Every Monday and Friday I feature people and organizations who understand what it means to be a brand champion. Today I am pleased to highlight David Dryden and Tadson Bussey from the University & College Designers Association (UCDA). I was first introduced to UCDA several years ago when I was working in a communications and marketing department at a private university. Several of my staff were members. I become more familiar with the organization when I had the opportunity to facilitate a pre-conference workshop two years ago in Toronto. That experience led me to become a champion of their brand. I am honored to have the privilege to present at their upcoming conference in Seattle this October. Today David and Tadson share their views on what they think it means to be a brand champion for UCDA.
David Dryden says:
"The University & College Designers Association (UCDA) will be
celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2010. UCDA was founded in 1970 as the
nation’s first and only association for professionals involved in the creation
of visual communications for educational institutions. Over the years, it has
grown to an organization comprised of more than 1,000 members throughout the
United States and Canada. UCDA’s long history has enabled it to develop a
distinctive brand. Two years ago we set out to better understand the
organization’s brand so we could more clearly express what makes it
distinctive.
"My full-time job is director of Creative Services at Clemson
University, but for the past 20 years I have been involved with UCDA in various
roles. Currently I am serving my third term on the board of directors. Part of
what I wanted to accomplish while on the board was to evaluate who we were as an
organization and to see if what we were saying in our communications agreed.
Through research and study, we found that we had a distinctive story to tell
different from other design organizations — but that our marketing efforts did
not always speak to those unique attributes. We began a process of redesigning
the organization’s identity, including its color palette, typography, logo and
messaging. We needed to put the tools in place so we could speak consistently,
correctly and clearly. Cheryl Desellier, a Clemson University art director, took
the lead on developing UCDA’s new logo, and other board members contributed time
to shaping the overall brand architecture. What has resulted is a brand
expression that now aligns perfectly with UCDA’s personality, goals and
aspirations.
"A brand champion is someone who sees a need for an organization to
restate who its members are so that they accurately communicate to the
marketplace what is distinctive about the group. It can be a difficult role.
Often individuals within the organization see no issue with the current
marketing/communication effort and can’t understand the need for change. Brand
champions are big picture individuals. They see the totality of what is going on
both inside and outside of the organization. UCDA is fortunate because the board
and executive director were involved from the start and realized the benefit
that would result from this effort.
"The results? Even in this rough economic climate, UCDA has been able
to hold its membership numbers steady. A clearly and correctly stated brand does
have a positive impact on the bottom line. It is an investment every organization
should consider a necessity, not a luxury or waste of resources."
Tadson Bussey says:
"As executive director of UCDA,
creating a logo for an organization of designers is no mean feat. Every member
is a passionate practitioner; each an expert reviewer.
"UCDA is an organization consisting of
designers and communications professionals in education from across North
America. They work, live and breath design day-in and day-out. As a design
organization, it was of utmost importance to produce the best materials we could
and be stewards of our brand. We not only wanted—but needed—to lead by
example.
"Although the materials UCDA was
distributing were considered well designed and effective, the logo/wordmark was
outdated and had been used by the association for nearly 30 years. Identity
standards had been followed over the years, but were in need of some updating to
allow for cross-media implementation.
"The new UCDA logo is an expression of
our organization. Designer Cheryl DeSellier has created a logo that reflects the
vitality of UCDA. We know who we are, and are able to express that
visually."
David and Tadson, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to share your thoughts on what you think it means to be a brand champion for UCDA. I look forward to catching up with you in October. For now, you are the Brand Champions of the Day!
Rex Whisman
Brand Champions Blog
David and Tadson, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to share your thoughts on what you think it means to be a brand champion for UCDA. I look forward to catching up with you in October. For now, you are the Brand Champions of the Day!
Rex Whisman
Brand Champions Blog
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