—Louanne Welgoss
I began my career in the marketing department of Coach Leatherware at their headquarters in New York City. When I started, I wasn’t even aware of who or what Coach was. (My mom told me they made handbags.) However, I quickly became an expert on these well-known handbags and gained an appreciation of just how much time and care went into creating each bag—from the leather selection to the final touches on the binding to the metal-stamped logo tag that is always stamped inside each bag. “It isn’t a Coach bag without a Coach tag,” they say.
It was the most expensive job I’ve ever had. I started buying the famed Coach purses back then, and now I only buy Coach purses. Coach gave me my first start after all, so I feel like I’m buying from family. My most recent Coach purchase has the letter “C” printed on it, and it’s purple and grey. However, one of our young hip designers at LTD pointed out that the letter “C” on my new bag is not the traditional Serif letter type. It’s now a San Serif letter type. This made me think about how the Coach brand has evolved over the years, and how this relates to associations and their marketing and design provided by LTD.
Like many associations, Coach was conservative and traditional for many years. Over time, their organization wasn’t growing, the older generations weren’t buying new handbags, and the younger customers were going elsewhere for their bags. Faced with declining sales, Coach decided to reach out to a new audience and to update their look. With the introduction of a more eclectic blend of fabric and mixed materials and a signature line of bags with the repeated letter “C" print, sales increased by almost 10% in 2002 and sales continue to soar today.
Has your association experienced significant growth in the last year? Are you adding members of the younger generation? When Coach embraced changing trends, they realized that they were missing out on a younger market that could keep them in business for years.
Ask yourself these questions: Has your association embraced changing trends? Is your logo the same logo that was created when your association was formed? Do you have an interesting tagline or a fresh campaign theme? Are you using the same ad agency or design firm you were 10 years ago? Are you encouraging new creative ideas to help your association grow?
If you answered “no” to any of these, then it may be time to think about a change. Don’t worry about the costs. I realize you're not a handbag company. Just brainstorm what you could do with an unlimited budget.
Recently, Coach introduced Coach Poppy, another extension of their brand that uses a fun scribble etched script with the logo and appeals to young women. The possibilities are endless. When it comes to your association’s marketing, stop for a moment, and think like the Coach corporation. How can you market your product to a broader audience? How can you extend your brand in a new way? How can you increase your association’s membership for years to come?
