In 2006 the Port Lincoln National Convention delegates officially endorsed Apex Australia's new image and

th anniversary to our 100 celebration.. There are many things that this guide is designed to do. We would hope

that the explanations contained within this guide will make it clearer and easier to improve the professional

external image of Apex.

Furthermore it is important to point out, that as of the rise of the 2006 National Convention Apex Australia

has 2 distinguishable and marketable points of difference that we can set about making public to the masses

from an internal & external perspective:

(This represents to the existing membership our heritage, purpose and being).

(Which clearly and firmly distinguishes us as we aim to identify Apex to a larger

percentage of our available market)

Our new external marketing device 'The Brand', has been developed over a period of 18 months in

consultation with random groups of Apexians chosen to provide feedback. Our original draft formats were

then rendered for discussion. As you should be aware, your State President is your States 'voice' on each

National Apex Board and each State President has been asked to communicate to Clubs, the rationale

behind the change or evolution from the Logo to the Brand.

Apex Australia has also sought outside feedback on the Apex image from other non-Apexian groups, as well

as corporate Australia. That research has indicated there was neither clarity nor a large amount of credibility,

acceptance and appeal in today's market place for the Apex image with the logo as it stood. This has been due

largely in part to not publicising the benefits that Apex brings to individual communities; it is a secret that we

have now kept to ourselves for over 75 years. The National Board of 2003/2004 decided to work on building

the Apex identity nationally and since then subsequent Boards have been working towards creating the

'BRAND', a marketing vehicle that speaks large volumes to the masses, from a more acceptable level of

should be seen by our membership as not altering history for the sake of change, but evolving our image as a

balanced mix of vision and purpose to meet the needs of the communities we serve now and into the future.

In moving down this pathway, the up-grade of the 'Apex Logo Committee' to the 'Apex Branding Committee'

was also necessary to provide Apex with a vehicle that is truly indicative of the needs of our membership. The

new committee's charter is about being able to provide advice to Apexians on how best to image and brand

Apex locally and nationally. Through the formation of the 'Branding Committee' Apexians will be able to seek

advice and receive answers about issues not just involving our logo or brand, but also providing

recommendations to Clubs on all areas of marketing and publicity, therefore giving Apex a more consistent,

focused and appealing brand. Obviously all of these initiatives are designed to make Apex more competitive

while we go about rebuilding our membership base.

With regards to the implementation strategy of the 'Brand', I refer you to my previous comments about

the level of communication undertaken. Numerous briefings to State Boards in 2003/2004, 2004/2005

and 2005/2006, and various reports regarding the strategies behind the implementation were published

in the Apex Australia Newsletter to Clubs and the Apexian Magazine. The implementation of this

imaging up-grade should have been discussed at length at State Training Seminars over the last couple

of years and in addition, District Governors were briefed on the recommendations and why Apex needed

to begin the evolution of the Logo to the Brand at both the Tamworth and Port Lincoln District Governor's

Schools.

The education process of this imaging change, as implemented by the delegates of the Port Lincoln National

Convention, needs to continue. Since the National Convention, the National Board has conducted meetings

with Apex Supply House to commence the process of changing from the use of the Logo to the Brand as

quickly as possible, without making it difficult for those Clubs with advanced orders already in the pipeline

through Apex Supplies. The 'Branding Committee' has also publicised the outcomes of the branding motions

and outlined the implementation process within articles delivered to our members through the Apex

Australia Newsletter to Clubs and again through the newsletter to District Governors 'Under the Southern

Cross'. In addition to this, the 'Branding Committee' has formulated this set of branding guidelines to clarify

the purpose and usage of the Brand verses the Logo, including what should be utilised for what purpose etc.

So, as you can see, the evolution of the use of the Logo to the Brand will be a process that is envisaged to take

about 24 months or more to implement fully as we aim for consistency in our external imagery of Apex.

I can appreciate the extent of confusion Clubs maybe experiencing and that is why District Governors were

asked to direct Clubs back to the 'Branding Committee' to resolve the issues involving the branding of Apex.

