Dear Guest,
I’ve said it before: seeing is believing. Sometimes though, it’s hard to believe what we see.
And it’s even harder to un-see some things.
This week, Women’s Network Australia was in the national spotlight – not for what we’d done, but for some unfortunate symbolism by the Department of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. If you haven’t seen it yet, take a read of the ABC’s online report, noting that the PM’s Department removed the offending image tout suite after it went viral on social media.
In short, the PM’s Department (not the PM) rebranded its Women’s Network to achieve a “consistent look and feel” with a number of other internal groups. Its Women’s Network, it said, promoted “gender equality and supports members to succeed in their personal professional lives”. However, the accompanying phallic logo drew such ridicule and ire on social media that the Federal Government, and particularly the PM, were in the spotlight over their “stance on women”.
Once seen, it was impossible to view the rebranded logo as anything other than a visual and PR disaster.
WNA was drawn in to the debate due to the similarities in the name, and some initial confusion among the community as to the source of the brand. The good news for WNA was that not only were we able to quickly clarify via social media that it was NOT our logo, but we were also able, through media interviews, to bring the issue back to the main game – gender equity. Overall, it was a very positive outcome for us (our web traffic is up more than 300%!).
What are the lessons for other business owners out of this?
Your logo is a powerful symbol that represents your brand. It should be unique, representative of your business and create a positive connection with your customers. Does your brand do this? (Note: if it’s an image clipped from the internet, you’d better go back to the drawing board.)
Symbols, shapes, typography and colour have meaning. Select elements that represent the values of your business and that consumers will understand at a glance.
Your brand and your logo are a major asset for your business. Invest wisely and protect your investment. Read about the five ways you can lose money by not protecting your brand, and why you should protect your brand in blogs written by two of our WNA trade mark experts. And reach out to them if you need help. You can also search the trade mark register for names, brands and other unique elements to ensure you’re not accidentally infringing someone else’s intellectual property.
This week’s WNA Virtual Business Insights webinar delved into other visual aspects that help deliver success. Product storytelling photographer Debi Brett provided valuable tips and techniques to capture Insta-worthy images, while Mindset Coach Sue Lester addressed one of the biggest road blocks to achieving our vision – ourselves! We’ll be sharing further insights from this webinar via our social media platforms and the WNA Blog. Or drop us an email if you’d like the recorded version.
Keep reading for information on events and local information. Is there something you’d like to share, or a topic you’d like to read more about? Drop us an email, or pop a post on the WNA Facebook Group.
With courage and hope,
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