IABC launches new branding campaign
(posted February 28, 2007)
On January 26, during the opening session of the 2007 Leadership Institute in San Diego, California, more than 200 volunteer leaders from around the world were among the first to experience the association’s new brand identity. Much more than a logo or just a tagline, IABC’s new mantra, Be Heard™, aims to get to the emotional connection that communicators make with the IABC, their organizations, and the broader business community.
"Be Heard™ speaks not only to what we do, but also to who we are," says Mark Schumann, ABC, a Director-at-Large for IABC who is leading the branding initative. "While communicators speak out individually all over the world all the time, IABC allows us to collectively harness the power that comes from speaking with one voice, both about our association and our profession."
The process of developing a new brand identity began more than 18 months ago. Since that time, Schumann says more than 3,000 IABC members participated in a wide range of opportunities for input and participation, ranging from online membership surveys to discussion groups at Leadership Institute, to in-person and over-the-phone focus groups.
"The result of this tremendous group effort is a “sound bite” that we think captures the essence of the difference we make to our communication world and beyond," Schumann adds.
The new brand identity also includes a detailed set of guidelines to help chapter and regional volunteers, IABC headquarters staff and strategic partners build a consistent and meaningful IABC experience at all levels.
To learn more about IABC's branding efforts, listen to the February 2007 edition of Cafe2Go, the IABC podcast, at http://blogs.iabc.com/cafe2go.
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