If Everything Sounds Important, Nothing Actually Is: How to be Heard, Seen and Known in a Noisy World.
Over Christmas, a friend and I were talking about the appeals and newsletters we’d gotten in the mail. Both of us are generous people and well-connected with charities and organizations across the country. When she said that she’d received so many urgent appeals during the Christmas season that she couldn’t pay attention to any of them, I definitely paid attention to her.
Why? Because I was in the same situation.
We know the world is noisy - and for good reason. There’s a lot going on right now, isn’t there? Every single day it seems like something loud, challenging and painful is happening and it’s impossible to avoid a barrage of stories of people in need.
So, what do we do? I suspect that for many organizations, the answer has been one of these three approaches (framed in swimming analogies, because I’m just that ready for summer):
Cannonball - make a big splash, shout louder, and maybe if we swim crazily, the lifeguard will jump in to save us.
Just keep swimming - say the same thing, and hope it pays off.
Stay in the shallow end - maybe the noise will die down and then we’ll jump in.
Unfortunately, what my friend and I talked about at Christmas was the fundraising equivalent of too many children doing tricks in the pool, and shouting “look at me!” to their fatigued supporters sitting on the sidelines.
There’s got to be a better way, right?
What if we looked around the “pool” to see what was really going on? Or, what if we chose to swim in another pool altogether? What if we’ll never be heard or seen in that busy pool?
This is why brand strategy really matters, and why I’ve invested so much time and energy in creating a brand strategy development system that really works.
Some people love noise. Me, not so much. It feels like chaos to me and my nervous system already has enough inputs to deal with. And, let’s be honest, even nice, soft music can feel like noise in the wrong place, or at the wrong time.
The right words, from the right people, at the right time though?
They feel like relief. Clarity in chaos. Calming. Encouraging. Inspiring.
That’s why we take our role as strategic advisors so seriously. We love to see organizations move beyond the "cannonball" approach. It energizes us to see you build a community of support rather than add to a cacophony of competing interests. Seeing you get clarity on who your "right people" are, exactly what they need to hear, and which touchpoints actually move the needle for your mission is a genuine delight for us.
And I know, while swimming analogies sound cute, we all have deadlines in this noisy world. So, here are some actionable insights.
Before you dive back into the fundraising deep end, ask yourself:
Who are we, really? Is the public’s perception of our brand accurate, or are we being misunderstood - or worse, ignored - in the crowd?
Who are our people? Are we serving them with value right now, or are we just asking them for money to support our cause?
What is our shared language? Do we have a consistent tone of voice that builds trust, or do we sound different every time we speak?
What kind of pool are we in? Are our donors "lap swimmers" who want steady progress, or "deep-divers" looking for a big impact? Do they like the occasional “cannonball”?
What are our best tricks? What delights our community and brings them joy at our shared success, over and over again?
If you want to find out where your pool is really leaking, request our free Brand Report Card. After taking a short quiz this resource will tell you what parts of your brand are working, what’s not, and how you can clarify your brand.
At Graf-Martin, we specialize in helping mid-sized organizations move from "noisy" to "known." Sometimes, a high-impact Brand Strategy Sprint is all it takes to align your team, refine your message, and give your community the clarity they’re starving for. Better yet - do the work to create a Brand Playbook that will provide the exact tools your team and board need for years to come.
