Branding Your Unit in a Post PAO Academy World

[Walkman]

OK, so where's the beef?  The only thing that I've heard is "More than meets the sky".  Until that one is tested in court, I'll leave it off of my business cards.  And yes, I believe that CAP, Inc. will be sued for such a blatant rip-off of the Transformers "more than meets the eye" slogan which I am sure is legally protected.  And yes, the entertainment industry is extremely letigious.

Now, in terms of "where's the beef?"  My single biggest obstacle to recruiting is that nobody knows who we are!  The "missions for America" slogan at least gives me an entry point into explaining our core missions.  "More than meets the sky" returns smirks.

Is there going to be some kind of coordinated effort the introduce CAP to the general public?  PSA, etc?

While I agree that the new tag is a bit *ahem* legally dubious, unless NHQ is going to run a national campaign with it similar in scope to the Army's work, Joe Local isn't going to have it on his brain. We see way too many media messages each day and most people have pretty strong filters up. A tagline is only one part of a strong brand, and the only way to make it effective is to pound it into the consumers head like a jackhammer.

One idea that was run throughout is that all CAP IS LOCAL, PAOs need to establish relationships with local media and agencies.  The National Efforts simply provide to ammunition for that.

I absolutely agree. NHQ can run a campaign, but getting local recognition by a good POA will generate the kind of buzz that makes a difference. Think about web memes. Some guy makes a goofy youtube video and then a billion teens send it to their pals. Whether its WOM from a new Cadet/SM telling relatives/pals or a news article that prompts a city council woman to come to an open house, going "viral" (I hate that buzzword) locally becomes an exponential increase in national awareness.

[Walkman]

I think this thread is getting off track and becoming a public affairs/media relations thread rather than a branding thread.

Branding deals with the visual things you do for your squadron.  Think of a commercial, many of which (if branded correctly) let you know what company is sponsoring the commercial without needing to even put the company name in it.  They use logos or specific music or photography methods, etc to give a consistent feel to their "product or service."

Not to quibble, but IMO, the visual is only part of the brand. In many cases, it's the most obvious, though. And at the level of a small org or business, many times it's all they can get.

As part of that and getting back to the original idea of branding the local unit, think about the writing. If you are a cadet oriented, Drill/Color Guard focused unit, the voice in your writing needs to be much different than a Senior squadron that flies a lot of SAR. That's part of your brand.

Even uniform wear is part of the brand. We wear BDUs more often than the Blues as we're an outdoor/PT/GT focused group. The BDUs project a different image in the mind of a visitor than the Blues do.

Sorry about soapboxing. I started my own ad agency because I really get into this stuff, and part of my business model is teaching small & medium sized business how they can brand themselves like the "big boys". I tend to get chatty. Sorry.

[jimmydeanno]

Oh, I completely agree, thanks for "filling in the blanks."  My concern was more about the "get better relationship with the media" aspect.  To me, it is putting the cart before the horse.

You can't produce a commercial and then decide how it should be branded, you need to create your branding plan - then produce the commercial...

[Walkman]

Oh, I completely agree, thanks for "filling in the blanks."  My concern was more about the "get better relationship with the media" aspect.  To me, it is putting the cart before the horse.

You can't produce a commercial and then decide how it should be branded, you need to create your branding plan - then produce the commercial...

Absolutely! One of the main practices of branding is to develop 4 or 5 main message points that define who/what you are. Then you pound those point into every bit of communication you have. So in relation to local CAP units, what is your unit about? Really define it, then make sure that those main points are covered in in every bit of PA you do.

[afgeo4]

Well, what I'm talking about is that we always love to throw out 'We do ninty percent of the SAR for the US."

What does that mean to the local Fire Chiefs Concil? Or the local Town Supervisor? Or the local police force?

In my area, if a plane crashes, it's going down in someones backyard. So what else can we do for the community? Can we use our planes to spot for forrest fires? Can we use our cadets for hurricane preparedness? How do we train our people for this then?

Or, is our ES mission completely pointless in some areas?

The point it that we are a tool, to be used as a "force mutliplier" for all such organizations.  ES, as you point out is only part of the greater function of CAP, but it is also the one that contributes the most "flash."  Its like the Minutemen of the Revolution, citizen airmen reay to serve.  That is a message that everyone can get behind...it sells itself as patriotic and community service oriented.

A photo caption of a CAP aircrew planning a mission on the wing, or of a CAP aircraft taking off with mission planning in teh forground is gonna turn a lot of heads.

Cadet Program is another powerful image, youth in the study of leadership and service of their communit.  If you have CADET ES, that is even more significant.

There really is much more to CAP...now let's get the word out there. 

It's completely pointless in large urban areas. I know that here, in NYC we don't have an ES program because we don't have ES work. Any SAR tasking goes out to the city Police or Fire departments, both of which have extremely well organized, trained, and equipped rescue forces. Add to that the many other police departments and agencies which all operate emergency services units (Campus Police, MTA Police, Port Authority Police, etc) and you have absolutely no need or desire for an organization like CAP.

NYC is known for its Cadet program though. Our team went on to National Competition this past year and our cadets do very well at encampments and national activities.

[jimmydeanno]

Our team went on to National Competition this past year

Sorry, slightly off-topic (actually, really off topic), I thought the NH team represented NER this year at National?

[afgeo4]

Our team went on to National Competition this past year

Sorry, slightly off-topic (actually, really off topic), I thought the NH team represented NER this year at National?

Depends on the team lol. I was talking Color Guard. I think you were talking Drill Team.

[jimmydeanno]

Yep, sure was - thanks

[RiverAux]

OK, so where's the beef? 

You know Wendy's is going to come after you now!

