Corporate identity exercise for a transport organisation
A framework for developing the vision, mission, values and purpose of an organisation as an essential step towards recognition and success
A blue-skies discussion paper written by Green-Engage Communications in 2006 clarified the options open to a national environmental transport campaign body to revitalise itself and reassess the niche it could best occupy.
The paper drew on the findings of Painting the Town Green, and an illuminating report by Joe Saxton of nfpSynergy entitled Polishing the Diamond, to set out some of the alternatives regarding the sort of organisation the campaign body might already be seen as, both internally and externally (the two are often different), and the sort of organisation people might want it to be. This was an exercise in stimulating thought and discussion with a view to the organisation itself mapping out its most productive future.
Fundamentally, before a campaign body can win respect and influence, it must be clear internally on what might be called its raison d'etre: its vision, mission, beliefs, values, audiences, key messages and facilitating methods.
- Vision is the picture an organisation has of the future, should its work be completely successful.
- Mission is what it promises to do .
- Beliefs are core points of view that the organisation stands by .
- Values are the qualities it intends to display and the principles it intends to follow in all that it does.
- Audiences are the people or organisations that it aims to target or influence.
- Key messages are the main statements that support the organisation's cause and express what it is concerned about.
- Facilitating methods are the ways in which the organisation aims to get its messages across.
This exercise emphasised the importance of identification, especially visual aspects such as logo, the design of printed and electronic communications, and colours and typefaces used.
Crucial in the development of brand for an organisation is the choice of name.
An organisation's name should hint at what it does, why it does it and how it does it. The key word here is hint, since any name should be short enough to be punchy and cannot incorporate everything an organisation might wish to include. The best names imply dynamicism and are unique and unmistakable. Two key accompaniments to a name are a defining, memorable strapline that explains more fully what the organisation is about and a unique, eye-catching graphic illustration involving words and images that visually expresses this. The best logos incorporate both the name and the strapline with linking imagery.
In exploring possible roles for the environmental transport campaign body, Green-Engage Communications identified ten types of organisation it could develop into in terms of its primary role. Naturally, many organisations successfully adopt more than one role and often roles are not mutually exclusive. The options identified served to illustrate the general principles of identity, niche and ways of working.
They were:
1. Grassroots activist movement, focusing on bringing individuals together who want to make waves...
- Existing examples: Rising Tide, Earth First and Road Block.
- Possible name for organisation: Reclaiming Transport.
- Possible defining strapline: Fighting for justice on transport and the environment.
2. Pressure group, focusing on pro-active, perhaps confrontational, methods of achieving change...
- Existing example: Greenpeace.
- Possible name for organisation: Action on Transport.
- Possible defining strapline: Taking action for the sake of transport and the environment.
3. Campaign group, focusing on external, outside-track calls for change, for example by giving reaction and making calls for change through the media...
- Existing example: Friends of the Earth.
- Possible name for organisation: Transport Change.
- Possible defining strapline: Arguing for change on transport and the environment.
4. Lobbying organisation, focusing on internalised, inside-track calls for change, for example through private meetings with Ministers on a co-operative basis...
- Existing example: Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety.
- Possible name for organisation: Transport Consensus.
- Possible defining strapline: Seeking sensible policies on transport and the environment.
5. Commentator, focusing on giving opinion on transport issues/policy...
- Existing example: Christian Wolmar, rail expert and writer.
- Possible name for organisation: Transport Voice.
- Possible defining strapline: Speaking out on transport and the environment.
6. Coalition builder, focusing on facilitating alliances of more specialist organisations...
- Existing example: Green Alliance.
- Possible name for organisation: Transport Through Partnership.
- Possible defining strapline: Drawing people together on transport and the environment.
7. Chair of the debate, focusing on drawing together diverse positions and presenting a clear path, while adopting some degree of neutrality...
- Existing example: Prof David Begg, academic and former chair of Commission for Integrated Transport.
- Possible name for organisation: Transport Pathfinder.
- Possible defining strapline: Clarifying the options on transport and the environment.
8. Thinktank, focusing on coming up with innovative or blue-skies thinking...
- Existing example: Institute for Public Policy Research.
- Possible name for organisation: Transport Futures.
- Possible defining strapline: Providing bright ideas on transport and the environment.
9. Research body, focusing on commissioning neutral reports on issues/policy and disseminating the findings...
- Existing example: Transport Research Laboratory.
- Possible name for organisation: Transport Findings.
- Possible defining strapline: Finding the facts on transport and the environment.
10. Facilitator, focusing on providing help, advice or grant aid to others to put sustainable transport projects into practice...
- Existing example: Esmee Fairburn Foundation.
- Possible name for organisation: Transport Aid.
- Possible defining strapline: Helping transport and environment projects get off the ground.
This discussion paper has informed internal debate on the future direction of the organisation, including a possible name change.
NEXT: Advice on personal behaviours for a non-governmental organisation