In 2012, the former National Nursing Staff Development Organization reemerged as the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD). As the term "staff development" was overly broad and not descriptive of members' roles and responsibilities in this nursing specialty, the Board and membership voted for the name change. Not only was the new name accepted but the organization's membership also increased as nurses in professional development could identify more readily with the new name. This change in identity also necessitated an entire rebranding of the organization. A brand is defined as "a public image, reputation, or identity conceived of as something to be marketed or promoted" (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
For 10 years, the original ANPD brand has served us well. Membership has doubled since 2012, and our name and brand have become synonymous with high-quality educational programming. ANPD recently surveyed the members to see if the name still resonated with our nursing specialty, and we found that the name is still descriptive of the specialty. It was determined, however, that it was time to update branding so that it reflected our growth while keeping our identity strong. A brand refresh is one method companies and organizations can use to address strategic and environmental changes (Waltzman et al., 2020; Zhang, 2021).
In 2021, ANPD convened a task force made up of key stakeholders, including ANPD Board members and committee chairs, to oversee the rebranding process. Engaging stakeholders and participants in the brand is an important step to ensure brand changes reflect both the current and future state of the organization and will resonate with the constituents (Waltzman et al., 2020; Zhang, 2021).
In the first phase of the brand refresh, labeled as "brand discovery," the plan was to modernize the logo to ensure brand awareness and equity. The task force explored the organization's mission, vision and values, as well as the strategic plan to define the "meaning" behind ANPD's brand. From those discussions, the marketing team made recommendations to enhance brand elements, which included the use of the "A" supporting nursing professional development (NPD), font, a more modern color palette, and an intentionally inclusive iconography and other imagery. In this phase, the plan was not only to change the ANPD's look on the website but also update all branded items, including business cards, letterheads, templates, and marketing materials.
In Phase 2, the website was redesigned. All corporate assets such as promotional banners, social media graphics, flyers, and supporting infographics were redesigned or updated. A new content hub was created to visually identify this change on the ANPD website (including TrendLines and NPD News content). For the 2022 annual convention, a new visual identity and subbrand were created. Lastly, a new visual identitiy for NPD week, a celebratory week that occurs every year in September, was created.
The final phase focused on education products and prograrmming identity. All other areas not identified in the first two phases were updated to the new branding standards. The marketing team provides a new look and design for banners, website graphics, and infographics related to the following programs:
1. NPD certification preparation program,
2. online education,
3. recorded and live webinars,
4. future printed publications such as text books, and
5. leadership academy and evidence-based practice academy.
The updated ANPD brand is the result of the commitment and direct involvement of our stakeholders and reflects the vision of our organization. The new look is not vastly different, but more current and streamlined. We have received wonderful comments from our members! ANPD will continue to phase in updated branding as we update products and services. We are confident that our new look reflects our engaged member base and will serve us well into our future.
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