Now that you’re all settled into 2024, we thought it would be a good moment to share a quick recap of 2023 from the eyes of Hyperakt. It was a great year full of accomplishments — from major rebrands, to new brand launches, to new insights that help our clients move forward.
Highlights
We continued solidifying our position as a major player in branding established foundations, philanthropies, and nonprofits. We streamlined our services, launched 3 major rebrands and one new brand, and completed 4 additional rebrands set to launch in 2024.
We are grateful to the 17 organizations we called clients this year, some old friends, some new ones. Thank you for putting your trust in us.
We published 11 new Hype Insights articles sharing useful tips, frameworks, and trends from our client work and written specifically for communications leaders and brand managers.
In November, we launched the Nonprofit Brand Score tool, which allows anyone to evaluate the strength of their nonprofit’s brand in 5 minutes by answering 16 questions across 4 dimensions. Over 130 people have taken the test already and we’ll be publishing insights from the data we collect throughout the year.
Illustrations by Merit Myers
Insights
Here are some of the top trends we observed as we worked with our clients this year:
Change is a long game. Focus on sustainable, meaningful change over time, while staying true to your core mission. Avoid short-term distractions and unnecessary conflicts that undermine your work.
Power dynamics are shifting. Local partners and frontline workers are more connected to their communities. Powerful institutions and leaders are more removed and will erode more trust if they hoard power. Change flourishes when the "grass tops" collaborate and share their influence with the "grassroots."
Philanthropy needs to be more inclusive. Collaborative decision-making and investing in Black and Brown community leaders are essential to creating a more equitable society.
Nonprofits need to take control of their brands. Clearly defining and communicating your mission prevents misunderstandings and exploitation, empowering your team to be ambassadors of your cause with visionary language.
Brand Refreshes and Transformations
Ford Foundation: One of the most influential funders in the world cedes the spotlight to its grantees who advance justice.
West Wing Writers: Stepping out from behind the curtain to drive big ideas and conversations into the zeitgeist.
NewSchools: A bold vision for philanthropy and racial equity in education.
ColorPop Books: A new product brand to inspire children and create a new source of funding for classroom requests.
Looking Ahead
We know the presidential elections will be top of mind for many of you in 2024. Beyond the personal anxiety this causes, we also know this will impact nonprofit brand strategy in a major way. We’re looking forward to helping you navigate that challenge in the year ahead!
