YMCA gets new branding image

BRADENTON — The YMCA is introducing a new brand strategy.

The marketing move aims to create more public awareness of all the services the nonprofit organization offers, officials say.

“Our three goals: youth development, healthy living and social responsibility are all things that we’ve always done,” said Sean Allison, president and chief executive officer of the Manatee County YMCA. “But we haven’t always been real effective in describing that.”

The YMCA is generally known for its fitness centers and programs, but through a two-year study the organization found many were unaware the nonprofit offers social services such as tutoring, food and clothing drives, substance abuse interventions and volunteer opportunities.

Shawn Simmons, associate executive director for the Lakewood Ranch branch, has been placing orders for new name tags, stationery, staff shirts and signs that adorn new brightly-colored logos.

The four local YMCA branches, located in Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Braden River and Parrish, are some of the more than 2,600 YMCAs to unveil the new logo that features a lowercase ‘y’ in a variety of vibrant color combinations.

The nonprofit has traded in the capital black and red ‘Y’ and Sept. 18 will reveal a more modern font with four color schemes that include purple and red, blue and purple, turquoise and blue, and orange and turquoise.

“The colors are meant to reflect the vibrancy and diversity of the communities we serve,” Simmons said.

“This rebrand will help us communicate and better translate the work of “the Y” to people who are seeking service,” Allison said. “The rebranding isn’t changing the activities of the Y, it isn’t changing our mission or our purpose. What it is doing is throwing a lasso around the three main things that we do so that they can be interpreted more accurately and appreciated more.”

The Manatee County YMCA, which is still estimating the cost of replacing old logos, is at least the third local nonprofit organization this year to rebrand. The Suncoast Workforce Board and Jobs Etc. reintroduced itself as Suncoast Workforce in July. The regional workforce agency did the rebranding to emphasize that the organization helps employers and employees connect and to steer itself away from misperceptions that the non-profit was a temporary staffing agency.

And, 82 Degrees Tech, a technology association serving Manatee and Sarasota counties, aligned itself with Tampa Bay Technology Form in January in an effort to increase membership.

Anand Kumar, an associate marketing professor for the University of South Florida, says a clear explanation of products or services is key for nonprofits or businesses to be successful in a competitive economy, and often a new brand strategy is necessary to accomplish that.

“Part of your goal would be to have the new association in customers’ minds or carve out a new position in the market place and this is one of the ways in which you can do that,” Kumar said. “Sometimes rebranding can re-energize employees internally also about the company.”

The YMCA rebrand developed out of a two-year research project in which the organization not only studied the public’s knowledge of the organization but communities’ biggest issues. The study reported that 66 percent said the quality of life in their community is worse than a year ago, and 49 percent were not optimistic about improvement.

“People are concerned about the problems facing their communities,” said Neil Nicoll, president and chief executive officer of YMCA of the USA, in a news release.

“Like the Y, they understand that lasting change will only come about if we work together to improve our health, strengthen our families and support our neighbors.”