May 6, 2017
Dara Royer sat alone at her desk pondering the seemingly impossible--how do you rebrand a global organization with only a $50,000 budget? She knew in her heart of hearts that rebranding was not just a nice next step for Mercy Corps, but it was a critical requirement for the organization to realize its global ambitions. She also knew there is little glory in being right, what really mattered was getting the rest of Mercy Corps to join her on the journey and embrace the forthcoming change. Royer's journey as Chief Development and Marketing Officer is chronicled in detail in this epidsoe and it is profoundly instructive for all businesses especially those with modest budgets and massive expectations.
And just in case you were wondering if we're hyperbolizing, the outcome of Mercy Corps rebranding was an increase in awareness, revenue via donations and recognition by the Harris Poll as the 2017 EquiTrend “Brand of the Year” and “Most Loved Brand” in the category of International Aid Nonprofits. Those are results that would delight any marketer and leads to the question, how the heck did Royer and her team accomplish so much with so little? Well, without telling the whole story, let's just say that necessity is indeed the mother of invention.