More brand confusion

[Rotorhead]

This has to stop.

Yes.

We need to pick uniforms designs and stick with them, pick a logo or seal and stick with it, pick a slogan and stick with it...

As a media professional, I can safely say that this change-whenever-we-like routine is doing nothing to increase public awareness, and, is, in fact, making PAOs jobs harder.

[wuzafuzz]

This has to stop.

Yes.

We need to pick uniforms designs and stick with them, pick a logo or seal and stick with it, pick a slogan and stick with it...

As a media professional, I can safely say that this change-whenever-we-like routine is doing nothing to increase public awareness, and, is, in fact, making PAOs jobs harder.

:clap: :clap: :clap:

[FlyTiger77]

There is an interesting article on branding within Chevrolet that echoes several key points that JC004 and others have been trying to make:

"On Tuesday, G.M. sent a memo to Chevrolet employees at its Detroit headquarters, promoting the importance of "consistency" for the brand, which was the nation's best-selling line of cars and trucks for more than half a century after World War II."

""When you look at the most recognized brands throughout the world, such as Coke or Apple for instance, one of the things they all focus on is the consistency of their branding," the memo said. "Why is this consistency so important? The more consistent a brand becomes, the more prominent and recognizable it is with the consumer.""

                                                     ---New York Times on-line edition http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/automobiles/10chevy.html?hp

[JC004]

*sigh*  It's in Branding for Dummies and now it's in this article.  (Some) people still don't get it.  That said, people on CAPTalk and members in the field seem to get it quite well...

As I said before, even the cadets get it because they're making it into games.  I'm pretty sure none of them have degrees in marketing - just common sense.

[arajca]

These are the same folks who killed off the old four-fold brochures in favor of the "Opportunity Knocks" book for recruiting. Desite the fact that everyone in the audience (i.e. field personnel) when it was unveiled told them "Opportunites Knock" is not going to work for cadet recruiting.

Five years later they got it and produced a more apropriate handout.

[JC004]

I agree with that.  I remember saying that when I first saw them.  There was also the issue of size.  *sigh*

Why must you bring back bad memories of previous marketing crap that made me sad?   

[a2capt]

... Opportunities Knock.

He couldn't pass it up, to bring it up. ;-)

[NC Hokie]

Opportunities Knock is apparently dead, as my last literature order from NHQ included a new (to me) senior member recruiting flyer similar to the most recent cadet one.

I hope that there are proper recruiting brochures in the works, as these do not fit in our existing literature racks and lack a reply card for capturing contact information from potential members.  RUMINT suggested that the cadet flyer was a temporary bridge between the Opportunity Knocks and some new brochures (see http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=6842.msg126772#msg126772), but the production of this new flyer suggests otherwise.

[Eclipse]

I hope that there are proper recruiting brochures in the works, as these do not fit in our existing literature racks and lack a reply card for capturing contact information from potential members.

If you're physically taking them from the prospect after they are filled out, that's one thing, but no one is sending in reply cards via regular mail anymore.  If they can't contact CAP in two clicks, they will forget they ever saw you.

[lordmonar]

Well...there is branding and then there is branding.

Chevy VS Chevrolet is interesting because he mentions Coke.....does he mean Coca Cola?

Doing the PC thing for a name may make sense if there is some confusion  Chevrolet has been Chevy for a long long long time.

To put this in a CAP context...is it CAP (as in a hat you wear on your head) or CAP (as in SEE AYEE PEE)?

I don't really think the Chevy vs Chevrolet has as much to do with consistency as it may have to do with image.  Chevy (to me) implies muscle cars and big trucks.....where Chevrolet implies luxury cars.  So if the company is trying to make an image change.....then yes consistency in branding is a good thing.

In CAP....the issue is not some much an image change but BRAND RECOGNITION.  When they see the red prop in a triangle they need to say "Oh CAP, the USAF Axillary".....and not "why is there a prop in a triangle".  To follow up on that our potential customers need to know that CAP=our missions and services.

These are issues are not so much "branding" as it is simple advertising and training.

[High Speed Low Drag]

My signature says it all.

[Earhart1971]

Do we have any Public Relations Folks at National HQ?

[Gunner C]

Maybe.  But we sure don't have any marketing folks.  Big difference.

[Earhart1971]

We need the MASTER LOBBYIST for Non Profits, that has a track record in Congress. That's what we really need, we had a lobbyist several years ago, paid like $24,000 per year, we need someone a little heavier than that.

[JC004]

We have marketing folks (at least that's what they're supposed to be - it's possible they are something else and NHQ named them "marketing").  I don't know that it's their fault necessarily.  This has been going on for a long time and I believe it to be the position of the National Board to give them the guidance on what our official emblems (and other brand strategy/elements) will be. 

The National Board (I'm still hesitating, but tempted to call them the "National Uniform Committee," as I've heard others say) has neglected this for many years to focus on things like new uniforms.  This isn't even necessary the fault of the current National Board - again, for many years, this body has neglected this critical issue of our identity.

[Pylon]

When you have 55+ Colonels and Generals in control (by committee) of managing and directing the organization, and they turn over almost completely every couple years, it's no surprise that we're heading in 12 directions at once and constantly end up with new mottos, logos, bright ideas, and plans that never get followed-through to completion.

[wuzafuzz]

Your average ham radio or 4X4 club has more coherent branding than we do. 

[vmstan]

Case in point: My grandfather-in-law's RC airplane club manages to have consistent branding. They have the same logo on every hat, newsletter, t-shirt, website I've seen.

[Smithsonia]

This is slightly off topic but... I have had members of the National Board and Staff argue here on CAPTALK that:
1. Uniforms, Service, and Duties are NOT elements of branding. And...
2. That slogans, logos, and cliches ARE solely branding elements.

I find this lack of public affairs knowledge... appalling.

However, I have also found that the higher you go sometimes the stupider you get. Take the CEO of BP as the latest example. BP has now been rebranded for it's lack of safety, lack of communications, lack of sensitivity, lack of response, and saying the dumbest things with most authority in public and repeating these ignorant utterances several times a day. Everything they do, everything they don't do, everything they say, think, and imagine is now a branding element. Their lack of brand understanding is quite apparent. I guess that BP management thought that their repeating cliches about safety and corporate citizenship could mask a lack of substance. This is "Empty-Suit" PR.

"Branding is built on substance and never meant to replace this substance with an abstract concept or illusion." Please pay attention to this most misunderstood edict. For all empty suits who may read this, remember that your understanding of this edict could be tested. Please remember and please prepare.

[JC004]

That's what I was talking about in this little conversation:

http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=10751.msg196889#msg196889

I've been saying for many years that the uniform is a part of our brand, yet they continue changing it without direction or a cohesive plan for our look.  If we had a plan, the "U.S. Civil Air Patrol" tapes and plates would never have happened at our expense. 

Then there's the example that I've cited a ton of times: in the time that I have been a member, there has been the following for the flight suit patches: Corporate Seal, U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Command Patch, U.S. Civil Air Patrol Command Patch and Sans-"U.S." Civil Air Patrol Command Patch.  Give me a break.