A number of states are faced with a situation where they already have an established brand in place, but they would like to begin using the new national brand: CTE: Learning that works for America.
Replacing one brand with another takes great care, as audience members may feel some loyalty to the old brand. It is important that the process of phasing out the old brand and phasing in the new brand be well-communicated and well-planned.
North Carolina is one example of a state that has successfully replaced an existing branding campaign with the CTE: Learning that works for America campaign.
In the year before the new CTE: Learning that works for America branding campaign was announced, North Carolina had started using a new, student-created logo. North Carolina’s CTE staff explained that they liked the new national CTE logo better than the one the department was using – but the department had a sensitive set of circumstances to navigate, since the existing logo was created by a student.
Rather than issuing a new directive, the department decided to provide Local Education Agencies (LEAs) with a positive introduction to the new brand without dictating that LEAs use it.
The department leads by example, providing a strong example of how to use the new logo correctly. They only supply local educators with the new logo in the hopes that local educators will phase out their use of the old logo.
Examples
- North Carolina CTE Banner
- North Carolina CTE Poster
- North Carolina Conference Booklet Cover
- North Carolina Meeting Agenda Template
- North Carolina PowerPoint Presentation to Legislators
What can you do?
If your state is planning to phase out an existing brand and implement the CTE: Learning that works for America brand, communication is key. Communicate openly and often with state staff and local educators so that they understand the benefits of the branding change. Make sure they know the timeline for implementation, and provide them with clear directions for gaining access to the logos and other resources.
