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rebrand Archives - Syneka Marketing

Dec 19

Looking back through 2013

By News 4 Comments

Welcome to our final entry for 2013 and a chance to reflect on the past year. Despite the broader climate of economic uncertainty, we have expanded over the past year to deliver a range of strategic marketing planning and implementation services.

We have worked with a range of businesses and not-for-profit organisations over the course of this year, to deliver innovative and effective marketing solutions. Our strategies have enabled businesses to reach new segments and establish ongoing customer loyalty. The work we have undertaken for not-for-profit organisations has resulted in new opportunities and visions for the future.

In particular, our work was recognised through the Australian Marketing Institute. We were a finalist in the Excellence in Marketing Awards in recognition of the marketing plan and subsequent rebranding that was undertaken by Wimmera Volunteers. The recognition received through the Australian Marketing Institute enabled us to demonstrate the positive impact that can be created through marketing.

The strategy transformed Wimmera Volunteers into Volunteering Western Victoria, enabling new connections and programs. A particular highlight was the Inaugural Volunteer Recognition Awards, which recognised the contributions provided by volunteers within Western Victoria.

We also spoke at a number of conferences and held workshops throughout the year. We are planning to expand our workshop program in 2014, providing courses on marketing, membership and social media.

We will also be launching a series of eBooks in 2014, discussing the fundamentals of marketing, membership retention and recruitment, social media and creative design. We are looking forward to the launch and introducing these eBooks to you.

Our blog and Syneka Snippets continues to be well received and we thank our readers for their thoughts and interests. We have compiled a list of our top ten blog posts to revisit some of the more commonly accessed materials:

  1. Advice when sending invitations via email
  2. Higher education should inspire why doesn’t their advertising?
  3. What is Marketing?
  4. Follow up to the state of higher education
  5. Guide to planning events
  6. Measuring and implementing marketing activities
  7. Activate your community through social media
  8. Ten ideas for welcoming new members to your organisation
  9. Case study turn challenges into opportunities with a marketing plan
  10. How to blog for businesses and organisations

We would like to thank our clients who have grown with us over the course of this year. As a marketing agency we exist to serve your needs. It is a wonderful experience to work with you in achieving your goals.

We wish you well over the festive season and we’re excited about the working with you in 2014!

Sep 19

We’re Award Finalists by Showing the Positive Impact of Marketing

By Advice, Advice for Businesses, Advice for Not-for-profit Organisations and Charities, Government, News, Presentations 16 Comments

We’re delighted to announce that Syneka Marketing is a finalist in the Australian Marketing Institute’s (AMI) Awards for Marketing Excellence.

Our submission, which was entered in the ‘Marketing on a Shoestring’ category, outlined our work with Volunteering Western Victoria in developing their new marketing plan and brand. We wanted to demonstrate the positive impact that can be created through marketing, utilising the transformation of Wimmera Volunteers into Volunteering Western Victoria.

We also wanted to highlight that effective marketing does not need to be costly, since our strategic foundation enables actions to be identified and outcomes that can be measured. Our marketing plan for Volunteering Western Victoria demonstrated how they could achieve the vision presented in their business plan.

We outlined actions within six key strategies:

  • Becoming an effective regional peak organisation
  • Growing access to resources
  • Building the capacity of the volunteer and the not-for-profit sector
  • Organisational development
  • Diversifying and sustaining income support
  • Rebranding the organisation

The end result transformed Wimmera Volunteers into Volunteering Western Victoria, an organisation that is Empowering Communities and Supporting Volunteers.  The new identity conveys the role Volunteering Western Victoria has as a peak organisation in encouraging volunteering, while also demonstrating its local impact.

Alex and Natalia receiving the Excellence in Marketing Award for State Finalists on behalf of Syneka Marketing and Volunteering Western Victoria

Alex and Natalia receiving the Excellence in Marketing Award for State Finalists on behalf of Syneka Marketing and Volunteering Western Victoria

Our work with Volunteering Western Victoria showcases how marketing can be used for good.  As marketers, we can and should, create positive change and work to reconnect communities.

Volunteering Western Victoria’s Inaugural Volunteering Recognition Awards is an example of this new vision.  Over 200 guests attended these awards, which also received significant corporate support.  The enclosed video demonstrates the positive impact created through this vision.

We are honoured to have developed an ongoing involvement with Volunteering Western Victoria, in working their board, staff and volunteers to implement this new vision.

We exist as an agency to create positive change, our work across businesses and not-for-profit organisations demonstrates this approach.

We are change makers and we show how marketing success begins with strategy.

