A ROSE IS A ROSE IS....NOT "UJC"

In a bold move at the UJC Executive yesterday the leaders approved a name change to...trumpets please...The Jewish Federations of North America and a new Logo!!! This new and brilliant name and logo -- many focus groups later -- will come to us with "a classic, but distinguishable font," will be "warm and approachable" and will "[W]ork as a symbol as well as with the wordmark." So, we got ourselves a new "wordmark" (huh?) and "logo."

All of you will recall that the multi-million dollar Branding and Research Study determined that after a decade the old name, United Jewish Communities (you remember that one, dontcha?), had hardly penetrated the market psyche. Surprised? In fact UJA...gone but not forgotten...still had four times the market penetration of UJC. The Power Point presented to the UJC Executive yesterday seemed to suggest that leadership proposed that the UJA brand be restored to the annual campaign but such are the subtleties of a Power Point that I can't be sure. (But no marketing guru worth his or her salt would argue with the conclusion that throwing out the greatest brand in philanthropy was a mistake of epic proportions.)

Now, friends in the "branding and marketing industries" related to me what is called "Disaster Induced Rebranding." You know -- General Motors Asset Management (GMAC) to Promark Global Advisors, Value Jet to Air Tran, Anderson Consulting to Accenture, Blackwater to Xe, and, now, after spending G-d knows what, UJC to The Jewish Federations of North America. Under which shell will we find the pea? Could the monies spent on this exercise have saved one position -- or ten? Unless asked, the current leaders sure won't tell.

Marketing is Jerry Silverman's stock in trade. If he concurs, as I assume he does, then The Jewish Federations of North America works for me. Of course, this is one book you surely can't judge by its cover. Ultimately, you could call the organization UJC, CJF, whatever...it will be judged by results. The federations are presently voting by their disinterest.

I was reminded by all of this expense to get to where this all began of a moment during the UJA-CJF Partnership. I received a call from, I think it was Marty Kraar, then the CEO of CJF within the Partnership. CJF and UJA had just moved into the 111 Eighth Avenue space. Marty wanted to mount a wall i.d. with UJA and CJF and "The Jewish Federations of North America" in the foyer. I said he should go ahead. He did. Then came the shreis and down it came. So here we are, full circle and a few hundred thousand dollars later.

Let's get on with the work, the engagement, the triumphs...shall we?

Rwexler