Branding Yourself and Our IndustryChris Ziemski – Manager of Community Services Operations, City of Cambridge

Branding for Dollars!$$$

Branding...

“A name, term, sign, symbol, design, or any combination

thereof, identifying the goods and services of a seller” -Webster’s Dictionary

“When most people think of a brand, they visualize a slogan, a logo, campaign, a promise, or a product. A brand is much more. Your company’s brand is a powerful relationship fueled by a loyal belief system and knotted to the principle of providing exceptional value” - Karl Speak

Historically branding is strongly connected to the process of burning a mark on cattle for the purpose of determining ownership

It’s main purpose was to be sure you knew who owned which cattle

Even more so, it was a way to show who had the better grade cattle

The Italians were amongst the first to brand;

using watermarks in paper to determine the origin and ownership of a document

again this was a method of showing others what you do

Artists have used their name to mark their brand on paintings for centuries;

in that same light your personal signature is a form of brand

It’s an identifier!

So why worry about branding?

Park budgets have been tight for years and have even been reduced in many municipalities

Many areas have experienced rapid growth and development over the last 20 years

Woohoo! - Development charges brought about additional parks and various new amenities

However that growth did not come with the matching maintenance dollars

Today, most Parks departments still struggle to get proper funding for their operations

How did this happen?

To our own detriment we failed to prepare for this point in time

We had been operating and making do with what we had only because we didn’t have factual costing data available to those who needed it

How can you pursue additional funds if your request is limited to simple statistical data such as “ Our Park acreage has increased by 5%!”

What exactly does that mean in additional maintenance costs?

To most financial folk it means a 5% increase in grass cutting costs, because that is what they think we do!

However we know it’s more than that!In a 1000 acre park system a 5% increase in acreage could come with:

Perhaps 5 new play structures, 2 splash pads and one splash park, 2 picnic shelters, a pavilion, 48 picnic tables, 32 park benches, 2 ball diamonds and 2 natural turf soccer pitches (all with irrigation systems and field lighting), one artificial field with a field-house, bleachers and lighting, 3 additional public washroom buildings, 2/12 km. of asphalt and or stone dust trail, multiple shrub garden plantings, over 100 trees, 4 asphalt parking lots (2 with concrete curbing and 2 with curbstone blocks), 2 large storm water management ponds, oh yes and a few thousand feet of chain link fencing, perhaps 10 pathway gates, 120 various park signs on 120 channel bars, 8 formal park signs with entry features, 42 individual path and parking lot lamps with posts... etc...etc...etc...!

So you have....

In addition to....

It doesn’t get any better?

Well really it won’t get any better if we don’t start on a course to brand or even re-brand ourselves and our industry

For many years we have been improperly branded

We’ve know for some time that we’re more than that brand

So why have we not escaped that brand?

We are well overdue for a re-branding; so let’s get going

Four key components to branding

Your primary target customer or client

Your competition

Your product and service mix

Your unique selling proposition

Your primary target customer or client

Municipal parks have various customers tied to various user interests

This makes it very difficult to know your target

Local demographic surveys are beneficial but limiting

We need to determine our customers and their level of satisfaction

Direct on-site customer surveys

On-line surveys

User complaint files

Public meetings and forums

Frequency of use and bookings

Your competition

Our service is one that’s generally not provided by many others

However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t compare ourselves to other municipalities

The problem rests that past performance measures were very difficult to work with and we’re not all on an even playing field

OPA recognizes this, and through Yardsticks is offering you the ability to survey your users and compare the results of your strengths and weaknesses against other municipalities

For more information on the Yardsticks program, contact the association office or speak with Paul Ronan today

Your product and service mix

Once we have an understanding of what our customers’ views and needs are

We can determine a course of action

We can immediately address their complaint areas

We can provide what they want short term

We can budget and plan to provide for what is missing

We can direct our future plans

Master plans can be developed to meet future needs in a planned and responsible manner

“Products are made in a factory, but brands are created in the mind” - Walter Landor

Your unique selling points

Determine your strong points

The things that make you unique from others

“what makes you weird, makes you unique and therefore makes you stand out” - Dan Schwabel author, Me 2.0

Find the positive things you have become known for

Get staff input on what they think you are well known for

“The stronger the dialogue, the stronger the brand; the weaker the dialogue, the weaker the brand” - Larry Webber

“In a competitive world, organizations are realizing that only people can brand products or services effectively – that we are not just selling a branded product but a mass of branded people who support and deliver it” - Helena Rubinstein, The Lab

So the perception of parks is?

How we are perceived or understood has an affect on us

We have a label

Somewhat of a stereo-type

So how are we perceived by our own operations?

As mere grass cutters

Gardeners

Litter pickers

We need to change that message!

Make it a priority!

Micro-brand...from the inside out

Does your department have a professional acceptance internally in your organization?

Do you highlight what you do internally?

in your corporate newsletter

in upper level meetings

during staff gatherings

Do you promote your strengths?

