Building Brand and Identity for 4-H in Canada

Jennifer Austin

Director, Marketing & Communications

February 14, 2015

• 4-H’s Branding Challenge

• What is a brand and why is it important?

• 4-H’s Branding Solution

• How we can all help…

• Questions?

Agenda

• 4-H logo is a registered trademark.

• It represents our official identity.

• It is essential that our logos and brand standards be used correctly.

• The corporate logo should always be taken from official files as

made available by 4-H Canada.

• The elements within the logo and their relative position to one

another should never be rearranged.

4-H Logo Today

But…this is the reality:

• Need to protect the brand: no clear guidelines on how to ensure the

right people are using the brand in the right way

• No consistent visual identity: logo, colours, graphic elements,

style of photography, fonts

• Lack of common language: key messages, our narrative,

boilerplate

4-H’s Branding Challenge

Branding Discussions for Over a Decade

Discussed by Councils, provinces and AGMs for years

• “Embrace the Future”

o Recognition that 4-H Canada is custodian of the 4-H brand and plea by

Provinces for 4-H Canada to take strong leadership on brand alignment

• “100th Anniversary”

o Brand alignment deemed paramount in 2nd century revitalization

• 2014 4-H Canada Strategic Plan

o Based on input from provinces and stakeholders

o “Identity” established as a strategic priority in Directional Overview

o Initiate a consultative process to gauge appetite to refresh logo and build

brand alignment

• 2014 AGM in Abbottsford

o Endorsement to proceed

o Logo Task Force committee struck (More on this later…)

Why now?

• All 4-H branding should embody the distinct values that we stand

for (programs, apparel, websites, etc.).

• Effective brand communication must be consistent across all

media.

• A set of components—logo, typeface, colours, and design

standards—will be created to represent a strong 4-H identity.

What we need to do…

Then we will talk about how 4-H is tackling its branding challenge!

Let’s learn more about branding…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5016fh7TgQ

Let’s watch a short video to start.

What is brand?

1. Perceptions in the mind of the consumer

• Emotional or rational

• It’s how you feel

• It’s a visceral reaction

2. Characteristics that make you unique

3. Commands premium price/respect

So to summarize, brand can be described as…

• Branding is an effective way to develop recognition of who we are,

what we do and why we do it with those who matter to the

organization.

• Consistent experiences build trust and reputation which translates

into:

o More members

o Engaged stakeholders

o Increased ability to raise funds to run great programs.

Why is brand important?

• Vision – what you aspire to become

• Mission – what you must do to achieve Vision

• Strategic Objectives – what you must achieve to realize Vision

• Promise, Values & Personality – how we do what we do

• Brand Story – illustrates your unique philosophy or methodology

and how it impacts what you offer

What defines a brand?

• Organize the world’s information and make it universally

accessible and useful.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHGDN9-oFJE

Google’s Mission:

CocaCola’s Mission:

• To refresh the world...

• To inspire moments of optimism and happiness...

• To create value and make a difference.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuMGR5jMKKs

• Communicates the essence of our organization

• It differentiates us from everyone else

• Reinforces who we are

• Allow us to be competitive:

o Retention

o Recruitment

o Extend into new areas

Why is branding so important?

I've learned that people will

forget what you said, people

will forget what you did, but

people will never forget how

you made them feel.

- Maya Angelou, author

Brand is an experience

Brand Experience = Value/Reputation

no brand Hanes Nike

Value: $5.00 $10.00 $30.00

Promise: none comfort inspire

Brand Experience = Value/Reputation

gas station Tim Horton’s Starbuck’s

Value: $1.00 $1.60 $2.00

Promise: none quality better world

So…what is 4-H’s brand solution?

Logo Task Force Mandate & Expectations

Approval to create a proposal to refresh the 4-H Canada logo was given by Council to complement the brand alignment initiative.

Logo Task Force Committee:

• Chair: Randy Mowat – VP Marketing MNP and Vice-Chair Canadian 4-H Foundation

• Breanne Durie – 4-H member, former 4-H Canada Council Member and YAC representative

• Debra Brown – Executive Director 4-H Ontario

• Leanne Sprung – Senior 4-H & Youth Specialist, Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Development

• Linda Porter – 4-H Canada Council Member and Executive Director 4-H New Brunswick

• Lorelei Muller – Executive Director of 4-H Quebec

• Susann Stone – Executive Director of the 4-H Council of Alberta

Timeline: 6 months

Collaboration: National, youth, leaders, staff

Endorsement: unanimous by Task Force Committee

Task Force Conclusions

After discussions with stakeholders across Canada, there is:

a strong appetite for updating the 4-H Canada logo;

a general comprehension of what aligning and strengthening the brand can do for the 4-H movement; and

agreement on new visual identity and the roll-out process.

Task Force’s Commitment

• Honour 4-H’s core values

• Respect the heritage of the organization

• Institute a ‘soft launch’ of new brand identity, being mindful

of fiscal resources in the rollout of the new brand Identity

• Communicate to all stakeholders that materials with their

current logo can be phased out, but any new material will

need the new logo as of June 12, 2015.

• Evolve the visual identity, not revolutionize

Evolving Brands

Brand Architecture and Alignment of the Brand

• Establish a strong brand architecture which includes Provinces and

Clubs

• All stakeholders to be represented

o National logo with standards

o Provincial logo with standards

o Club logo with standards

• Ease of use for all stakeholders

• Consistent alignment and usage across the country and at all

organizational levels

Benefits

• For membership

o Communicate the vibrancy and energy of the organization

o Attract new members

o Engage youth

• For fund development

o Build the public perception of the organization and the value it brings to

Canadian youth

• For 4-H as a whole

o Strong 4-H in Canada identity across all levels of the organization

o Reinforce 4-H as leader, driver and 4-H Canada as the custodian of the

4-H brand

Timeline

2014 2015

Activity JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN

Provincial Consultation

Report back to Provinces

Board Approval

Formal Announcement

Implementation Planning

Unveiling/Launch at AGM

• Resource toolkit for Provinces to help implement the new brand

• Landing page for Clubs and suppliers (downloadable logos,

guideline, FAQ)

• Order new retail items for sale

• National public relations to raise profile of 4-H’s new image

What we will do at 4-H Canada

Working together

What you can do in the provinces

• Never use the old logo again on new items!

• Reflect new visual identity on websites, marketing collateral, signs, etc.

• Get the word out to Clubs and suppliers about our landing page

• Talk up the new brand in your communities!

Stay tuned to www.4-h-Canada.ca/brand

on June 11 for the

unveiling of our new logo!

Questions?

Jennifer AustinDirector, Marketing & Communications

613-759-1013 x29

jaustin@4-h-canada.ca

@jk_austin

Thank you!