Branding tips from the fire service

[RiverAux]

Here is an intersting article that talks about branding from the point of view of a local fire department: http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/marketing-isnt-a-dirty-word

I think it has some interesting angles with CAP applications:
1.  Importance of uniforms for identifying your organization and as inspiring a level of trust in your abilities. 
2.  Importance of getting your organization out in the community beyond just your ES mission activities and that people who have had any contact with you are more likely to support you than those that have not.  CAP obviously has ways of getting out there beyond our own members, but they are primarily focused on youths (AE, DDR) or at airshow-type events.  What could we do to get our members out interacting with the general public as well as other agencies?  I've suggested before that CAP members could become the go-to folks for teaching SAR classes and the like to other agencies that don't have their own SAR teams (many, many don't). 
3.  BRANDING -- put your logo everywhere, even on top of your vehicles so that they helicopters will see it. 

[JC004]

It doesn't seem to recommend having a half dozen different logos used everywhere.  Odd.  They are probably amateurs.

Now, about that logo on top of the vehicle...we DID have the triangle...

[SARDOC]

The Local Fire Department where I live isn't worried about branding.  We pretty much have the market cornered...we don't have many Mom and pop fire Companies springing up in our locality and when some one has a fire or medical emergency, they call 911...and we are a sole source vendor for all your emergency needs.   

[RiverAux]

The Local Fire Department where I live isn't worried about branding.  We pretty much have the market cornered...we don't have many Mom and pop fire Companies springing up in our locality and when some one has a fire or medical emergency, they call 911...and we are a sole source vendor for all your emergency needs.   

But does the community support you well enough to raise taxes to meet needs or to not cut them in favor of other services?  Just because you're a monopoly, doesn't mean that you can ignore your "customers" since in this case they can still hurt you. 

[EMT-83]

A few years ago, our volunteer chief started a "customer service" campaign, where everyone who dialed 911 was to be considered a customer. That meant rather than just going out and handling whatever the incident happened to be, we would also take the time to pet the dog, give the kids a tour of the engine, change the smoke detector batteries, hand out pamphlets, and make sure we answered any questions. In short, whatever we could do to turn a crappy situation into a more positive one.

In a recent town-wide survey, the fire department received the highest approval rating of all agencies, just shy of 100%. Support for our budget is strong enough that the board of finance doesn't even think about making cuts.

Our unique logo and website is on all the vehicles, and of course, members wear their tee shirts and job shirts around town, so we're pretty visible. Add in a zero tolerance policy for being an idiot while driving apparatus or POVs with blue lights, and we've got a good reputation.

There are a couple of departments nearby that constantly have negative press coverage. People actually write letters to the editor and blog against their local fire departments! They can't get funding for new apparatus or radio systems. I guess they could learn a few lessons on branding.

[Thom]

The Local Fire Department where I live isn't worried about branding.  We pretty much have the market cornered...we don't have many Mom and pop fire Companies springing up in our locality and when some one has a fire or medical emergency, they call 911...and we are a sole source vendor for all your emergency needs.   

But does the community support you well enough to raise taxes to meet needs or to not cut them in favor of other services?  Just because you're a monopoly, doesn't mean that you can ignore your "customers" since in this case they can still hurt you.

I agree with RiverAux, though, I must say I do see your point about being sole-source...

In any case, when it comes time to raise taxes (or reauthorize existing ones...) and to make charitable donations, it means much more to say:

"Please give to the St. George Volunteer Fire Dept.", using it's well known logo,

instead of saying,

"Please give to the Fire Dept.", generically.

Subtle, but I bet it adds up over the years.  Plus the unquantifiable value of esprit de corps, or just plain pride in your organization which is more easily built and kept in a well-defined organization.  (OK, that was a clunky turn of phrase but I think it holds together, just barely...)


