Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2016 - 20

Better Business

Change Can Be Good


Lesson #3: Recognize and accept the emotion

that comes with a visual branding change. A
logo is supposed to evoke strong emotions in
the target audience, so it will absolutely evoke
a strong emotion in your leadership and employees. Stay focused on the business case. "I
don't like X color" can be addressed in terms of
how the data informs the objectives. Of course,
it helps to build trust in your marketing teams
with your leadership long before you contemplate a logo change. Proactively communicate
their business-driven KPIs on a regular basis
before embarking on a visual branding change.

Lesson #4: Plan for the logistics of the rollout by
generating excitement and a desire across your
organization to get on board. It is one thing to
say: This is our brand. It is another to get the
new brand actively through the pipeline in an
industry as varied as ours.

Five things I learned as a CEO leading a
visual rebranding transformation

AT KBIS THIS YEAR, THE NATIONAL KITCHEN + BATH ASSOCIATION
(NKBA) unveiled a new visual brand identity that was the result of three years

of evaluation and planning - and seven months of research and development.
It was both intense and exhilarating.
Logos evoke strong emotions across all stakeholders, from our Board of
Directors to our employees to our members (e.g. our customers). To put it
another way, it is the one area of your business where everyone has an opinion.
As a leader, I found it important to manage input thoughtfully and respectfully, while assuring that my marketing team had the space and time to do
their jobs effectively. Here are the five lessons I would like to share with you
from our experience:

Lesson #1: Know when it's time to take on a visual rebranding project. It is

not something to do on a whim or when a new CMO or agency partner
comes on board and wants to make a mark. This is a data-driven decision.
Lesson #2: To make a data-driven decision, you need data. Our marketing
team led qualitative and quantitative research to understand the current
perception of our brand across varying types of NKBA members at varying
stages of their careers.The research confirmed our brand positives, such as
our Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), our design certifications and
our unmatched ability to train for excellence in kitchen and bath design.
We learned that the NKBA is best known for our designer-focused
benefits and not as well known as a resource for research and information
to benefit all member segments.We were not terribly surprised to learn that
like many trade associations in today's world, we needed to battle against
the perception of being a dated resource and communicate the value of a
high-performance organization serving the industry.
We also learned that the disconnected visual branding across our
platforms, such as KBIS and 30 Under 30, was working against us. The
goal became crystal clear: Create a unified brand identity to unite all these
advantages of NKBA under one modern and contemporary look that will
help our members and chapters stand out.


Lesson #5: Stay focused on your brand, not just

the logo. Your logo is not your brand; it is the
visual manifestation of your brand. Your brand
is what your stakeholders experience and feel
when they interact with your company. It is every touch point, from a visit to your showroom
to a customer service call. It is not just about
how your KBIS booth looks, but the experience
when someone steps inside. It is every email,
every employee encounter, every website visit
and every post on social media.

BY BILL DARCY,
NKBA CEO

Our NKBA rebranding journey has been about
changing the perception of what a trade association can do to improve all kitchen and bath
businesses. It started with changes to the way we
govern ourselves as a not-for-profit and continues
as we improve our digital communications tools.
We are thrilled with our new visual branding, and
I wish you the best when it is your turn to take
this journey.
PS: I'm on Twitter, where I invite you to join me
in a conversation about visual branding. Contact
me at @NKBA_CEO.


Kitchen & Bath Business / MAY-JUNE 2016 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

http://www.KBBONLINE.COM http://www.KBIS.com

Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2016