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Branding: What's in a Name?
Our thanks to Joyce Ross, Communications & Marketing Manager for Charlotte County, Florida for writing the following article about the experience she gained as she changed the name of her department to better reflect her mission and goals. Charlotte County, Florida - Communications & Marketing Department (We have a staff of four, and our population is 147,000.) When I first began as a media contact and special project coordinator for Charlotte County in 1995 my title was executive assistant to the County Administrator. As the need for communication grew I was allowed to establish a department to manage all of the programs I had developed as well as the other duties that I had inherited. At that time, I proposed numerous department names to the Administrator, who was a very conservative person. He rejected PIO (Public Information Office) as too "official", and most of the other designations I suggested as too "threatening". He did not want the public to think we were slanting the news that they received. He selected "Community Outreach" as a name that better described (in his opinion) what he wanted us to do, which was, reach out into the community. In just two years our services expanded to include all County communication issues (to employees as well as the public) marketing plans for each department, design and operation of the County website, and operation of the County's cable television channel. Our professional peers in NACIO, 3CMA and FGCA (Florida Government Communicators Association) recognized our work with 14 awards in the last two years. We quickly found that identifying ourselves as Community Outreach misled all of the customers we served, internally as well as externally. They thought of us as social workers or a complaint department. In January 2002, we had a new administrator that placed a greater emphasis on the importance of communication to achieve the County's goals. She correctly identified the essence of what our department did. We communicated the County's issues, programs and plans, not only to the public but to the employees; and, we marketed the County's programs and events which resulted in better service to our customers. In June, when I approached the Administrator about a new name for our department that would better convey to the staff and the public what we do, she readily agreed that "Communications & Marketing" was a more appropriate title. In the six months since the name change, there has been a noticeable difference in the way our department is perceived. We are treated as professionals and have become full partners in the management team. Our budget was increased and our work has been recognized as critical to achieving the County's goals. The Board of County Commissioners is currently searching for a new administrator, but we are confident that with our new name, he will come on board with a clear understanding of what our department does. We invite you to take a look at the County Joyce calls home by going to her Web site www.charlottecountyfl.com. Ronnie Goodstein, Director of the Pinellas County Dept. of Communications in Florida is seeking advise. Ronnie Writes: We're in the process of trying to re-name one of our departments and I was hoping some of you might have an idea or two to share. Here's the scenario... Historically the Pinellas County (FL) Park Department has operated an award winning passive park system. Over this past year or so we've moved into more active recreation. A few months ago we went through a reorganization. At this time, some departments were merged together. Today our Historical Museum (Heritage Village) and (Cooperative) So, listers. I'm looking for a few good ideas. What kinds of department names is your organization using? How creative can we all be on a Monday morning? All ideas are welcome and all help sincerely appreciated. Recreation Ronnie Responses: Brett Scott writes: For your purposes I think "Department of Community Services" works best. It's simple and to the point. No need getting fancy. We use that here in Kent County, Delaware. To which Marie Grabenbauer of Polk County, Iowa responded: Interesting. We have a department of Community, Family and Youth Services. It is a social services department.
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