Public Relations

By Joel Harris

Happy New Year Fellow Kiwanians.
To say that 2020 was a tough year would be an understatement, but we continued to creatively care for others and while we did that captured many of those moments in pictures. I am pleased to see the increased use of our brand identification in the pictures. This is so important because this is how non-Kiwanians see what we do and identify our logo to our actions. Our image matters, because it reflects to the public who we are, what we stand for, what we're made of and even what we do.
Back in 2016 to find out what people outside of Kiwanis thought about us, a perception study was done by a third-party research group. The study was scientifically conducted and statistically valid. The researchers surveyed thousands of people who did not belong to a service club. They did not know they were being surveyed about Kiwanis, and other service organizations were used to help make comparisons along with mentions of Kiwanis. Here are a few key findings:

• 28 percent had heard of Kiwanis, but only 12% could correctly identify our mission
• 67 percent of those who had heard about Kiwanis had a very or somewhat favorable opinion of Kiwanis
• Only 9 percent said they would be very or somewhat likely to join Kiwanis. That's the number we really needed to work on.

The Kiwanis brand is all the things that define how people see us. It is the impact we have on communities around the world, and the emotion our words and actions instill in them. While much of our brand is defined by public and media perception, the visual brand is wholly within our control. The brand book, which is downloadable from the Kiwanis International site, is designed to help you consistently and effectively bring the Kiwanis brand to life across various communications.
I know that many of you have been to one of my forums on branding at mid-winter or district convention. I always start the same way. With a Starbucks logo on the screen, I ask what you see. The correct answer is a steaming cup of delicious coffee. We want people to see the "K" and match it to a playground being built by Kiwanians, a group of Kiwanians serving in a service project or children being helped by us around the world. Of course, the ultimate goal here is for someone to see that "K" and want to be a part of our organization when they see all the good things we do.
The message is not, "join Kiwanis because we do good things for kids." It's more direct: Kids need us. They need you. That is a worthwhile endeavor to want to join!
I am here to help you with your campaigns. Please use me as a resource. Reach out to me if your uncertain about a social media posting, or correct use of our logos or designs. I am available to attend your club or division meetings (currently virtually) where I can share branding techniques and any photographic questions you may have.

Column Posted on Web Site January 13, 2021

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