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(January 11, 2001) NAIA Introduces New Logo and Branding Initiative TULSA, OK (January 11, 2001) On the heels of the launch of its new Champions of Character program which emphasizes character development and sportsmanship, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has unveiled its new logo and branding initiative, both of which reverberate the character theme. The new NAIA logo borrows traditional elements from the previous logo, but inspires a bold new look. The letters "NAIA" still dominate the logo, but a new font has been created. Along with new bold red and blue colors, the shape of the logo has been updated. The new "bridge" shape resembles the side view of a viaduct and symbolizes the NAIA's role as a conduit for collegians as they obtain an education and develop character while maturing throughout their college careers. This is the first major redesign of the NAIA logo since 1952. The logo had remained basically intact since the organization changed its name from the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball. A map of the United States was the background for the logo until it was dropped in 1986, and the logo underwent a subtle alteration in 1991 when the curves on both its left and right sides were rounded out. Under the tagline "The Right Game for Life", the NAIA branding initiative will emphasize the NAIA's long-standing mission to promote the education and development of students through participation in intercollegiate athletics. Essentially, the brand is character. To support the branding initiative, the NAIA is rolling out a national marketing campaign. The NAIA's 2000 campaign features college athletes competing for the love of sport with the slogan "Athletic talent may be a gift, but character has to be developed." Implementation of the campaign is being conducted through the dissemination of marketing kits to every NAIA member school. The materials provide co-branding opportunities for NAIA colleges, universities and sponsors with a series of posters, banners, logo identity system and The Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete, a brochure created to assist high school students in making the transition to college. The NAIA and the Silverman Group, a brand development firm based in New Haven, Conn., created this image enhancement program to generate greater awareness of the NAIA and its 328 colleges and universities. "The Silverman Group was attuned to what we wanted to achieve, and brought the program to fruition with an incredible amount of creativity and know-how," NAIA Director of Marketing Chris Pound says. "The Silverman Group has had a great impact on a number of other sports organizations and many NAIA member institutions in developing logos and brand campaigns. We knew Silverman would bring the same expertise to our project." -To support the brand and tagline, additional statements are incorporated into the program to highlight the determination of student-athletes including "We Reach", "We Drive", "We Achieve", and "We Excel." It is reinforced with two additional statements that explain the role of the NAIA and sports in creating a well-rounded individual. "Life is a journey. The NAIA prepares you for it." is a phrase that shows student-athletes that the NAIA is focused on their growth as individuals. "Education is the Foundation. Athletics is the Trainer. Character is the Equipment." illustrates the balance between academics and sports in the NAIA as well as the byproduct, character development. An NAIA student-athlete is equipped with a strong value system which they will utilize with their families, in their careers and in their communities after graduation. In October, the NAIA unveiled its Champions of Character program to create an environment in which every NAIA student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five tenets: respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership and sportsmanship. While the NAIA and its member institutions have utilized sport as a character development tool on an informal basis, this program will educate and promote the positive character-building traits afforded by sports and return integrity to competition. Champions of Character aspires to several ambitious objectives. The program will encourage all NAIA institutions to champion character development in all their sports programs. It will establish character development expectations and develop standards of accountability for everyone associated with NAIA sports. It will create community outreach programs and bring national attention to the importance of character in sport. Champions of Character and the new NAIA brand will have a reciprocal effect on each other in this cohesive program that carries the character message and backs it up with action. "For many years, the NAIA's image was somewhat nebulous and dictated by the viewpoint of consumers and outside parties," says NAIA President and CEO Steve Baker. "This is the first concerted effort the organization has made at image enhancement despite the fact that the best positioning strategy was always inherent within the Association. Character is what we're about. Emphasizing character and returning it to a place of importance in sport and society is the right thing to do. There is a marketing strategy at work in the brand and logo, but building the entire program around character speaks more about the people involved in our Association and our resolve to return values to the sports world that have been missing at all levels of sport and society." -NAIA- The new NAIA logo can be viewed at the top of this release and on the NAIA website, www.naia.org. Founded as a small-college basketball tournament in 1937, the NAIA is a leader in the world of intercollegiate
athletics. The NAIA was the first intercollegiate organization to offer athletic opportunities to all student-athletes,
regardless of race or ethnic background, and the first intercollegiate organization to conduct championships for both men and women. The NAIA currently offers 23 separate championships in 13 sports, and has 328 colleges
and universities in 44 states and three Canadian provinces as member institutions. |
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