Don't Rob Peter to Pay Paul

“Because we have a very active, grass roots membership, our brand development process included getting input and buy-in from our members and volunteers,” says Ed Goodell, executive director of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, a federation dedicated to building and maintaining marked hiking trails and protecting related open space in the bi-state region. “At times, what membership wanted differed from what the board and staff felt. The process, which was frustrating at times, forced us to have some serious conversations about what truly makes us unique and how we can communicate that more specifically. The goal was to differentiate ourselves from other organizations whose work may be related.”