 

Sep 06

The 2013 National Conference on Volunteering

By Advice for Not-for-profit Organisations and Charities, News, Presentations, Resources No Comments

The National Conference on Volunteering is a peak annual event for volunteer involving organisations across Australia. The event was organised by Volunteering Australia and hosted by Volunteering SA&NT.

Our Managing Director Alex prepares for his presentation at the 2013 National Conference on Volunteering

Our Managing Director Alex prepares for his presentation at the 2013 National Conference on Volunteering

The Conference had four key themes:

  • Lead – to encourage inspirational leadership
  • Partner – collaboration to achieve results
  • Build – creating innovation
  • Sustain – strengthening foundations

During the conference I co-presented a presentation with Julie Pettett, the CEO Of Volunteering Western Victoria. Putting Research into Practice – the Marketing and Rebranding of Wimmera Volunteers. The presentation discussed the importance of marketing and the experiences of Volunteering Western Victoria in re-engaging with its communities.

Volunteering Western Victoria, was formerly known as Wimmera Volunteers and had remained a static organisation, despite the changing nature of volunteering. There was a need to re-engage the community and to broaden its presence outside of Horsham in Western Victoria.

Alex co-presented with Julie Pettett the CEO of Volunteering Western Victoria

Alex co-presented with Julie Pettett the CEO of Volunteering Western Victoria

Syneka Marketing assisted Volunteering Western Victoria by developing a marketing plan that identified a future direction for the organisation. The marketing plan identified four goals supported in the businesses plan:

  • Be an effective peak organisation
  • Grow access to resources
  • Build capacity in the volunteer and community sector
  • Organisation development

These goals were supported by two further priorities identified in the marketing plan:

  • Diversify and Sustain Funding Support
  • Rebrand Wimmera Volunteers

A business plan identifies what an organisation wants to achieve and a marketing plan looks how to achieve this vision.  A marketing plan then considers the key messages and marketing tools that can reach the required stakeholders.

Diversifying income became a priority, due to the need to decrease dependence on government revenue.  The marketing plan identified business partnerships, the introduction of membership, fundraising and philanthropic programs that could add new income sources. These strategies supported the business plan, with membership complementing the desire to be a peak organisation and partnerships, enabling the development of new programs.

The rebranding of Wimmera Volunteers arose due to the need to position the organisation as a peak body and to re-engage with its community.  A new name, visual identity, logo and marketing materials were developed in six weeks, to launch the new brand at the 2012 Annual General Meeting.

Volunteering Western Victoria

Volunteering Western Victoria

The name Volunteering Western Victoria was selected, since it clearly defined the purpose of the organisation and the role it has in supporting volunteering across Western Victoria.  The tagline  Empowering Communities, Supporting Volunteers, reinforced the impact that the organisation has a local and individual level.

Not-for-profit organisations have limited marketing budgets and a result names should be clearly identifiable to avoid the need to explain the purpose of the organisation.

The new visual identity and brand for Volunteering Western Victoria

The new visual identity and brand for Volunteering Western Victoria

Marketing within not-for-profit organisations requires the ability to reach numerous stakeholders. There is a need for marketing messages that provide a consistent narrative, while being tailored to the needs of individual stakeholders. A not-for-profit organisation needs to not only reach its clients, but also government, business partners, volunteers, other organisations, board members and internal staff.

The aim of the rebrand was to utilise the new name and tagline, as well as modernising the image of the organisation. The rebranding was accompanied by the design of new marketing materials, including brochures, factsheets, posters and website.

The presentation was extremely well received and I would like to thank the many attendees for their interest in the journey undertaken by Volunteering Western Victoria.

Alex and Julie answering questions during the presentation

Alex and Julie answering questions during the presentation

Read More

Feb 13

Case Study: Turn challenges into opportunities with a marketing plan

By Advice, Advice for Not-for-profit Organisations and Charities, News No Comments

Third Sector Magazine is a quarterly publication designed for not-for-profit organisations. The February edition featured content relevant to marketing and communications and we included our recent case study on the rebranding of Wimmera Volunteers into Volunteering Western Victoria.

Syneka Marketing explains how it helped Wimmera Volunteers to identify new opportunities by developing a marketing plan that better positioned the organisation as a regional peak body.

Successful marketing begins with finding the right strategy. A marketing plan sets your organisation up for ongoing success by considering the context of the organisation, identifying goals and suggesting actions to achieve these outcomes.

