Branding: Part of Professionalism

By T. R. Shaw Jr.

            I admit I’m a little old-fashioned and a bit of a traditionalist.  The world changes dramatically, almost on a daily, if not hourly basis.  Sometimes it takes a while to accept new and changing circumstances.

            I graduated from a great journalism school at Central Michigan University back in the days of land line phones, typewriters, carbon paper, and vario-typers.  We kept an eye on the Associated Press teletype in the corner of newsroom that constantly had to be fed paper.  Google some of that stuff, you might find it at the Smithsonian today.

Part of the journalism program involved outstanding training on photography and graphics which I have always enjoyed.  I’ve prided myself in the fact I have a keen sense of imagery and good graphics; hence my reluctance to change.

            For the past several years, I’ve been the PR guy for our Rotary Club; officially the Public Image Chairman.  Recently, I was selected to become the Public Image Chairman for the entire Rotary District, consisting of 62 clubs in Southwest Michigan.

            I quickly found that many clubs simply don’t embrace this Public Image stuff.  Many clubs, whose members are middle-aged and up, like me, have a hard time dealing with the social media cascade, and can’t understand why things have to change so much.  I admit, I’m basically self-taught with social media and still struggle from time to time with how it all connects.

            I recently attended a great Zone Training session in Chicago which brought together leaders from 26 Rotary Districts in the Upper Midwest.  The two Zones stretched from North Dakota through the Great Lakes and over into Pennsylvania and New York, almost reaching into New England.  Elbridge Gerry, the father of “Gerrymandering”, would be proud of our Zone map.

            I sat in with about 20 other PR people in the Public Image sessions.  Most of my colleagues had varying degrees of expertise in public affairs, social media and communication.

            I’ve been a journalist all my life, served as a Navy Public Affairs Officer, and thought I had a pretty good grasp of dealing with the media and the communication world today.  I felt like I was at least at the curve, and not behind it, when it came to today’s media trends.

            A few years ago, Rotary launched a new branding campaign which has taken almost six years to get on to the local club’s radar.  I’m guilty as anyone who didn’t immediately embrace the change in our imagery.  The classic Rotary Wheel and other emblems I felt were too good to tinker with and the new stuff just wasn’t appealing.

            I soon realized I became what Rotary was fighting against…resistance to change.  Too many different variations of Rotary’s classic trademark, the Rotary Wheel, were being used and diluting the brand.

Some of the old club logos which are no longer
appropriate for consistent branding

Until it was all explained to me, I resisted using the new imagery, because the old stuff was graphically better I thought.  Well, some of it might be, but I soon found that with an organization the size and scope of Rotary it’s imperative we have a consistent brand image.  Until it was laid out how many clubs, districts and zones were using variations of our imagery, I realized how important it was.  I was one of the old “fuddy-duddys” who insisted that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

It took a huge gathering like this to see how none of us were in sync with our branding and imagery campaign, and to realize that our “brand” is worth being consistent in defining who we are. 

The biggest epiphany came to me when someone stated that “Consistency in branding is a sign of professionalism.  We must be consistent and professional in our branding and imagery if we want to attract professional people to our cause!”

Bingo!

The lights went on for me.  I am now working to change the paradigm in my club and district to be compliant with our branding campaign.

Some of the New Club Logos from Rotary's Branding Center which allows
Personalization, yet consistency

I’m sure this same dilemma occurs in many organizations and businesses when those “in the field” resist change. 

Lesson learned, change can only occur when those closest to it embrace it.  It has to take place at the lowest level in the organization to truly work.  Without realizing it, I was an impediment to change.

My Rotary Public Image mission is now clear, lead the change and compel people to realize it’s part of being a professional organization. 

Isn’t that what we all want to be a part of?

            T. R. Shaw Jr. is CEO of Shaw Communication in Battle Creek, Michigan.  He serves as Rotary District 6360 Public Image Chairman in Southwest Michigan.  You can read his blog, The Reluctant R(L)eader at www.read-mor.blogspot.com

College Football Needs to Return to Being College Football

By T. R. Shaw Jr.

            Perhaps I’m entering my “Grumpy Old Man” era, but I’m disappointed with the direction of college football.

            I grew up in a University of Michigan family.  My parents took many of my friends and me to Ann Arbor Saturdays where we witnessed the Ten Year War between Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes.  We eagerly awaited Saturdays to see who Michigan was going to conquer next, enroute to that day in November when the forces of good and evil collided in the greatest rivalry in all of sports. 

Michigan and Ohio State was, and still is everything in college football.  The Victor typically won the Big Ten when there were still ten schools, and earned a trip to the Rose Bowl, the Granddaddy of them all!  Who cared about ranking!

