DISCURSOS - Rotary International

Strengthening Rotary’s Brand
William B. Boyd
Past RI President
In 2006 and in 2010, Rotary conducted surveys that told us something that you and I probably
knew: Many people had never heard of Rotary, and of those who had, very few knew what
we did.
We spend large amounts of money on Public Relations Grants, yet our membership has not
grown and we have not attracted large donors to support our work. The RI Board recognized that
if we continued to do what we were doing, we would continue to get the same results, and it
decided to employ branding experts to help us develop the tools we need. After a rigorous selection
process, the Board contracted Siegel+Gale, an international consultancy, and formed a committee
of directors and trustees to work with them.
What is branding? Our brand explains simply and clearly who we are, what we do, and why it
matters. Unfortunately, we had allowed our wonderful Rotary brand to become complicated and
confused, and it was time to look for ways to strengthen it. This was not about reinvention or
creating a new brand but about bringing focus to it.
Siegel+Gale began the assignment by conducting wide-ranging research both inside and outside
Rotary, and this research brought out some clear directions for us to take. They learned that
Rotarians sometimes find it difficult to express who or what we are, and that we need to understand
ourselves before we can successfully educate the general public.
This independent review by outside consultants brought out some interesting viewpoints as well
as identifying what it is that makes us what we are. They found that we speak our own language
to one another, using words that are not used generally. For example, use the phrase “sergeantat-arms”
with strangers and you will find yourself in a lengthy discussion! And we use a different
language in our written materials. The style is stilted and formal.
We have too many mission statements, and Siegel+Gale identified well in excess of a hundred
logos, many of which have no obvious connection to Rotary. Our publications focus on the howto
rather than the why when most people today are much more interested in outcomes. While
we are proud of what we call our international service, we talk about it incessantly and miss out
on promoting other strengths.
Whenever Siegel+Gale talked to Rotarians, they found that the words “leaders” and “leadership”
always came into the conversation, yet they were missing from all our publicity materials.
The perception gap between internal and external audiences is huge.
As the consultants looked at the positives, they found many strengths that we take for granted.
We connect very well among our club members, among clubs, with our communities, and with
those who can help us in what we do.
We are an organization of responsible leaders, both socially and ethically. We gain strength from
our classification system, which brings so many vocations together. Our diversity of membership
is a plus because it helps us see and think differently from any other organization.
They found that Rotarians join clubs to make a positive impact in their communities and for
friendship, and they stay for the same reasons.
36 International Assembly Speeches 2013