[JayT]

Well, what I'm talking about is that we always love to throw out 'We do ninty percent of the SAR for the US."

What does that mean to the local Fire Chiefs Concil? Or the local Town Supervisor? Or the local police force?

In my area, if a plane crashes, it's going down in someones backyard. So what else can we do for the community? Can we use our planes to spot for forrest fires? Can we use our cadets for hurricane preparedness? How do we train our people for this then?

Or, is our ES mission completely pointless in some areas?

The point it that we are a tool, to be used as a "force mutliplier" for all such organizations.  ES, as you point out is only part of the greater function of CAP, but it is also the one that contributes the most "flash."  Its like the Minutemen of the Revolution, citizen airmen reay to serve.  That is a message that everyone can get behind...it sells itself as patriotic and community service oriented.

A photo caption of a CAP aircrew planning a mission on the wing, or of a CAP aircraft taking off with mission planning in teh forground is gonna turn a lot of heads.

Cadet Program is another powerful image, youth in the study of leadership and service of their communit.  If you have CADET ES, that is even more significant.

There really is much more to CAP...now let's get the word out there. 

It's completely pointless in large urban areas. I know that here, in NYC we don't have an ES program because we don't have ES work. Any SAR tasking goes out to the city Police or Fire departments, both of which have extremely well organized, trained, and equipped rescue forces. Add to that the many other police departments and agencies which all operate emergency services units (Campus Police, MTA Police, Port Authority Police, etc) and you have absolutely no need or desire for an organization like CAP.

NYC is known for its Cadet program though. Our team went on to National Competition this past year and our cadets do very well at encampments and national activities.

Isn't it true your old Group Commander made cadets point there fingers down at the position of attension?

We sometimes get NYC Group cadets at our SAREXs, and I'm always impressed.

[Major Carrales]

It's completely pointless in large urban areas. I know that here, in NYC we don't have an ES program because we don't have ES work. Any SAR tasking goes out to the city Police or Fire departments, both of which have extremely well organized, trained, and equipped rescue forces. Add to that the many other police departments and agencies which all operate emergency services units (Campus Police, MTA Police, Port Authority Police, etc) and you have absolutely no need or desire for an organization like CAP.

NYC is known for its Cadet program though. Our team went on to National Competition this past year and our cadets do very well at encampments and national activities.

You are both right and wrong. 

We are one CAP, if I live in NYC or Los Angeles proper I am still a CAP officer...if I want to be ES, I should not be limited by the fact that "we are known for our cadet program" anymore than an strong ES area should not service the cadets.

Col Greenhut boasts that we can put an air platform over a target within two hours, means all of us.  He should also be able to bost that we have a CAP Cadet Program in every zone, county or Metropolitan area.

The WHOLE CAP approach is the ideal.

[MidwaySix]

It's completely pointless in large urban areas. I know that here, in NYC we don't have an ES program because we don't have ES work. Any SAR tasking goes out to the city Police or Fire departments, both of which have extremely well organized, trained, and equipped rescue forces. Add to that the many other police departments and agencies which all operate emergency services units (Campus Police, MTA Police, Port Authority Police, etc) and you have absolutely no need or desire for an organization like CAP.

George,

I can't disagree with you more.

My unit is based at a major metropolitan airport, in one of the largest cities in America.

• Five of us from my Squadron joined up with a dozen more from our Wing and drove 15 hours to report for duty as a ground team in support of JTF- Katrina. We were deployed downrange for a week and helped a lot of people. (The firefighters from my town never made past it Atlanta.)


• Just a couple of weeks ago my Squadron deployed more GTMs to a flood zone than any one unit in the sticks.


• AND our Wing flew a photo recon flight for our City PD the next day.


• And finally... when the Towers fell, CAP flew recon over Ground Zero. We were the first on scene with that capability.

Just because you think CAP can't be part of the Team in your neighborhood and beyond, doesn't make it so.

• Build a good Team.
• Build good relationships.
• Train together.
• Answer the call when it comes.
• Do a good job.

"Total Force" is not a concept dependent on your ZIP code.

Respectfully,

Midway Six

Ground Team Leader
(newly minted) Mission Pilot
Lives 6 blocks from the tallest structure/target in the Western Hemisphere.
Always Vigilant - Never Boring. http://capblog.typepad.com

P.S. Note: I just started this thread so that I could get some good ideas for some decent looking business cards.

[afgeo4]

There's a difference between members being trained to do ES and having an ES program.

NYC Group has ES trained members for aircrew, udf, ground team, mission base, etc. We just don't have need for all that within the city. Most of our calls come from Long Island and or Westchester/Putnam Counties of New York. Both, Long Island and Southeast groups now have great ES programs, so they very rarely call for our help. There are always very occasional calls for help from NJ or PA and we answer them, but they're rare.

What I'm saying is there really isn't much work in NYC (I don't know how other cities work) for SAR and although there's always work in DR, the jobs needed here are less traditional. The primary need is in overflights for damage assessment, which we're fully trained for, shelter management, and community training/outreach a la CERT. The last two have been a huge training problem since neither Red Cross or CERT want to provide training for our members at low cost or without membership.

In terms of flying for the City of New York... NYPD Aviation does all the work. Their fleet is very competent and operates very new aircraft. There's no need for us while they exist. There's also now talk of FDNY having a helicopter. Add to that existing air assets of the Port Authority Police Dept and various other agencies in the area...

There just isn't need for us here. There are no GA airports in NYC. The 2 airports we do have rarely land GA aircraft. Because of that we don't operate any aircraft out of our group. Add to that the fact that an air crash in NYC would be seen by hundreds if not thousands of people and would not require search and that rescue is done by the city...