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‘BRAND AND CLUB MEMBERSHIP – IS THERE A LINK?’
Article by Ian Renshaw, Partnership Director, Rotary Club of Seaford

The term “brand” first emerged many years ago as a way for cattle to be identified by their rangers
when wondering on unfenced land. Then, over 150 years ago, when brands started to emerge more, a
brand differentiated its product features from generic competitors

“The Dictionary of Brand” defines a brand as a person’s perception of a product, service, experience or organisation.
Given this, a brand means different things to different people at different times. So, a brand is basically an emotional,
sensual, and physical imagery that comes to mind when one thinks of an organisation, individual product.

So, where does Rotary Branding fit into the above. Rotarians/Rotary Clubs can assist in making a strong Rotary
Brand – a combination of a Club Name and the Rotary Wheel by adhering to the Rotary International (RI) guidelines
(2013), which are in the Brand Centre. I stress the Rotary Wheel – superbly designed, unique, and worn by many
Rotarians daily around the world is NOT THE ROTARY BRAND – it is the logo and part of the brand. Just like
McDonalds Fast Food Restaurants – the Golden Arches are the logo of McDonalds’ brand.
The brand is the Rotary Club name and Rotary wheel which determines a strong brand, MUST be utilised by the
club on ALL promotional material – website, Facebook posts, banners, newsletters, email signatures, A frames,
advertising, sponsorships etc.

Why, to create a strong brand Rotarians/Rotary Club MUST use the club brand with discipline and consistency to
build the Rotary culture, trust and awareness in the community. If Rotarians want to be recognised as the premier
service club in their communities then strong, consistent branding is a must if this key strategy is to be achieved.

There are to be NO exceptions as the Rotary Brand must be adhered to as per the RI guidelines as if you change the
Rotary brand, then you are weakening the brand, causing confusion in the community and diluting the Rotary story
of achievements. Do we see changes to the following brands – Apple, Google, Nike, Qantas – NO, they are all
consistent, trusted and respected and instantly recognised by the public via their branding.
So back to the headlines of this story – “Rotary Brand and Club membership – is there a link”? I say yes.

As a chartered member of the Rotary Club of Seaford (chartered November 2016 - District 9520), with 21 members
- now grown to 31 members (January 2020), the club has pursued a strategy of taking Rotary to the community with
strong, consistent branding on all promotional material – club marque, pull up banners, table cloth, A frames,
newsletters, website and Facebook posts. All have adhered to the RI guidelines. With many community projects
undertaken in Seaford and surrounding communities, the locals are well aware that they have a Rotary Club in their
midst and are making a difference.

An opportunity was identified and is producing positive outcomes with gains in membership. Will you as
a Rotarian or Rotary Club follow the Rotary Club of Seaford re branding and contribute to building
Rotary’s profile and brand recognition in your community?

‘PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE’
RI President Mark Daniel Maloney, January 2020 Message
… “I have made balancing the demands of Rotary with professional and family commitments one of
my priorities as president. No Rotarian should feel pressured to put in more time than a volunteer
position should ever demand. This is true for several reasons, one of them being that the work we
do in our day jobs is just as important to Rotary as the work we do in the organization. We carry our
Rotary values everywhere, and our professional success helps build a case for Rotary every day we
go into the office.
This is particularly important in our efforts to reach younger new members. We want to see a Rotary where no one
is ever asked to choose between being a good Rotarian and being a good parent, business owner, manager, or
employee. When we ask busy young people to join us, we should not be asking them to give up their time and
freedom. We should be rewarding them with an experience that makes everything they already do even more
inspiring.
Providing greater balance within Rotary will have another benefit as well: It will create opportunities for other
Rotarians, including Rotaractors, to step up and take a leadership role on projects and committees. This will ensure
that they remain engaged in our clubs and inspired to be Rotarians for life.”

Rotary on the Move March 2020 Page 5