We are certainly in unchartered waters as the Rotary world comes to grip with the affect that Coronavirus is having on our Clubs and our activities.In line with the lock downs being imposed by Federal and State Governments in an attempt to slow the spread of the deadly virus Clubs have either suspended their meetings for the time being or opted to communicate via electronic means such as Zoom, Skype and Go-To Meetings. Regular events and service projects have been put on hold or cancelled which means the Club’s visibility in the community is diminished. This, in turn, is impacting on our Public Image.
Social media provides an ideal way to keep the club at the forefront. Now, when members are less engaged in service and fundraising projects, is an ideal time to concentrate on ensuring our social media presence is maximised. Not only is social media an ideal tool to keep in touch with club members and keep them engaged, it is also an important way to let the community know of the projects and programs your Club is involved in. Assistant Public Image Coordinator, Evan Burrell’s column on Page 4 gives some examples of the type of things you can cover in your posts to achieve this.
Now is also a good time to check our compliance with Rotary International’s visual branding standards and make any necessary adjustments. Are you using the correct logo on your website and Facebook pages? Is your logo personalised with your club or district details? Are all old RI themes removed from your website? Is your website current? My research indicates that almost half the clubs in Australia are not compliant with the standards required. So, there’s still work to be done! If you are not sure what logo to use or need assistance in developing a new one, my team and I are very happy to help.
An important component of Public Image is consistency and clarity of our message. One way to achieve this is to ensure we always use the correct branding.