Rewarding and profiling staff

Publishing special interest stories in local media

Do you pro-actively address your weaknesses?

a negative is always remembered longer than a positive

You know what it takes to do your work!

Turf knowledge and an IPM program

Horticulture and crop management

Aboriculture and Forest management

Water Course and Storm Water management

Risk Management

HVAC and Building systems knowledge

Electrical safety and lighting systems knowledge

Still more...

Irrigation and Water Park systems knowledge

CSA and Playground certification – knowledge and expertise

Trail maintenance skills and knowledge

A full understanding of the various sporting rules, regulations and field lining requirements of your facilities

Special event planning and management ability

Waste management and litter control

Pest and Bird Control

....and more!

Road maintenance and repair

Snow clearing and ice control knowledge

General construction, soil, drainage and erosion control

Equipment purchasing, maintenance and operation

General landscape maintenance practices

People management, staff training and development

Computer skills and strong computer systems knowledge

Scheduling and strong prioritization skills

And the list goes on....

recognizes this...

All through its Best Practices Manual

a one stop point of reference to all of what we do in parks and how to do it

On sale now and available here today!

You know what you do and what you need to do!

But the real question is do others know what you do?

Do your citizens fully understand all of your responsibilities?

Simple call center statistics should tell you whether they know who to call and for what

Do your politicians understand everything you have to do and why?

Do they fully know the scope of your work?

If you’re not sure if they do, have them out for a tour or coffee walk

Be sure all work procedures and processes are documented for their perusal

Do your employees know of all their responsibilities?

Are you providing enough communication?

Do you have (SOP’s) - Standard Operating Procedures?

Is training in the forefront of your staff development?

OPA knows how important training is

Offering you a variety of training to meet your needs

Do others understand the costs associated in providing and maintaining your parks system?

Are annual budgets shared with work staff and the public?

Are specific costs mentioned in media stories (for example when a special clean up takes place, or a new play structure is installed)

...now where is the Green in all this?

Everything we do is truly about environmental stewardship

We manage mini eco-systems for the benefit of a macro ecology – our environment, our community

We keep the environment healthy!

We provide safe, clean, sustainable green spaces

for active recreation

for passive recreation

for relaxation and peace of mind

for nature to call home

We clean the air and provide oxygen

We filter the water and prevent flooding

We moderate temperatures, by shading people and buildings

We stabilize the soil, and prevent erosion

We provide food for birds, fish, and wildlife

We protect and regenerate what man has damaged

We manage and protect the “Living Green Infrastructure” that keeps us alive!

GET THIS MESSAGE OUT THERE!

That is what the OPA brand is about!

Macro-brand, step it up a notch!

The OPA recognizes your struggle for funding

In working to brand our industry, they have partnered with various parties for the common good; enlightening the world to the real needs of our Living Green Infrastructure

So you are proud of what you do!

Do you show it?

You need to show it, but how?

Do you have open houses?

Showing others what you do allows for a broader understanding of your operations

How about greenhouse or garden tours

Very simple to do, informative, and well received by the public

Open an interactive parks photo gallery on your website?

Allowing park users to submit parks and nature photos

Hold training sessions for high schools

Teaching phys-ed classes how to paint and line their fields

Reach out...

Embrace school co-op programs allowing youth to learn your trade

Update staff uniform styles and or colours

Modernize and speed up your public communications

Develop strong media ties

Connect with your media relations office

Tweet current info – field closures

Give rewards to users

For a stoop and scooper or someone who picks up some litter

Show them you care and appreciate them

Equipment demonstrations and tours

Hold guided trail hikes and tours

Engaging volunteers to assist in promoting your trail systems

Provision of trail maps with GPS co-ordinates

Special event placement

Hold special events in different locations to bring greater exposure to your properties

Work strongly with your recreation people

Their work will promote your purpose far more than you think

These methods help enhance your brand in the simplest ways

Whether it be your own skills or your staff’s, any training or growth is beneficial

Raise the bar in the quality of yourself and your staff

Provide the intellectual tools to make your parks even better

Bring new pride to what all of you do

Share your new knowledge and skills with everyone

Every new improvement we make affects our brand

“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well. – Jeff Bezos

Why is all this so important?

Without a formal understanding of your purpose, how can anyone even consider funding you appropriately?

You alone cannot brand your industry

so you will need to make it a work in progress

with variable input from all

Connect yourself to a similar larger brand for strength

as you are right now with today’s sessions and with the OPA

To get the $$$ rolling...

Get a handle on the financial value and life cycle of your assets

Start an asset management program, It’s a must!

Determine what it will truly cost to maintain all of what you’ve identified in your AMP

Get that information out to those in charge of making the final financial decisions on your behalf

Start the branding ball rolling this year

Get organized for the task of branding

Your parks and the environment are counting on you!

Brand yourself now for Dollars tomorrow!

Bring all the pieces together and get branding for your dollars!