What you’ll learn in this article:
The language of a brand
The value of people-first messaging
The reason behind taking a bold stance
Like many creatives of my generation (cough, elder millennials), I was an instant fan of Mad Men when it came out. The focus on the creative work — the writing, the artwork — was validating and refreshing. Finally, when people asked what I did, I could point to a character on that show and say, “I’m like Peggy, or Stan, or Don”. Many moments from that show still stand out to me, despite having not watched it for years, but there’s one that I was instantly drawn to and still have never forgotten.
In season 4, there’s a crisis with the agency. Everyone is panicking, asking, “What are we going to do?” and Don responds with this:
“We’re gonna sit at our desks and keep typing while the walls fall down around us, because we’re creative. The least important, most important thing there is.”
The show writers really got to the heart of the profession with that last line. And the eternal conundrum that is working in any creative field: Creative work is so hard to quantify, so hard to put metrics on or to measure ROI (Return On Investment, for those blessedly uninitiated). But without it, you notice its absence. When the creative isn’t working, you feel it, and when it is working, you feel that too. It’s emotion, and motivation, and subtlety, and cultural zeitgeist, and psychology, combined with training and talent and experience, all rolled into an ad, a piece of copy, a video, a logo. It’s how someone feels about a brand, a company, or a product that can make or break them.
And at Kiva, we’re no different. We’ve been working on our brand, our positioning, and our messaging, and I, being the Brand Director, want to talk about it, because this is what I live for. So get your best Don or Peggy impression ready, and let’s dig in!
The language of a brand
All language reflects the values of the speaker. That old adage really is true: “When people show you who they are, believe them.” Language can either uphold injustice or dismantle it. The words we choose shape how we see the world. Through language, we can reinforce inequality or open the door to change.
At Kiva, it’s important that the language we use reflects our values and mission. By speaking intentionally, we make a conscious decision to reframe issues, challenge harmful narratives, and invite excluded voices into the conversation.
We recognize the power Kiva holds and approach it with humility. When discussing our work, our words reflect the equitable world we’re building. This means being mindful of how we discuss issues like gender, race, sexuality, inequality, poverty, and disability. At the very least, our language should avoid being patronizing or reinforcing stereotypes. At best, we use our words to challenge harmful perceptions and support marginalized people and groups.
Kiva’s messaging comes together using three key touchstones:
Our brand voice
People-first messaging
Taking a bold stance
Our brand voice
A brand voice is the unique personality that a brand presents to the world. It runs consistently through all communications, and it doesn’t change.
Imagine Kiva as a community organizer: This person embodies clarity and encouragement. They speak directly but aren’t mean. They simplify complex concepts (like microfinance) with ease. They’re approachable and always ready to lend a helping hand. They motivate others by recognizing the profound impact of people’s actions. With a strong commitment to inclusivity, they ensure everyone feels secure, empowered, and heard. That’s Kiva. That’s our voice.
A page from Kiva’s brand guide showcasing our Community Organizer brand voice and personality.
People-first messaging
If we want to create an equitable world for everyone, we must stop defining people by their deficits or challenges and start defining them by their motivations, aspirations, and humanity.
Loans are how we achieve a more just and inclusive world where everyone can thrive. But the reason we do it is because we fundamentally believe in the equality of all people, and that’s reflected in how we speak.
Kiva does not exist to disperse loans. We are here for:
farmers, improving their crops to feed their communities
women, gaining financial independence
students, creating a better future for themselves
communities, providing their neighbors with clean water
artisans, passing down knowledge and craft
refugees, rebuilding and thriving
entrepreneurs, starting and growing their businesses
Kiva is about unlocking human potential by channeling resources to the people on the frontlines of global change.
A bold stance
As Kiva grows and evolves, so must our voice in the world.
In recent years, we’ve seen shifts in the microfinance landscape and a growing need for increased transparency (rightfully so). This sparked our team to reflect deeply on our work, driving internal improvements across our product and operations, and a renewed focus on measuring our impact. But in focusing so intently on behind-the-scenes changes, we let our brand voice grow quieter — losing some of the emotional clarity that once inspired people to act.
In our efforts to clarify how Kiva works, we stopped emphasizing why it matters.
Since 2023, we’ve been rebuilding — not just systems and processes, but also our voice, focus, and how we communicate Kiva’s transformative potential. Now, we’re ready to reframe Kiva’s value to the world with relevant, bold, mission-driven messaging that centers the people we support and the global problems you help us solve.
We remain rooted in our founding belief: small loans can change the world. We support women, refugees, climate-threatened communities, and systemically marginalized people in the U.S. not because it’s easy, but because it’s right. We’re not seeking controversy, but we won’t back down in the face of oppression either. We aren’t softening our stance on justice, inclusion, or equity. We believe it’s more important than ever to be loud and confident about who we support and why, so that borrowers and lenders alike can find us.
In a world facing growing global unrest, economic uncertainty, and widening inequality, people are looking for more than just another cause to support. They want to help, to be a part of something that makes real, lasting change. Kiva’s bold new voice meets that moment, speaking with clarity, confidence, and conviction about who we are and what we stand for. It’s a voice that reflects our core values of dignity, equity, and collective action, while resonating with audiences who are drawn to authenticity. By rooting our communications firmly in these values, we’re not just telling you what Kiva does — we’re inviting you to join a movement that’s working to build a more inclusive future, together.
This bold stance is also grounded in our founding principles:
Impact first → Our messaging is grounded in facts and impact data
Honor and integrity → Our voice is human-first, always leading with equity and compassion
Be curious and bold → We’re confident in our ability to make an impact, with 20 years of experience to stand on, while also recognizing that in order to be effective, we have to continuously look for ways to improve our effectiveness.
Bold messaging makes it clear that Kiva isn’t about charity — it’s about collective action for a more just and sustainable world.
By updating our messaging, we hope that you will feel how we, at Kiva, feel about the work that we do. It’s important, it’s urgent, it’s necessary. But it’s also exciting, and joyful, and inspiring. We are actively working every day to make this world a better place, and that feels really good. Because after all (to quote Don again):
“You. Feeling something. That’s what sells.”
And in our case, what we’re selling isn’t Kodak carousels. It’s people getting the resources they need to change their lives, and the world. 💚
A better world is possible. Will you build it with us?
