CRT Logo - comments

[Boater Sam]

Scuttlebutt around here is that there was £60,000 in the budget for rebranding.

Now if this is to pay for all the uniforms, signs, vehicle sign writing, paperwork, forms, computer update, etc. its a remarkable bit of expenditure control.

Does a charity have to have someone who benefits?

[dmr]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

Has anyone got a decent graphic of the old BW 'wave' logo?  Google brings up lots of versions of the bullrushes and swan, and even a few of the original blue and gold life belt logo, but not the the wave.

You mean the BWB logo!  There are still a few of these about if you look hard, saw one the other day, can't remember where (Chester/Ellesmere Port/Weaver region?). Also sure there is one by the top lock on the Delph flight. Still lots of "bridge and rushes" logos about so with this new one there will be Four different logos on the cut.

.............Dave

[dmr]

1 hour ago, Pluto said:

If you talk to the great British public, few of them appreciate the difference between the water supply/sewerage companies, the Environment Agency, and C&RT, and some think they are all part of the same group. It has always been thus as I can remember trying to explain about the ownership of canals when I was first interested in the late 1960s, and little has changed since then to the public's perceptions of canals and water. I cannot see how altering the logo is going to address this. The regular changing of a logo is fairly modern development, perhaps associated with the regular changes in management which happens today. Managers, who are only in post for a few years, feel they have to do something to appear to be attempting to raise the profile of the industry, but because they have not been associated with it for long never seem to understand what they are trying to promote.

Thats all very true, so often too many youngish managers with big egos and no wisdom wanting to "make their mark". Doesn't matter whether it succeeds or fails as they soon move on and it will look good on the CV  "responsible for a major corporate transformation at blah blah blah".

More depressing is your observation about water company confusion, this new logo looks very much like it belongs to a privatised water utility rather than the historic canal system so will only add to that confusion.

................Dave

[LadyG]

3 hours ago, adam1uk said:

It's not about increasing income streams -- it's about demonstrating that there's public engagement, so the government doesn't stop it's £50million funding.

Innovation is needed: why not set up a series of public toilets, lets call them water closets, and have them all set at ENGAGED

Seriously,  but  was it not the UK government that cast the BW adrift, and set up the C&RT?

Edited April 27, 2018 by LadyG

[adam1uk]

2 hours ago, LadyG said:

Innovation is needed: why not set up a series of public toilets, lets call them water closets, and have them all set at ENGAGED

Seriously,  but  was it not the UK government that cast the BW adrift, and set up the C&RT?

It was.  With the aim that by 2020 or thereabouts, it would no longer need the £50million a year grant.  

[Higgs]

 

I can't imagine how the new logo will help increase awareness of CRT. It's a non-descript industrial lack-lustre shape. My first thought was, that I'd seen it before, it probably belongs on the side of a cement mixer hopper. It's sanitised, void of almost anything that would reflect the environment it is supposed to represent. The public are going to be forced to work even harder to relate to the canal environment. I thought it was a joke. I'm still not sure it isn't a prank.

[b0atman]

Is not the new logo a bicycle wheel going through water ? Thus linking Sustrans and CRT a perfect partnership.

[Tanglewood]

On 25/04/2018 at 22:20, Mike the Boilerman said:

You're about three days late Lorry! This is the forth new thread (at least) on the subject

 

 

This should be an object lesson in public engagement. It took four threads for this subject to really engage the forum.  Sometimes time is what is needed, not change. To use an analogy, if your destination remains the same on a journey don't keep changing the route just because your engine stalls.

[Alan de Enfield]

5 minutes ago, Tanglewood said:

It took four threads for this subject to really engage the forum

The other thread has over 200 posts.

This one only appears to have been 'well attended' because of debate about C&RTs income and expenditure rather than the new logo.

[MtB]

28 minutes ago, Tanglewood said:

It took four threads for this subject to really engage the forum.  

I'm not sure why you are saying this. 

As Alan said, the first thread was HUGE and two subsequent smaller threads were merged into it. This thread is a result of the OP not noticing the main thread on this subject. 

[Laurence Hogg]

TO ME WHEN i LOOK AT THE LOGO IT SAYS "HERE COMES THAT SINKING FEELING AGAIN"

Or "Up periscope"!!

or we could have.........................

Edited April 28, 2018 by Laurence Hogg
add image

[Laurence Hogg]

Or this might happen..............

 

 

[matty40s]

3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I'm not sure why you are saying this. 

As Alan said, the first thread was HUGE and two subsequent smaller threads were merged into it. This thread is a result of the OP not noticing the main thread on this subject. 

I did report this one hoping to get it merged but the mods have just ignored it - one mod has been posting on this one.

[Laurence Hogg]

I cannot understand the need to change the logo, it wont change the attitudes of CRT or any of their policies, and just about when the general public are recognising the organisation via signage, they will be presented with an abstract graffito sign meaning nothing in its visual output! A bunch of idiots imho, and I add to that its about time Parry went because he doesn't seem able to control this type of massive waste of money. 

