DISCURSOS - Rotary International

The research showed that
• Rotary has the strengths necessary to succeed.
• Audiences want what Rotary offers; we just need to help them understand what we do.
• There is a strong desire by Rotarians for change within Rotary; 60 percent of us say the
rate of change is too slow.
The challenges are not simply communication issues. What we are looking for, and what we
need, are clarity of purpose, a new filter for decision making, a motivator for current members
and staff, and more efficient communications. For non-Rotarians, we are looking to provide recognition
of what we do; differentiation from our peers; the recruitment of members, donors, and
volunteers; engagement with our communities; and appeal to strategic partners.
The new gold standard for an organization like ours is a clear focus, accountability, and proven
impact. We can do all of this.
Siegel+Gale looked at where we are positioned and realized that if we promote ourselves as a
service organization, we are similar to Lions Clubs International and Kiwanis International. If we
see ourselves as a humanitarian organization, we compete with what are believed to be over 2
million humanitarian organizations around the world. But we are more than a service organization
or a humanitarian organization.
We are in a category of one.
We see things differently. Because of the way we build our membership, we have a multidisciplinary
perspective that allows us to see challenges and opportunities in ways that others can’t.
We use our vocational skills for service to humanity.
We act differently. We are responsible leaders in our businesses, professions, and communities,
and this means that we apply best-in-business thinking to social issues.
We have passion and perseverance. Siegel+Gale tell us that whenever they talk to Rotarians,
the passion shines through, yet the way we communicate to others has meant that this passion
is not seen. For an example of perseverance we need only to consider our battle against polio.
We established our partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1985, and we have almost achieved our goal.
We remain as committed as ever to finishing the task.
We make a global impact one community at a time. While we often talk about international and
community service, in fact we impact communities on a global scale, and this also makes us
unique.
Over the past few weeks, we have tested words and phrases and concepts on non-Rotarians in
order to identify what appeals. We have been working through how we organize and present ourselves
so that our message is clear. We have been developing a consistent visual image that we
can use, while recognizing that Rotary presents many opportunities for creativity.
We have done this while recognizing that we have many cultures within Rotary and that our
branding needs to respect all of these.
We have talked to other not-for-profits that have been through branding programs, such as the
YMCA, the American Red Cross, CARE International, and Heifer International, and they have told
us that the results have been “transformative.” Heifer International told us that it has lifted itself
from being almost bankrupt and with zero name recognition to being named last year as one of
the top 10 most trusted charities. Heifer told us that this was not all through branding but that it
could not have achieved the results without the branding initiative.
International Assembly Speeches 2013 37