GSAE Rebranding : Logo Creative Brief

Who is the Georgia Society of Association Executives (GSAE)?

GSAE is the state's only professional association for the executives of nonprofit organizations representing business, industrial, professional and community services groups with a combined economic impact in Georgia totaling more than $35 million. GSAE was founded in 1917 as “The Secretaries Club of Atlanta.” Following a national trend, the organization became known as GSAE in 1960.

GSAE offers access to a unique community toconnect with and learn from association peers, knowledgeable partners and other resources.Our members lead the association community in professionalism, expertise and innovations in association management. GSAE’s three- to five-year vision is that all GSAE members feel a true sense of belonging and engage with the association and with each other in ways that are meaningful to them. When asked, they can articulate to others the value of their GSAE involvement both in terms of personal and professional benefits.

What is the purpose of the rebranding?

GSAE is in need of a facelift. We have been using a dated logo that does not accurately convey the spirit of GSAE and does not include a tagline that can help explain what GSAE “is,” but also what it can deliver to members in order to create ROI for membership.

A branding task force was appointed in 2007 and over the past three yearsthe group has undertaken a variety of research initiatives to ensure that a) the organization’s name was understood and not perceived to be exclusionary, b) the organization understood what members want from and/or appreciate about their GSAE membership, and c) this data about brand attributes was used to create a tagline to better articulate the value of GSAE.

  1. Brand Position: The best place for Georgia-based association professionals and suppliers to form meaningful connections with peers.
  2. Brand Promise: GSAE’s supportive community and excellent resources help members at all levels maximize their potential.
  3. Tagline: Connecting Leaders. Advancing Associations.
  4. Brand Personality: Supportive. Trustworthy. Warm. Fun. Connected. Caring. Knowledgeable. Inclusive. Open. Welcoming. Professional. Engaged. Valuable. Helpful. Successful. Committed.
  5. Brand Strategy: Position GSAE membership and active participation as a “must-have” for any association professional or supplier interested in an exceptional career experience. Because the deepest member connections are rooted in emotional values such as being a member of a supportive community, having a safe place to turn for answers and the ability to make a strong impact, sharing success stories will be essential in encouraging greater involvement and attracting new members.

The goal of the rebranding and redesign is to develop a refreshed look that integrates the new tagline in such a way that will help position GSAE as the “go-to” resource for nonprofit executives at all levels and supplier members.

What does the rebranding entail?

  1. Brand Overhaul – The organization needs a new look and feel, one that will represent the passion and heart that exists among the current board and active members. The look should be clean, sophisticated and modern, but friendly. This “overhaul” includes a new logo and establishing brand colors* and fonts. (*Note that the GSAE Website at was recently redesigned and incorporates blue, green and orange colors.)
  2. Collateral –
  3. Letterhead
  4. Envelopes
  5. Mailing labels
  6. Note cards
  7. Brochure (for membership recruitment purposes)
  8. Postcard(s) (for membership recruitment purposes)
  9. Newsletter template ideas

Who are we talking to?

Members who work for an association or charitable/philanthropic nonprofit in Georgia. These members see themselves as association/organizational professionals – not just a communications or meetings professional who happens to work for a nonprofit. GSAE’s membership in this area ranges from 350 to 375 individuals.

Corporate suppliers who are representatives of companies who do business with the association and nonprofit community in Georgia. Companies include hotels, resorts, financial services (accountant firms, banks, investment firms), Web site and database providers, attorneys, etc. Currently, there are 270 companies who fit this membership category.

Potential members from both groups (we estimate we have 45-50% market penetration of eligible association members in Georgia).

Secondary audiences include the volunteer board of directors of any association/nonprofit in Georgia, members of the media, state and federal legislators, and college students interested in or pursuing a degree in a related field at a four-year college in Georgia.

What do we want to think/feel/act?

Think

GSAE is the go-to place for nonprofit/association executives and the supplier community.

Feel/act

Feel compelled to learn more about the organization, to join and to get involved.

What competitive organizations are these audiences receiving communications from?

Locally: The GeorgiaCenter for Nonprofits, Meeting Professionals International (Georgia Chapter), other specialty professional chapters, such as Public Relations Society of America, Georgia.

Nationally: American Society of Association Executives & The Center for Association Leadership, Meeting Professionals International, BoardSource, as well as for profit corporations offering education and resources (Boston Conference, etc).

Logo personality:

Professional, welcoming, inspirational, confident, helpful, caring, impactful.

Deliverables:

1) Two logo versions (with tagline and without); color, black and white, and reversed out (only white); .eps and .jpg formats.

2) Collateral designs as listed above.

Timeline:

  1. RFP responses due by Monday, February 22, 2010.
  2. Final vendor will be selected by March 18. Presentation may be requested March 17th at 2:00 pm at The Gwinnett Center.

Response should include:

  1. 3-4 scanned images representative of work(samples).
  2. Timeline of work with an estimated start date of March 18, 2010.
  3. Project references including primary contact(s).
  4. Estimated cost of project.
  5. Response that demonstrates firm’s background and experience in logo retreatments and/orbranding campaigns.

Please send response to GSAE’s chief staff officer:

Wendy Kavanagh, CAE

President

(404) 577-7850 office

(770) 601-0171 mobile

Note: In an effort to ensure objectivity in the selection process, GSAE staff will remove any references to company name and assign a number to each bid submission considered by our branding task force. It would be very helpful to receive duplicate sample images that do not contain your company name or logo.

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