Defining an Advocacy Brand

In a less connected world, external brands and policy brands could operate independently; the concept of aligning the two not only unnecessary, but possibly inconvenient. That status quo doesn’t work anymore; brands can no longer assume that what is said on Capitol Hill or in a state legislative hearing will stay there, secure in a legislative echo chamber. 

Brands simply don’t have the luxury of saying one thing on Capitol Hill while saying another to their customers, clients or investors.

There’s increasing pressure for all brands, from associations and trade groups to corporations and nonprofits, to live their brand consistently and with integrity. There’s no one-size solution to navigate this complex landscape, but there is a common trailhead: developing an advocacy brand that drives successful policy strategy and aligns with the organization’s values. 

Who are you?

There’s a cliché in Washington (rightly earned) that the first question you hear when meeting someone is a transactional “what do you do?” The corresponding existential question for policy brands, however, should be a more introspective “who are you?” 

Too often, the answer to that is a recitation of policy positions, not an identity:

• We’re pro-A and anti-Z. 
• We’re supporting the ACRONYM Act of 2020. 
• We’re opposed to proposed regulation 123.

What you’ll only hear from the most consistently influential players is a succinct answer about what drives an organization’s core policy: a north star. 

The ability to articulate an answer to that question is more than just a [virtual] cocktail-party trick – an organization’s core policy perspective allows for the development of a sustainable, outcome-oriented advocacy posture. It’s where brand strategy and policy strategy meet, and it’s the key to how elected leaders perceive your brand in the policy sphere.

What's an Advocacy Brand? 

Smart retail brands want to be known for something – high-quality, low prices, customer service – and an advocacy brand should be no different. Do you want to be known as a thought-leader? A coalition builder? A pragmatic player? The tip of the spear, or the closer?

Defining your advocacy brand is an introspective undertaking into an organization’s history, purpose, priorities and posture. The end result is an advocacy brand that not only defines an organization to the policy world, but also aligns that identity with organization as a whole – its external-facing purpose, social responsibility platform, key performance indicators, and more. 

More than shoe leather lobbying

The ad hoc, seat-of-your-pants lobbying strategy that has long dominated the policy world typically employs a myopic strategy that ignores all other externalities in service of the short-term goal. Whether intentionally or not, these tactics can create long-term brand liabilities that can take years to overcome in the public eye. 

Advocacy brand-driven strategies overcome these weaknesses by providing a touchstone for all new and old policy challenges, collaborations and legislator/staff engagements. This keeps an organization from straying from its core values and increases its effectiveness.

When an organization commits to an advocacy brand strategy, it can achieve those same short-term goals (often with the same lobbying teams) while avoiding unwitting damage to the public brand and, more importantly, laying a foundation for long-term efficacy and respect in the policy sphere.