One of CPRS’ overarching goals is to brand parks and recreation as an essential community service. When it comes to brands, the public is most familiar with product brands, such as Starbucks, Volvo, Target, Nordstrom, etc. It is not just products that evoke brand, however. Some well-known people have a brand identity, i.e., Princess Diana, Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, etc. Professions can also evoke brand, as in the images conveyed when you think of teachers, bankers, mortgage lenders, police, firemen, etc. To our knowledge CPRS is the first organization to seek to develop a brand for parks and recreation. CPRS and NRPA have offered “marketing campaigns” in the past with such slogans as “Recreation: Life’s Necessity,” or “The Benefits are Endless,” but those marketing efforts should not be confused with creating a brand and our current initiative. CPRS is attempting to identify, or “brand,” the wide variety of park and recreation agencies, programs and services with a single promise. This is extraordinarily challenging, as agencies vary in many ways... by their resources, facilities, programs, parks, staff size, and how they address community needs. In one community, parks and open space may be the “hot button” due to growth and development. Yet, in a neighboring community, the “hot button” might be after-school or teen programs in response to parents’ concerns about juvenile delinquency. CPRS began its member brand initiative by assessing those elements within the VIP Action Plan, Creating Community in the 21st Century, that constitute the foundation of the parks and recreation profession’s brand. Through member surveys, we know that the vision, values, and mission as stated in the VIP Action Plan are being used by agencies throughout the state. Rather than diverge from the extensive work done to establish and refine VIP, we incorporated it as a base for the branding effort. The VIP vision, “We Create Community through People, Parks, and Programs,” was seen as a possible brand promise or the basis for a slogan. We tested draft concepts among CPRS members in an e-survey conducted in November. Members Responded Over 600 members responded to the Branding e-survey... statistically, this is an excellent response. Members first ranked in importance the mission and values of parks and recreation; they were asked to provide feedback on suggested brand promises and slogans; and finally they were asked to rank various key messages that support the brand promise and slogan. Understanding Branding Terms Branding is a lot like the weather – everyone talks about it but do we really understand high pressure systems or wind patterns and the affect is has on our daily weather? As we create our brand, it is important that members grasp the meaning of branding terms in order to understand what we’re attempting. Here are brief explanations of key components of branding: Brand Promise: this embodies what parks and recreation promises to deliver. It is the outcome or benefit of the brand. A brand promise may or may not be publicly shared. A brand promise is an emotional connection we hope to make with our key audiences. Our brand promise fundamentally represents what parks and recreation stands for. As such, it does not change easily. Brand Slogan: This is a succinct message designed for external marketing or public relations. The slogan is shared with the public. The slogan should be representative of the brand promise but it does not have to match it completely. Slogans can and do change over time in response to fashion, trends, etc. Slogans are commonly used in advertising campaigns. Key Messages: these are talking points that support the brand promise and slogan. A brand may have several key messages. However, only a few are communicated at a time. The value of having a variety of key messages is that agencies can use varied messages as appropriate. Support for the Mission of Parks and Recreation The missions were ranked by the members to see which ones were the most important. Understanding what members think and feel about the mission of parks and recreation is valuable in determining the brand. Members ranked the missions in this priority order:
In addition to ranking the missions, members provided comments which proved that each of the mission components was valuable and that it was hard to rank them. It was shared on several occasions that the relative importance of the mission component would vary based upon the community’s needs. On this we agree. One respondent suggested that while each are important, as a profession, we should focus on those that are most supported by voters. There are clear distinctions that the top four values as shown in italics received the highest number of rankings as either a “4” or “5.” Support for the Values of Parks and Recreation The parks and recreation profession also has unique values. These values are what the profession wants to be known for as they guide our actions and decisions. Members ranked the values in the following order of importance:
The highest ranked values were the top three as shown in italics. Only one value, spirituality, received few votes. Feedback on the Brand Promise and Slogan Member’s responses revealed quite frankly that neither the brand promises or slogans “captured” the intent of what will be delivered by parks and recreation. Work continues on these two important components of branding. Key Messages Were Well Received & Hit Several Themes These key messages will be used to support the brand so a variety of messages is needed due to the variety of agencies that provide parks and recreation programs and services. Members were asked to select one key message in a variety of areas (nature and open space, environment, seniors, children and youth, healthy lifestyles, etc.). These key messages that centered on parks and open space; health and wellness; and social values were ranked higher than the others:
Each of the above stated messages received over 500 points by adding the “4” and “5” rankings together however, those in italics scored highest. Next Steps As evidenced by the member e-survey, we must come to agreement on the brand promise and slogan. Further, our work, so far, has been internally among CPRS members. CPRS is working to assess Californian’s opinion about parks and recreation. “Building the Brand” is one of the most vital projects CPRS has undertaken, equal in importance to the development by our members in crafting the VIP Action Plan. Due to the importance of building the profession’s brand, and in light of that we have not yet found a statement that most members agree encompasses what parks and recreation delivers, we have decided to go “slow” in order to go “fast” in the future. This involves conducting additional research. Because any organization’s brand provides emotional connection with its publics, we must ensure whatever brand promise we settle upon correctly states what we deliver. Hopefully, the added research will help clarify that identity. If you have questions or comments about the member survey, its results, or this article please contact Jane H. Adams, CPRS Executive Director, jane@cprs.org, 916/665-2777. Additional Resources “Building The Brand” article appearing in the California Parks & Recreation magazine (www.cprs.org/membersonly/Summer07_BuildingTheBrand.htm). “Building The Brand” electronic newsletter, vol. 1 (www.cprs.org/creating-branding1.htm). “Building The Brand” electronic newsletter, vol. 2 (www.cprs.org/creating-branding2.htm). “Building The Brand” electronic newsletter, vol. 3 (www.cprs.org/creating-branding3.htm). “Buidling a Better Brand” article on BusinessWeek.com |
