While branding has been traditionally perceived as a tool for fundraising and public relations, nonprofits can take a new approach to brand management that effectively drives their mission and maximizes impact. In this audio lecture from Stanford Social Innovation Review’s Nonprofit Management Institute, Harvard researcher Nathalie Kylander challenges traditional branding principles and proposes a new framework for developing a more strategic brand. By examining the concepts of brand democracy and brand affinity, Kylander discusses how a strategic brand can create greater social impact and tighter organizational cohesion. She examines what successful branding looks like in the nonprofit sector and how the rise of social media and technological change can drive the development of a clear, strong, well-managed brand. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/the_critical_role_of_the_strategic_brand