Thom

[SARDOC]

[

But does the community support you well enough to raise taxes to meet needs or to not cut them in favor of other services?  Just because you're a monopoly, doesn't mean that you can ignore your "customers" since in this case they can still hurt you.
[/quote]

We do well...we are a career Fire Department with over 500 members.  I'm not saying that we ignore our customers...we just don't need to advertise our services thus the point of branding, We don't solicit for donations but we are tax supported and we do have a fee for service scale (ie $500 dollar bill for medical transport, variable dollar figures for hazmat abatements, suppression services, permits, inspections, cost recovery for DUI related MVA's )   People call 911 and we come, that's our service, that's where our community support comes from...Not because they see Brand Recognition or some kind of product loyalty...we just do our job and people see that.  They don't care if the Ambulance is Red or Blue or White, just that someone comes and provides the service.  The regular citizen doesn't know the difference between an Engine Company or a Tanker, or the difference between a Ladder Company or a Quint.  All they know is that they need help and want it from us. 

In a neighboring jurisdiction where they have a volunteer EMS system Branding might be a little more important, they generate money from donations and the City has 10 different EMS providing Rescue Squads across the city.  The Rescue Squad who serve your area may be busy on another call and another squad responds, branding might be important for the citizen to distinguish the service being provided by another squad for donation purposes.

My jurisdiction...nope No branding...Just call 911...

[High Speed Low Drag]

The lessons here are obvious.  We compete with so many other service and youth organizations for members (and thus dollars) that we should have a viable, strong marketing program.  There is a reason why CAP is called "America's Best Kept Secret" ... and there shouldn't be.  We are like a volunteer fire department – its members could be doing so many other things on Monday nights, or in the middle of the night when the pager goes off, or during the day.  And sadly, we are not even as important as a volunteer fire department in terms of the immediate protection of the community. 

So why doesn't CAP have a multi-faceted, strong marketing program?  Why doesn't CAP have professionally produced PSAa for all media types?

[RADIOMAN015]

The lessons here are obvious.  We compete with so many other service and youth organizations for members (and thus dollars) that we should have a viable, strong marketing program.  There is a reason why CAP is called "America's Best Kept Secret" ... and there shouldn't be.  We are like a volunteer fire department – its members could be doing so many other things on Monday nights, or in the middle of the night when the pager goes off, or during the day.  And sadly, we are not even as important as a volunteer fire department in terms of the immediate protection of the community. 

Branding means you have consistent products & services throughtout the area you are marketing in.  Remember a fire department is likely to be just in one community, CAP marketing effort is nationwide.

Also CAP in reality is NOT a consistent program nationwide.  Some units may concentrate more on aerospace education, military drill, and do little or nothing as far as emergency services goes.   

It really gets down to what the unit is doing in the specific community areas that they want to market to.   Of course if you have groups (which can mitigate the staffing issue for specific programs e.g. rocketry, emergency services, etc) and definitely wings, they could probably market all of CAP's missions, BUT prospective members joining a specific unit might be let down, when the hype doesn't match the reality.

Also CAP branding will come out of corporate (member dues) funds and not out of USAF support.  We need to be very careful about how much money we spend on these efforts.   Generally, I don't think the branding problem is a serious problem in CAP.  There are other organizational issues that impact more greatly on CAP's ability to attract & retain quality personnel.

RM

 

[High Speed Low Drag]

Horse, then cart.  My position is that if we had more members, if we had more "brand recognition," if we had more exposure, then we would have more money to do more missions – through increased membership and increased exposure for fed dollars.  Your position is that (if I interpreted it correctly), you are saying that CAP should be spending the "extra" dollars working on other organizational issues.
I don't disagree that there are definitely organizational issues that can affect member retention.  However, if we spend all of our time doing that, eventually there won't be any members to retain.  Also, CAP squadrons SHOULD be doing all of the missions.  If not, then there is a problem that needs to be fixed.  Any person should walk in the door and be able to see all of the missions being performed – in some capacity.  I do not agree with those that say CAP missions are "cafeteria-style" – pick those you want to do and ignore the rest.

[Lt Oliv]

If CAP Volunteers were allowed to put a blue light on their POV we'd probably attract all sorts.

I do agree however, that uniforms are an essential recruiting tool. No one looks at a bunch of polo shirt wearing folks and says "Now THAT is something I want to be a part of!"

But, I don't think we attract anyone by having a fashion show of so many different uniform variations that we are anything but "uniform."