I didn’t make it to Michigan, but I ended up at Central Michigan where I took the passion I learned for college football in Ann Arbor to Mount Pleasant.  I’ve been a loyal Chippewa season ticket holder and supporter since I graduated. I attend most of the games, as any loyal alumni should.

CMU’s Kelly-Shorts Stadium is no “Big House”, but it has provided many great “Central Saturdays” over the years, including last decade, under Brian Kelly and Butch Jones.  CMU produced superstars like Antonio Brown, Dan LeFevour, Joe Staley, and Eric Fisher the 2013 #1 Draft pick in all of college football, and most recently Cooper Rush, now a rookie quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys.   Chippewa Nation longs for another “Championship Culture.”

I still attend at least one of the games each season in Ann Arbor, as my sister inherited our family tickets and actually earned a Maize and Blue sheepskin.  Every game used to be reliably, a 1:00 Saturday date, etched in stone.  Then TV came and changed all that.

Today, game times aren’t even announced until a few days before, making it very difficult to plan ahead or invite friends.  Will it be a noon game? 3:00 game or possibly a night game?  This is a question the Michigan fans are asking, and for many their patience is growing thin.  At least the Wolverine faithful still have Saturday games.  Rarely, has there been a weeknight game in the Big Ten. 

The Mid-American Conference is now playing a lot of weeknight games.  I’m disappointed the marquee MAC game, Central Michigan versus Western Michigan, will be played on a Wednesday night in November!  College football has lost all respect for fans with weeknight games for TV.

A few years ago, the CMU-WMU game was played on a Tuesday night on ESPN2.  Then, it was the only college game in the nation that night, yet it played second-fiddle to ESPN which carried Poker.  I always thought that was rather insulting and a huge missed opportunity to showcase “real” college football.

The Athletic Directors and NCAA argue they make money on TV, but they are doing it with supposed “student-athletes” who have to skip classes, travel, and recover after weeknight games.  It makes no sense and the NCAA ought to be ashamed about what they are doing to these kids for the sake of “exposure.” 

It’s not just the players, the fans are also forgotten with these games.  Most of the midweek games have half-empty stadiums; few will travel great distances on a weeknight, they simply can’t.  Add to that, the constant “TV Time Outs” destroys the pace of the game and make these games 4-5 hours of torture for those who show up.  After several of these long pauses to pitch beer and car insurance, many fans around me once started yelling, “Just Play the Game Damn It!”  Night games sometimes end after midnight.  This also destroys some of the economic impact in the college town as everyone heads home after the game.

            My concern is that TV has so invaded the college atmosphere that we’ve lost the true essence of the game.  Back in the Bo and Woody era, you sat on the edge of your seat as you watched the crusade unfold.  You didn’t have the long breaks, things kept moving and you couldn’t take your eyes off it.  I’m concerned young fans will never have that experience, for some it’s become like watching a baseball game.

            I’m also concerned that many long and devoted alumni and fans will turn away from attending and supporting programs.  I’m hearing more and more say they will stay at home and watch the game, as all of them are now televised and they don’t have to deal with the hassle, expense, and uncertainty of game time.  Many cannot afford to take the kids and the neighbors to games anymore, like when I was growing up.  That’s a true shame!

            I sincerely hope the current fan rift in the NFL doesn’t spill over into college football.  Longtime fans are burning their tickets and jerseys and boycotting the games over the player and owner activism, right or wrong.  Add to that the massive amount of money in sneaker and uniform deals might finally get some scrutiny after the NCAA was “willfully ignorant” when the FBI began arresting basketball coaches.  You can bet that will affect football too!  More to come on that!

            Schembechler once said, “College football is a religion, and Saturday is the Holy Day of Obligation.”  The next few years will determine if the flock stays together; whether fans and alumni will continue to dump obscene amounts of money into licensing and tickets when the program and TV isn’t paying attention to the customer.  It’s a business plan that might have dire consequences down the road.  A generation may be lost and once loyal alumni are no longer willing to write the big checks.

            I still love college football and can’t think of a better place to be than in one of the great athletic cathedrals on a fall weekend, sitting in the sunshine.  The faithful will continue to come, so long as the message and sermon continues to inspire. 

College football needs to return to being college football and the rich traditions which made it the product we can’t get enough of.  Enough with late night and week night games!  Let’s make fall Saturday afternoons special again!

T. R. Shaw Jr., is CEO of Shaw Communication in Battle Creek, Michigan.  He blogs at:  The Reluctant R(L)eader at www.read-mor.blogspot.com