One of the reasons the Specialty Advertising Association of California (SAAC) board of directors selected me as executive director was that they wanted to evolve into a modern, agile, and value-driven organization.

As a leader from outside of the promotional products industry, I was able to make critical observations about the existing brand and how it hindered growth. In examining why the association needed a rebrand, my board and I concluded that SAAC’s brand was tied to prior challenges, had not evolved with the promotional products industry, and was unattractive to the young professionals, stakeholders, and partners we wanted to engage.

We also found that our members had outgrown the branding. To cultivate the association’s growth, it was necessary to pivot and tell a story of evolution and future-focused direction with new branding and messaging. Here’s how we did it.

Getting Started

To remain relevant in the fast-changing industry, we began stating who we were becoming, not who we were. We also modernized our public presentation and messaging.

Since the logo had been the same for quite some time and the website was dated, those were our first changes. To obtain member buy-in, I assembled a focus group of members at various stages of their career to advise on the logo redesign.

Focus group members also championed the redesign and refresh with their colleagues. Because of our deliberate actions, our work was met with support. However, during the board’s strategic planning meeting, it was obvious that a full rebrand was inevitable to address our gradual slip in relevance, attract young professionals, and lead the association in a new direction.

Action Plan

The implementation phase began with a full inventory of the association’s branding needs, from letterhead to meeting signage. Then, we prioritized the inventory based on its importance and urgency. For example, member-facing materials were more urgent than internal-facing materials.

We also conducted market research by gathering data that included stakeholder surveys and information from other associations and for-profit corporations. In gathering data about other organizations, we tracked several aspects, including the consistency between logos, taglines and mission, messaging, and the frequency of communication.

Budget

The inventory and market research equipped me with the requisite information to create a budget for a complete rebrand. Luckily, my board was supportive of the rebrand, so it wasn’t a matter of whether we should do a full overhaul, but rather providing them with a clear picture of the costs. After a robust discussion, the board made a strategic investment in the rebrand using the association’s reserves.

Timeframe

Two-and-a-half years later, our rebranding remains ongoing, as consistency and repetitive communication have been the keys to its progress. After an initial rebrand, there will be old narratives that you must counter and a new reputation that you must steadily build. Stay aware of your new branding’s fragility with your members and stakeholders, who need time to absorb the changes. It’s also incumbent that the leader helps others to connect with the association’s journey to tell the story for you.

Takeaway

As the association continues to navigate its rebranding initiative, one of the key takeaways is the necessity to continuously monitor the alignment of the rebrand with the environment and industry changes. While my leadership has been a major catalyst for change and growth, it doesn't supersede our need for constant strategic foresight in preventing future stagnation within the association.