Community, Camaraderie and Competition
about our work with Atlanta Track Club
Since 1964, Atlanta Track Club has been dedicated to inspiring runners and walkers of all ages and abilities to live a healthier lifestyle. In 2013, the Club completed it’s first rebrand in history, consisting of a visual identity refresh and an update to the organization’s mission and vision to be more inclusive. At the time, there were no changes made to the Club’s values, it still boasted long sentences that staff members struggled to recite as core values and changes made to messaging had been minimal. As an employee of the organization, Michelle helped orchestrate the visual refresh, and in 2014 she led a charge to reset on the Club's core values, brand promise and the way it communicated these to participants and members.
Derived from consumer insights, Michelle discerned that when it came to brand promise and what people expected to get from an Atlanta Track Club event or program, there were three things that consistently filtered to the top. Those three things were community, camaraderie and competition. Singularly incomplete, but collectively they make up the formula for successful programming and the earned loyalty of brand fans. The values were defined internally and are used to hold teammates accountable for messaging, motivation and future program/event development. Accompanied by brand attributes and personality these values act not only as a reminder of the reason for being, but also as guardrails for a messaging strategy, ensuring that all events, programs and communications have balance in all three values.
Photos: Property of Atlanta Track Club
the work
New Values:
Community
Camaraderie
Competition
Previous Values:
We believe in health lifestyles through running
We provide fun and rewarding experiences
We serve with professionalism and integrity
We are engaged, curious and open to learning
We value and appreciate others
We inspire confidence
Messaging Strategy
All messaging and touchpoints should be evaluated for communication of the brand values. While some events/programs may be stronger in one value, it is important that there is a balance of the three.
How we define these:
Camaraderie: Fun, Friendly, Family, Social
Community: Support, Connection, Outreach and Referring to our physical location
Competition: Competing against yourself, Competing against friends, Goal setting
Too much Camaraderie becomes a social gimmick.
Too much Community becomes a wellness organization.
Too much Competition becomes exclusive, elitist.
““Rebranding of a respected and successful 50 year-old non-profit does not come without risks. But when built around a disciplined, holistic review and value analysis of the organization, it feels easy. Michelle Douglas led this effort at Atlanta Track Club in 2014 and we’ve been off to the races ever since.””
Learn more about Atlanta Track Club