[cuthound]

On 27/04/2018 at 18:14, David Mack said:

Has anyone got a decent graphic of the old BW 'wave' logo?  Google brings up lots of versions of the bullrushes and swan, and even a few of the original blue and gold life belt logo, but not the the wave.

This one? I posted it in  CRT logo thread recently.

 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, cuthound said:

This one? I posted it in  CRT logo thread recently.

 

 

No - the BW 'waves' logo that I posted in post#74

[LadyG]

2 hours ago, cuthound said:

This one? I posted it in  CRT logo thread recently.

 

yes, to me that one is now old fashioned, it looks like what it is though, and served its purpose, solid, marine, british engineering  through and through.

The new "holey poley" of CRT [lets drop the ampersand], is plain, inoffensive, and could be be promoting pretty much anything.

Nothing says inland waterways, industrial heritage, or leisure, so what does it say. If its going to blue and green, that is probably a nod to the environment and to a trustworthy cause [colours used by the [possibly discredited CO-OP and LLoydsTSB banks for this purpose]

I think they'll need to add  a strapline, "put a Tiger in your tank" once worked for ESSO [where are they now?]

I don't know why the powers that be did not launch a competition to generate ideas, would that not have "engaged the public"?

It worked for Boat McBoatface, is it too late for the CRT?  

I notice that the typeface is  bit unusual, not sure if that is deliberate or just some random thing.  

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by LadyG

[Athy]

2 minutes ago, LadyG said:

 

The new "holey poley" of CRT [lets drop the ampersand], is plain, inoffensive, and could be be promoting pretty much anything.

 

 

At lerast the current design with its threatening swan and the previous one with its pleasing bulrushes included a feature which instantl ysays "canals": a hump-backed bridge. Is it really too much to expect that CART include in their new design the feature which says "canals" most of all, a BOAT?

[LadyG]

15 minutes ago, Athy said:

At least the current design with its threatening swan and the previous one with its pleasing bulrushes included a feature which instantl ysays "canals": a hump-backed bridge. Is it really too much to expect that CART include in their new design the feature which says "canals" most of all, a BOAT?

That seems to be something only those on this forum think is essential. Its almost as though "public engagement" is the be all and end all of the CRT at the moment.

Its not going to work: no one is going to suddenly come up with innovative funding ideas, every charity is already desperately searching for a share in the funding pot, they are not going to give way.

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by LadyG

[adam1uk]

22 minutes ago, Athy said:

At lerast the current design with its threatening swan and the previous one with its pleasing bulrushes included a feature which instantl ysays "canals": a hump-backed bridge. Is it really too much to expect that CART include in their new design the feature which says "canals" most of all, a BOAT?

Can you imagine the trouble that would cause?  Whichever type of boat was featured would be the wrong sort for someone.  Narrow, wide, cruiser, the room for people taking offence would be huge!

[LadyG]

20 hours ago, Laurence Hogg said:

I cannot understand the need to change the logo, it wont change the attitudes of CRT or any of their policies, and just about when the general public are recognising the organisation via signage, they will be presented with an abstract graffito sign meaning nothing in its visual output! A bunch of idiots imho, and I add to that its about time Parry went because he doesn't seem able to control this type of massive waste of money. 

I assume the CEO set the initiative in motion and controlled the budget.

All CEO's are expected to come up with new ideas, its what they do, why they are appointed.

If they' re not "home grown", they move on, with a big pension boost and a golden goodbye. Its how things work. If they upset enough knowlegeable senior employees along the way, the organisation ends up full of new executives, new initiatives and complete loss of focus.

I think we are nearly there.

Edited April 29, 2018 by LadyG

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

[rusty69]

[Alan de Enfield]

The world's top recognised logos are :

Nike, Apple, Coca-Cola and McDonalds - none of which bear any semblance to the products they offer.

A logo is simply a 'badge' that is simple and recognisable it means 'nothing' other than a recognition of what is on offer

The company needs to build a brand that is 'trustworthy, respectable and reliable' and then attach a logo to it such that whenever the logo is seen the 'customer' knows what they will get.

 

At the moment I would suggest that it is 'CaRT before the horse' - you cannot build a brand by producing a new logo.

 

I do wonder if C&RT actually employ any qualified Marketeers with real life industrial experiences, not just 'paper qualified'.

 

[Tanglewood]

22 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Nike, Apple, Coca-Cola and McDonalds - none of which bear any semblance to the products they offer.

A logo is simply a 'badge' that is simple and recognisable it means 'nothing' other than a recognition of what is on offer

The company needs to build a brand that is 'trustworthy, respectable and reliable' and then attach a logo to it such that whenever the logo is seen the 'customer' knows what they will get.

This is very true.  

The key differences between CRT and the brands you have mentioned are

• that with the exception of Nike, their logos bear more than a passing resemblance to their name
• they have a product that people buy, 
• CRT has no product and, as far as I can see doesn't know what it is they want people to 'buy' in to
• CRT can only sell licenses

Charities need logos that stand for the area they support,  without copying them her, I bet we all know Red Cross, British Heart Foundation, National Trust, And guess what figures in Save the Children, Cats Protection, Dog's trust and Woodland Trust