Meet Some of Our Brand Champions!

Have you ever poured your heart and soul into creating a stellar Rotary event or campaign, only to discover a pesky branding hiccup along the way? Fear not, fellow Rotarians! This blog post celebrates our incredible Brand Champions – clubs and districts who proactively leverage the Zones 33/34 Public Image Team’s Brand Design Review Tool.

This online resource empowers Rotarians and Rotaractors to upload club and district graphics for expert feedback from our brand coaches. Whether you’re hosting an event, crafting social media content, or printing materials, ensuring brand compliance is key. Why? Because it saves valuable time and resources, and prevents costly reprints due to brand guideline mishaps.

Now, let’s shine a spotlight on some amazing Brand Champions who embraced the power of brand consistency!

Rotary Club of Dr. Phillips launched a groundbreaking initiative called “Rotary on the Moon.” From their website, to a proclamation, press releases and more, their program was gaining traction around the world. Unfortunately, the project name “Rotary on the Moon” implies that this is a Rotary (International) initiative since there wasn’t a club name attached to it. RPIC Susan contacted the project chairman, Dave van de Velde, and they talked through how the name could be changed without causing the project to lose momentum. Dave and his team decided on “Peace on Earth Your Club on the Moon.” They quickly rebranded and the program continues to soar, showcasing the transformative power of a single idea nurtured by the Rotary community. One of the great things about this program is that ANY club can participate at no cost. If you want a picture of your club on the moon, simply send a picture of your members to YourClubOnTheMoon@gmail.com. Hurry before the rocket launches!

Rotary Districts 7610 and 7620 sought feedback on their district conference sponsorship flyer so they reached out to RPIC Billi Black. While the design was visually appealing and incorporated Rotary’s signature colors and typography, the logo placement required some tweaking. Billi offered the following suggestions:

1. Use the theme in a lockup format with the district logo.
   Note: the Presidential theme should only be used for internal audiences (Rotarians/Rotaractors), not for external communications that will be targeting any non-Rotarians. Learn more about using the theme correctly in the theme guidelines.
   
2. District may use the logo template in the Brand Center to create their district logo in various formats. When multiple districts are hosting an event, they are allowed to put both districts in the signature line as indicated on the original flyer. While the logo was band compliant, Billi offered additional help to condense the size of the text in the signature line:
   • Don’t use all caps
   • Use the “&” symbol
   • Break the districts up into 2 lines.

Rotary Club of Cincinnati showcased their brand savvy by correctly creating and downloading their club logo from the Brand Center, and incorporating Rotary’s color palette and typography into a promotional event graphic. However, ARPIC Amanda noticed one detail which required attention. The Mark of Excellence (MoE) shouldn’t be isolated or manipulated, as this weakens the brand’s integrity. A simple solution? She recommended they utilized the coffee foam and design another engaging graphic that doesn’t include the MoE.

Rotary District 7620 requested an evaluation for a district-designed shirt. ARPIC Sean offered several suggestions:

1. Instead of using a halo effect behind the People of Action logo, consider generating the logo using all white as the color selection so that it shows up on the dark shirt. Remember, Rotary logos downloaded from the brand center should not be manipulated in any way.
2. Use the lockup logo template to create the district logo in a lockup format with the People of Action logo. This will make both logos prominent.

Rotary Club of Metro Bethesda submitted a flyer for an event titled “Rotary Red Line Happy Hour” and requested the Zones 33/34 Public Image Team review it and advise on anything that does not meet Rotary’s brand guidelines. ARPIC Sean offered several suggestions:

1. The event name “Rotary Red Link Happy Hour” indicates that Rotary (International) is the host, so the club was offered two options:
   a. Revise the event title to include the specific club or district: Rotary Club of Metro Bethesda Red Line Happy Hour
   b. Remove “Rotary” from the title and identify the specific club as the host: Red Line Happy Hour, hosted by the Rotary Club of Metro Bethesda.
2. The Mark of Excellence (MoE), commonly referred to as the Rotary wheel, should not be cropped or distorted in any way as it is in the corner of the flyer. Additionally, the MoE is the secondary logo and should only be used on it’s own when the club or district logo, which is the primary logo, is located somewhere in the vicinity.

As Rotarians and Rotaractors, we take pride in presenting our best to the world, and that includes maintaining the integrity of the Rotary brand. The examples above demonstrate the value of collaboration and attention to detail in creating impactful, brand-compliant materials. By leveraging the expertise of the Zones 33/34 Public Image Teams and tools like the Brand Design Review, we ensure our efforts not only align with Rotary’s guidelines but also amplify the stories and initiatives that make a difference. Together, let’s continue to lead with excellence, inspire through action, and champion the Rotary brand with pride.