission, values, and impact resonate with every stakeholder. Brand is wonderful, and when done right, it builds trust, loyalty, and a powerful sense of community—both inside and out. #BrandManagement #NGO #MissionDriven #BrandLoyalty #Ambassadors #IKF #NonProfitBranding

"Thrilled to be appointed as a jury member for the Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards! The youth have an unparalleled influence on the brand industry, shaping trends, driving innovation, and challenging conventional thinking. Can't wait to see the impact their creativity will have on shaping the future of brand communication. Thanks Pat Mahlangu for the opportunity to be part of this great initiative. Let's empower and celebrate the next generation of brand trailblazers! #YouthInMarketing #Innovation #FutureLeaders"

Brand safety is a critical topic that goes beyond just brands' media investment encompassing ethics and overall brand perception. It's unfortunate that a well-needed non-profit business can be do forced to dissolve due to the actions of a better-funded opponent. What do you think? #brandsafety #ethics #businessdissolution https://lnkd.in/eKPnj_nt

Do DEI Initiatives Help or Hurt Black-Owned Beauty Brands? As major corporations scale back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Black-owned beauty brands are feeling the impact. While DEI efforts have helped increase visibility, access to funding, and shelf space in major retailers, some fear that these rollbacks could set progress back. With fewer opportunities for brand partnerships and grants, Black entrepreneurs now face a tougher road in an already competitive industry. Read the full story on The Black Wall Street Times. Link in bio. #BlackOwnedBeauty #DEI #SupportBlackBusinesses #BeautyIndustry #BlackWallStreetTimes #BWST

Explore the power of celebrity influence in the #DTC space with our comprehensive report. From goop by Gwyneth Paltrow to Once Upon a Farm by Jennifer Garner, discover the Top 31 DTC Celebrity Brands ranked by Charm's Growth Score and stay ahead of the trends. Download your copy here: https://hubs.li/Q02QQrgg0 #ecommerceinsights #charmanalytics #dtcbrands #celebritybrands

Very interesting post from Forbes which resonates deeply with our ethos at Better Tomorrow: "Research suggests that social awareness has taken the front seat, many of today's customers want the satisfaction of knowing their purchase made a lasting impact. When a brand offers that, it can earn its customers' loyalty and trust, thereby improving its reputation". #sustainability #consumer #fmcg https://lnkd.in/g5EBrzFS

Vote for Al Smith and Make Your Wet Dreams Come True I promise I'll tie in the post title but indulge me a moment. Distinctive Brand Assets sounds like an esoteric, say nothing concepts dreamed up by academics or brand charlatans. These are non-name identifiers like colors, taglines, characters or sounds helping your audience recognize your brand and think of you when it matters most. And you don’t have to spend millions on Super Bowl ads to create these. The bad news? If you don’t use them (or use them poorly), you’re missing out growing your donor file. These assets do more than just make you recognizable; they *encode* your brand into people's brains. Think of McDonald's golden arches or the WWF panda or the Salvation Army Bells or the jerry can and charity: water. Why distinctive assets matter in fundraising: --Efficiency: A donor can better recognize your nonprofit or campaign at a glance, across all touchpoints. --Emotional Connection: Distinctive assets help build recognition and emotional triggers. --Stand Out: Brands with strong assets are 52% more likely to be recalled than competitors And because it's the silly season we'll bring this down to earth with some presidential campaign slogan examples that have stood the test of time or, well… not so much. --“I Like Ike” (Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1952) Why it worked: Simple, catchy, emotionally resonant. Ike's slogan was short enough to fit on a button, had a memorable rhyme, and created positive sentiment. --"All the Way with LBJ” (Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964) Why it worked: Another rhyming gem, this one created a sense of unity and commitment. It was highly memorable and used Johnson's initials—always a good move if you want to be distinctive. --“Vote for Al Smith and Make Your Wet Dreams Come True” (Alfred E. Smith, 1928) Why it failed: Wow, where to begin? He was using innuendo to reference his anti-Prohibition stance. It’s a great lesson in how not to be distinctive—don’t confuse or offend your audience. The winning formula for Distinctive Assets --Famous - you need lots of people to recognize it --Unique - you need those same people to uniquely associate with your brand This requires consistency over time but also, a solid choice to start with. A color is very hard to make famous and unique. Characters work best, followed by sounds and slogans. Ideally, you pick something with latent, untapped connection to your brand. But consistency is still king. There was nothing inherent about the WWF panda nor the Salvation Army bells. It’s easy to fall into the trap of creating bland, overly generic taglines and visual assets because you think your message alone should do the work. But if we’re honest with ourselves, our audience is navigating through thousands of messages daily and we need all the help we can get.

It's great to see hype around the WNBA, and even better to see beauty brands eager to partner with them. It feels like a perfect opportunity. Since Urban Decay is investing 30% of all marketing and community-building funds in this WNBA partnership, it's clear they think so too. #BeautyBrands #Partnership #WNBA #Marketing

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻' 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱? Dunkin was clear with the new target audience and new business goals. They want to convey the message as an "on-the-go" brand. They removed "donut" from the logo because they wanted to boost their beverages, and the donut in the logo restricts it. Check out this post 𝗣.𝗦. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝗶𝗳 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻' 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀. Follow Prathamesh Shende for More Case Studies Like this #brandidentity #brandmessaging #branding #brandgoals #brandguides

Australians now expect brands to do good. Leo Burnett Australia has released part one of The Good Study 2024 in partnership with UTS Business School and Zenith Australia. The study found that while Australians overwhelmingly agree it’s important for brands to do some form of good in the world (96% vs. 88% in 2022), only 39% believe they should take a position on social and political issues. Leo Burnett Australia Zenith