New Branding Campaign Aims To Make Scouts More Relevant

By: Anne T. Hogan,
CEO of the Girl Scouts
of the Chesapeake Bay

Asking the question What did you do today?, the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay is undertaking a new branding campaign to reposition the organization to be more relevant to girls and adults.

The campaign was developed by Girl Scouts of the USA for all Girl Scout councils after recent research revealed that many girls and adults have limited views of Girl Scouting, associating it mostly with Girl Scout Cookies and campfires.  It is part of a major, national transformation begun by GSUSA in 2004.

While we are extremely proud of our Girl Scout Cookie business, which is largely run by girls and teaches them valuable business, financial and leadership skills, we offer much more than that.  The new branding campaign seeks to show a slice of the outdoor adventures, educational programs and leadership training we provide.

Reaching Girls Where They Are
The campaign features black-and-white images of teens staring blankly from shopping mall escalators, texting, and appearing aimless and bored.  The images are juxtaposed against brilliantly colored photographs of Girl Scouts kayaking, mountain-climbing, building homes for the homeless, helping women vote, and more.  The aim is to demonstrate the power girls have to change the world through Scouting.

“A revitalized and energized Girl Scout brand is absolutely essential for us and our future growth,” said Kathy Cloninger, CEO of GSUSA.  Cloninger recently visited Delaware to help GSCB honor DuPont Chairman and CEO Ellen J. Kullman as the council’s 2010 Woman of Distinction.  Kullman is a former Girl Scout and credits her childhood experiences selling Girl Scout Cookies with helping build self-confidence and business skills.

After seeing enrollments soften in recent years, GSUSA created the What did you do today? campaign to break the old mold of Girl Scouting and re-cast it not only as relevant, but also as a unique gateway to future success.  It is the first time in 30 years the organization tinkered with the brand.

“Our image was seen as old-fashioned and a bit tired,” said Laurel Richie, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President at GSUSA, who was a partner at the ad agency Ogilvy & Mather, where she rebranded companies like American Express.

In addition to introducing a new theme and imagery, the campaign features updated Girl Scout logos.  The trefoil was trimmed to be more modern, while the girl profile received a new hairstyle, nose and chin to make it look younger and stronger.  The trademark Girl Scout green was adjusted to a brighter, crisper, bolder tone.

Girls on a Mission
Today’s girls think big.  A new Girl Scout Research Institute study found that nearly half of U.S. girls hope to have an effect on the world.

GSCB offers a spectrum of winning programs and activities to help girls develop and meet goals.  With the newly opened Lynn W. Williams Science and Technology Lodge in Hockessin, the organization is ramping up its focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and providing girls with more leadership training than ever.  GSCB offers an exhilarating array of outdoor adventures and sports, including rock climbing, sailing, windsurfing, ziplining, geo-cashing, training for marathons, riding horses, and numerous others.

Reaching Out to Urban and Minority Girls
Recruiting urban and minority girls is a centerpiece of the Girl Scouts’ drive to grow.  Hispanic girls represent the fastest growing girl population, surging by 44 percent over the last five years.  To meet the needs of these girls, the campaign features a Spanish-language initiative that speaks to the Hispanic market.

Diversity was the founding idea of Girl Scouting when it was begun in 1912.  Today, GSCB serves over 15,500 girls in grades K-12 in Delaware and on the Eastern Shores of Maryland and Virginia, plus 5,500 adult volunteers. Nationally, approximately one in 10 girls participates in Girl Scouting.  Globally, there are nearly 5 million active Girl Scouts.

Keeping it Fun
Girl Scouting still remains rooted in fun, fellowship and community service.  After all, these core principles helped Girl Scouts become the largest girl advocacy organization in the world.

Our timeless, traditional values drive all our programs and activities.  Every dimension of the new branding campaign has been carefully calibrated to conform to the universally trusted Girl Scouts brand.

Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character by providing personal leadership development and programs that teach skills for the real world.

Girl Scouts are gearing up for a national celebration in 2012 of the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting in the United States.  To learn more about the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay, contact Liz Farrell, Manager of Communications and Advocacy, at 302-456-7170, email her at lfarrell@cbgsc.org, or visit GSCB’s website at www.gscb.org.

To join Girl Scouts visit www.GSCB.org
or call 1-800-341-4007