Click the image to view a PDF version of the IndyHumane brand toolkit.

As director of communications and marketing for Indiana’s largest non-profit animal shelter, I oversaw a range of public-relations and branding initiatives: everything from breaking news stories about animals in the shelter, to eNewsletters, to redesign of the Humane Society of Indianapolis website.

The Brand Toolkit was one key element in fostering a strong public perception of the brand. The digital document (view the PDF) provided a roadmap to IndyHumane staff, offering points on how to talk about the organization to patrons, tips on color and logo choices for internal signage, and more. I developed this toolkit from start to finish, overseeing photo shoots for the images, writing the copy, designing the document, and presenting the guidelines to the staff and board of directors.

The toolkit was part of an overall marketing plan that resulted in record numbers of dog and cat adoptions, the doubling of online donations in 2010, and - with the help of social media - improved organizational transparency for donors.

(Though I produced the Humane Society of Indianapolis Brand Toolkit as an employee of the organization, I went on to provide additional services through Lead the Pack, including IndyHumane’s most recent annual report. - Tristan)

The report for the local non-profit serves as a statement to donors to show what the charitable organization has done with donated funds. Its main purpose is to prove that giving money to the organization is a worthwhile investment.

Download the IndyHumane 2009-2010 Annual Report PDF.

The report will mainly be distributed for online use. If you’d like a high-resolution, print-quality version, or need advice on preparing, writing, or designing a similar document yourself, contact us.

Stay tuned to Lead the Pack news by “Liking” us on Facebook - we’ll soon write a blog post about how to create an annual report that can help you earn more charitable contributions for your non-profit 501(c)(3). (And even if you’re a for-profit business without cute dogs and cats, we can still help you bring in more money!)

We wish we had a chance to come up with the amazing title, too: “Lions, Tigers, and Beers.” Terrific!

Join the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, Lead the Pack, and many more great folks on Saturday, July 30 at Upland Brewing Co. in beautiful Bloomington, Indiana. It’s free, and the money raised benefits an amazing cause, so you have no excuse not to go.

BullyWag’s updated logo

BullyWag’s original logo

The Pit Bull Terrier rescue and advocacy group had an original logo, but it was in a raster graphic format that couldn’t be printed or enlarged in high resolution. BullyWag posted their need for an updated logo on creativePAW, a network of creative professionals willing to work pro bono for animal welfare causes.

Lead the Pack is devoted to sharing our talents with such causes and was eager to help. We recognize that brand recognition is important for any 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, big or small, so we reached out to BullyWag through creativePAW and were put in touch with Jaime, founder and president of BullyWag, Inc.

Jaime wanted to keep the updated BullyWag logo similar to the old. Lead the Pack suggested a fresh color palette that didn’t stray too far from the old; big, bold text; and perhaps the most unique addition: a wagging tail, fitting for the group’s name. We removed the blue shapes behind the dog and the leash in its mouth, tightened up the new lockup, and provided it in multiple formats and layouts for use in any print or digital media.

New logo in horizontal format

Old logo

Follow BullyWag on Twitter, Like BullyWag on Facebook, and see adoptable Pit Bulls and learn more on the BullyWag website.

Do you have an old logo in need of freshening up? Contact Lead the Pack today so we can help your brand get a leg up on the competition.

Bob Parsons, CEO of Go Daddy, one of the biggest players in domain-name registration and website hosting, caused quite the controversy yesterday when video of him killing a large bull elephant in Zimbabwe spread like wildfire online.

Parsons, never one to shy from controversy, told AOL Small Business that he spends weeks “volunteering to deal with problem elephant.” After the video release, PETA was quick to name Parsons “Scummiest CEO of the Year,” thousands of people voiced their disgust on Twitter, and many threatened to close their Go Daddy Accounts. And competitors were quick to jump on the CEO’s public-relations stumble by offering discounts and donations to elephant-related charities. (Check Mashable for the full story and the disturbing video.)

Regardless of how you feel, CEOs, business owners, and other leaders can learn a few things from this public-relations debacle. These lessons seem like common sense but, judging by the questionable actions of so many CEOs, apparently are not.

How a leader can avoid bad public relations for their organization

1. Lead by example.

Don’t want your employees posting videos of themselves committing questionable acts while wearing t-shirts adorned with your company logo? Don’t do it yourself. Parsons went so far as to give villagers Go Daddy hats, which the video shows them wearing while hacking meat off the fallen animal.

2. Consider the impact on your brand of every decision you make.

Parsons could care less about what people think. While strong opinions are a hallmark of leadership, most effective leaders are also good listeners who will consider the impact of their decisions and how their target market will view them.

Go Daddy is a leader in its industry. But can it continue to do so by alienating large numbers of people?

3. Remember that elephants never forget, and neither does the internet.

A leader’s missteps can be documented immediately and in perpetuity. Parsons’ actions were recorded on video, uploaded, and spread globally and rapidly on Twitter. Customers quickly withdrew their business, competitors stepped in, and petitions called for a boycott of the company.

Passionate advocates with powerful tools have made the phrase “all PR is good PR” an antiquated myth.

What else have we learned in recent months from CEO missteps online? Leave your comments below. And in case you’re wondering, Lead the Pack is indeed pulling all of its business from Go Daddy.

Gibco, one of the largest hauling operations in the Midwest, needed a variety of materials designed by Lead the Pack in order to better represent their fast-growing brand.

Lead the Pack created print marketing materials such as business cards, magazine ads, Christmas cards, and brochures. We also modified Gibco’s logo, previously available only as a low-resolution file. The Gibco logo can now be used for all print and digital collateral, as well as branded items given to customers and potential clients.

View all of our print work in the Lead the Pack Gallery.

Gibco Motor Express Christmas card

Gibco Motor Express business card and brochure