Building a Shared Understanding Around Branding

Branding is more than a logo—it’s the story, strategy, and experience that define your organization. Learn what branding truly is and how it shapes perception, trust, and long-term impact.

  • Illustration of a leafy green plant with clusters of red berries and small yellow flowers, set against a plain beige background.
    What Is a Brand?

    A holistic look at what they are, how they’re made, and why they matter.

    By Deroy Peraza, Partner at Hyperakt

    "Brand" and "branding" are big, squishy words—people define them in many ways. Originally, a brand was a mark of ownership, like branding livestock. Over time, it evolved to represent gods, tribes, families, guilds, and, later, teams, products, and organizations. The invention of the printing press and the Industrial Revolution accelerated the spread of logos and slogans. With the advertising boom in the 20th century, branding shifted from being about ownership and representation to creating emotional connections with people.

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  • A hand holding an ornate, oval mirror with a gold frame. Inside the mirror, abstract orange silhouettes of diverse people in various poses are reflected against a bright blue background. The overall color palette is vibrant with purple, blue, and orange tones.
    What If Your Organization Was a Person?

    Building a brand that speaks, acts, and earns trust like a real human.

    By Deroy Peraza, Partner at Hyperakt

    As individuals, our values, character, and purpose come into focus over time and ultimately guide how we show up and communicate in the world. They determine where we fit in and where we don't and shape how others perceive us. Over time, consistent behavior and interactions with others help us establish a reputation.

    Just as individuals earn trust (or not) through what we say and what we do, organizations build credibility the same way: from within.

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  • Illustration of a person with dark curly hair wearing red overalls and a blue shirt, walking towards an arched doorway covered in greenery. A hand emerging from the doorway holds a red flower, and the person enthusiastically reaches out to receive it.
    Branding Is Not a Bad Word

    Your brand isn’t BS – it’s your reputation.

    By Deroy Peraza, Partner at Hyperakt

    In the nonprofit world, the word ‘branding’ often gets a bad rap. It’s seen by some as a concept borrowed from the corporate sector, associated with consumerism and self-promotion.

    Many people who work for nonprofits view branding as a limiting force, a set of guidelines or a box that their communications team uses to keep everything consistent, but somehow restrictive. There's also a perception that focusing on branding means prioritizing style over substance, detracting from the altruistic mission that forms the heart of any nonprofit and diverting time and money away from on-the-ground work toward what feels like a “nice to have” initiative.

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  • Illustration of a person standing in a doorway, bathed in light. The background is bright orange with blue oval spots, creating a vibrant and abstract effect. The figure's silhouette is lit from behind, casting shadows on the ground.
    Your Brand’s First Impression Can Open or Close Doors. So Make it a Good One.

    People respond at a gut level to the way your brand shows up in the world.

    By Deroy Peraza, Partner at Hyperakt

    Have you ever walked into a store, a party, a restaurant, looked around, and immediately just got the vibe that you didn’t belong? Maybe people are looking at you curiously, or the playlist doesn’t fit the mood, or you overhear an obnoxious comment. Maybe you just have an allergic reaction to how sterile the lighting is or how uncomfortable the space looks and feels. We’ve all experienced this at some point, and have surely turned around and hightailed it out of there.

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  • Illustration of an iceberg with a red flag at the tip above water. The visible part is small compared to the massive submerged section, symbolizing hidden depths or unseen factors below the surface. The background is a gradient from light blue at the top to dark blue underwater.
    Your Behavior Shapes Your Brand Which Shapes Your Behavior

    Your visual identity attracts attention, but lasting impressions are built on reputation and trust earned through each interaction.

    By Deroy Peraza, Partner at Hyperakt

    A lot of people think that brands are logos, products, or websites. These are common identifiers because they’re the artifacts we see.

    Visual assets are important, because they have the power to make a great first impression. But a nonprofit brand is so much more than that. In fact, these elements are just the tip of the iceberg. When done right, they are the result of a ton of work that happens under the surface — work the average person will never get to see.

    So what is the brand if not these easily recognizable touch points?

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  • A colorful abstract digital artwork featuring an orange arc crossing a gradient background of yellow to light blue. Within the arc is a gradient oval with red at the center, transitioning to purple and blue edges. The image has a grainy texture throughout.
    Branding Is Expecting. Marketing Is Parenting.

    Where one ends, the other begins.

    By Deroy Peraza, Partner at Hyperakt

    In the nonprofit sector, the various functions of communication often get blurred, especially when it comes to branding and marketing. While related and interdependent, these are entirely different stages of communication that require different approaches.

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  • A young girl with light brown hair and a white sleeveless top holds a glowing cube. She smiles while looking at a colorful, vibrant, abstract background featuring an artistic representation of an atom and other geometric shapes.
    Branding 101, Through the Eyes of a 7 Year-Old

    An impromptu interview with my daughter about the many important roles of branding.

    By Deroy Peraza, Partner at Hyperakt

    We often remind our clients that a big part of clear communication comes down to the words you choose. Nonprofits tend to be a little wordy. I admit, in my own writing about the ins and outs of branding nonprofits, I can get a little wordy myself, so I enlisted some help.

    This summer, I was taking a stroll through Barcelona with my 7 year old daughter, Vega, and I decided to ask her a few questions about branding. This isn't something we had ever really had a conversation about before. I was curious what she would say and how aware she was about branding.

    Vega's answers surprised me, mostly because she was able to explain things I deeply believe with a whole lot of efficiency. Here's the full interview in both video and text form:

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