Block your calendar. Silence your phone.

One of our toolkit readers, Ia Lising from Japan had a great question: where can we discuss our ideas, challenges and dilemma's with other toolkit users?

The artisan craft industry is the second-largest employer in the developing world. Its workers are also some of the most disenfranchised. Soko is bringing Kenyan crafts to fashion-forward consumers worldwide.

Building a brand solely on social impact is not a guarantee for success, and it comes with risks that can take businesses by surprise.

After years of dreaming, three months of beta-version development and testing, one month of crowdfunding preparation, 28 days of Kickstarter campaigning, four months of writing, interviews, research and editing, a month of design and production, four pro bono Brand Camps, 12 hours of individual brand consultancy and a week of packing and shipping we are thrilled to announce the official launch of the Branding Toolkit for Changemakers!

In October 2015, we ran a 28 day crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to raise the funds to develop our Branding Toolkit for Changemakers. We received an incredible amount of support and managed to raise 103% of our goal. The toolkit was published last month, and now that we can take a step back and look at the process of developing a book and running a crowdfunding campaign, we thought it would be interesting to share our experience with others who might be thinking about crowdfunding as a way to fund their project.

“No one has ever asked us what our dream job would be.” The head of Alf Darb academy translates for me to english, gathering up feedback from 25 female participants in the pilot of a custom designed Self Branding Toolkit. “I feel like I was lost in a maze, and you have showed me the way forward.”. The smiles in the group radiate towards me. Even in something as functional as giving feedback, the poetic beauty of Arabic cannot help but slip through. And yet, it’s the end of a week of so many completely foreign impressions and deep emotions, that even such profoundly moving feedback isn’t the highlight.

Last year in October The Brandling was born, with the aim of empowering social entrepreneurs to increase their impact. We are now celebrating our first year anniversary, have worked with over 150 changemakers, and our conviction that branding is crucial for social impact has only grown. Here is what we have come to believe, above all, after the first 12 months.

Client, collaborator and friend Easkey Britton shared a message of support with me this morning. Easkey Britton is a professional surfer, scientist, artist and activist, and the force behind Waves of Freedom, Sustain the Stoke and the Surf+Social Good Summit. Together, we worked on Easkey's personal brand strategy in Donegal last year, using the Brand Thinking Canvas.

The Brandling wants to see a world where a family starting a lemonade factory in Sierra Leone has access to as much knowledge on the branding process as a company like Coca Cola. That is why we are creating a toolkit that provides change makers with the knowledge and tools they need to build their brand. And we need your support to make it happen!

As a brand developer, I’ve met countless social entrepreneurs all over the world: people with an extreme passion for social or environmental impact. They have a lot to master in order to make their ventures succeed – from setting up a production chain, to technology, HR, complex investment structures, and more.

This summer, Anne has the honour of being the guest editor and cover subject of Dude, the Dutch Designers magazine. The interview is available in Dutch as a pdf. Interview by Bas van Lier, photography Ivo van der Bent.

Winners receive USD 1 million in seed capital, as well as mentorship and advice from the international business community. So how can branding help the Hult Prize finalists to win the coveted $1 million dollar prize? 

Places, like people, companies and products, have reputations: they are a brand in their own right.
How brand thinking can help put Nairobi on the map as a global leader in social innovation.

How do you convince people that children could design solutions to urgent global problems? How do you make the case for surfing as a tool for empowering women? How can you get the armed forces to re-imagine themselves as promoters of peace?

Personal branding is a hype that seems here to stay. If we can manage to go beyond mere personal aggrandizement, it can be a force for good. Case in point: surfer, activist and scientist Easkey Britton.

Rym Baouendi, Houssem Aoudi and Zied Mhirsi are at the forefront of young Tunisian leaders who are actively empowering the talent in their post-revolution country. In 2013, they founded co-working space Cogite, which literally provides space for young, ambitious entrepreneurs who want to take their future in their own hands. The countries first co-working space, its concept quickly caught on. Cogite is already beyond capacity, has opened a second location, and has plans to expand to other parts of Tunisia next year.

It can be frightening to realise how much advertising plays a role in our lives. The average person in the West is exposed to almost 5,000 ads a day, many of which are accompanied by photography. And what we see in these photos leaves imprints on our norms for beauty, happiness, health and professional life.  As a brand developer that deeply believes in diversity, a feminist and a sister, daughter and wife to men who are committed husbands and fathers, I am keenly aware of the opportunity I have to portray women and men in ways that support progress.