The former logo of Wimmera Volunteers

The former logo and identity of Wimmera Volunteers

Case Study: Wimmera Volunteers

Wimmera Volunteers is a volunteer resource centre that works with other organisations to promote and recruit volunteers, creating opportunities and social inclusion. Wimmera Volunteers also offers transport services, including programs for learner drivers and mobility for older residents, promoting social inclusion across a diverse region.

The problem

The organisation was at the crossroads. The Federal Government was proposing significant funding changes, which was making the future of volunteer resource centres uncertain.

The organisation aimed to service the entire Wimmera region but its services were heavily concentrated within the town of Horsham and its slogan of ‘helping communities help themselves’ was seen as patronising despite its good intent.

The opportunity

Wimmera Volunteers was rebranded into Volunteering Western Victoria, supported by the tagline Empowering Communities, Supporting Volunteers

Wimmera Volunteers was rebranded into Volunteering Western Victoria, supported by the tagline Empowering Communities, Supporting Volunteers

Rather than cave to challenges, Wimmera Volunteers commissioned Syneka Marketing to work with board members, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders to develop a marketing plan that reflected the needs of the organisation.

One new opportunity related to the region’s distance from Melbourne. Many of the organisations serviced by Wimmera Volunteers indicated that they wanted professional development but were unable to devote the time required for travelling or lacked the resources to deliver their own internal training.

It was important to align the marketing plan with the Government’s national volunteering strategy and ensure that Wimmera Volunteers could demonstrate the ability to implement the priorities outlined by the Federal Government.

There was also the need to better connect across the Wimmera and Mallee regions and to foster relationships with the business community.

The marketing plan identified the need to rebrand Wimmera Volunteers to better position the organisation as a regional peak body and to reflect its commitment across a diverse region. Rebranding workshops identified that Wimmera Volunteers wanted a new name that was functional and retained its commitment to volunteering.

Outcomes

Syneka Marketing successfully rebranded Wimmera Volunteers in just six weeks, coordinating new style guides, logos, design templates, websites and social media. The new brand was successfully unveiled at the organisation’s annual general meeting, resulting in strong attendance from stakeholders and the wider community.

The new name, Volunteering Western Victoria, enabled the organisation to develop comprehensive membership packages, including training and mentoring to other organisations. In addition, the organisation is no longer bound by geography and is able to work with a number of councils and organisations within the Wimmera and Mallee regions.

The new tagline ‘Empowering Communities, Supporting Volunteers’ identifies the purpose of Volunteering Western Victoria through a positive and forward-looking statement, reinforcing its role within communities and encouraging volunteering.

The organisation is now positioned to become a regional peak body, complementing its traditional services with new offerings. In addition, the new name enables Volunteering Western Victoria to implement further actions from the marketing plan, including regional offices, workplace volunteering and the development of comprehensive community advocacy and training services.

Many sectors are experiencing uncertainty over government funding and a marketing plan can provide the vision and actions required to turn these challenges into opportunities.

Third Sector Magazine is released on a quarterly basis. Our article can be seen at www.thirdsectormagazine.com.au.

Jan 21
Examples of our rebranded marketing material

Following Our Own Advice – The Rebrand of Syneka Marketing

By Advice, News No Comments

In late 2012 we decided to rebrand Syneka Marketing. We strive to be innovative and keep up with the latest marketing and design trends.  We felt that whilst we had consistent branding, a fresh new look would help demonstrate the full range of our services.

Rebranding is not an easy task. Rebranding your own organisation is even more difficult due to the fact that it can be difficult to remain objective. We decided that the best way to approach the rebrand was to treat us the same way as one of our our clients.

We began this process by defining who we are as an agency. We discovered that there were strong links between our brand and that of our Managing Director, Alex.  We also considered  where we want to go into the future and what kind of agency we want to become.

We decided that we want  to be seen as a full service marketing agency, comprised of highly skilled marketing and communication professionals who deliver results with integrity.

We made the decision that we wanted all our rebranded material to be clean, easy to read and recognizable.

The first step in our rebranding process was to develop a logo that was reflective of the organisation that we wanted to become. The logo we selected plays on the first letters of our name and is easy to recognize. We chose various shades of blue as we felt that this reinforced the clean look that we were trying to achieve.

Upon completing the logo we began working on a range of stationery and promotional materials to accompany the logo. We decided to use various segments of circles as this matched our logo and added depth to the design. The circles are representative of our vision, that success begins with strategy and that strategy encompasses the entire organisation.

In 2013 we are ready to launch our rebrand with the development of our new website.  We look forward to servicing our clients creative, strategic and digital needs further in 2013.