The National Board felt that this approach was most appropriate, as the circumstances that confront each

Club, District and State are different and should be isolated and dealt with as they may occur. In fact the

'Branding Committee' is all about providing consistency and procuring better results for Clubs with individual

concerns.

In reality, Clubs should be looking at their local signage/external branding programme every 24 to 36

months anyway.

The decision from the 2006 National Convention will hopefully encourage Clubs to look at their external

imaging and make it a major priority. I have for example, seen many signs still boasting the word

'International' where 'Australia' should have replaced it years ago. Faded and illegible signage which I have

witnessed across the country on many and various occasions still continues to do the Apex image a disservice

in the face of today's public. The decision from Port Lincoln did not dictate the implementation period from

the Logo to the Brand; the National Board has suggested 24 months. What we as the leaders of Apex will be

encouraging Clubs to advocate, is changing from the Logo to the Brand at your earliest possible opportunity.

Shirts fade and so does signage, the National Board asks Apexians in all States to work towards

implementing our imaging change at the most convenient time for your Club. However, the National Board is

saying that this change needs to be seriously implemented in the short term. We will not be sending 'Brand

Police' out to enforce the immediate change but we are asking the Clubs to work with the National Board to

make it a reality as soon as we possibly can. I would like to point-out that most sign writing today uses sticker

vinyl and to change or alter an item such as the Logo to the Brand may not be as expensive as you might

originally think. The use of the Logo within the Brand will allow Apex to gradually ease the new Brand into the

market place, but it also gives Apex Clubs a new and vibrant image and direction to commence building

another 75 years of history on from today.

The National Board is currently running the numbers to supply Clubs across Australia with two entrance

signs, each boasting the new Brand similar to the entrance signage initiative undertaken by the National

Board of 2001/1002. Keeping the image of Apex fresh and not faded is a responsibility of every Apex Club

and Apexian across our country.

The cost of this activity should be regularly provided for as an on-going expense that is undertaken in a timely

and prudent manner by your Club. The motions from Port Lincoln have been National triggers challenging ce

their individual efforts as part of the National up-grade of the Logo to the Brand. More on that initiative soon!!

For those that have questioned the use of the Brand prior to the vote being taken at Port Lincoln I offer

the following strategy and reason. The 2005/2006 National Board gave approval to utilise the new

th Brand and to feature it in the 75 Anniversary marketing alongside the existing Logo so as to again

gauge it's acceptance and appeal to viewers/our market Australia wide. To date, the results of marketing

efforts involving the new Brand have been more than pleasing and have seen extremely positive results

with many Districts reporting increases in membership and activity based enquiry, while providing a boost

th to moral within our existing membership ranks, as Apexians look forward to our future beyond the 75

Anniversary. The 2005/2006 National Board was not being presumptuous nor was it wanting to preempt

the Port Lincoln result. It would have been just as easy to dump the Brand post Port Lincoln if it was

not accepted and subsequently the use of the Brand would have been considered as just a device built to

th theme our 75 Anniversary campaign. Let us not forget that the Brand contains the Logo, so if the Brand

had not been accepted it would have just faded away into obscurity. However, now that it has been

th accepted, we have commenced the re-branding process and have capitalised on the impact of our 75

Anniversary's value while maximising the campaigns ongoing impact.

I would also like to remind Apexians that the Apex Logo is still a part of culture and will be used on many

internal items such as badges, lapel pins, life membership badges and plaques etc. The Branding

th Committee will still permit the use of the Logo for historical occasions such as 1100 Dinners etc.

Invitations and programmes etc can still bare the Logo so long as it is internally used and it is for Apex

heritage purposes.

Copies of the new Brand have been circulated to all District Governors and also available through our

head office at Nurioopta. You can contact me if you wish to discuss the best purpose for use, when it

comes to working at getting the Apex Brand out into communities around Australia. The new Apex website

also contains many marketing and advertising tools that will make re-Branding the Association a lot

easier for our members, more effective and a lot more economical.

I thank you for caring about the future direction of Apex enough to use this Branding & Logo Protocols

and Style Guide and encourage your Clubs to embrace the changes passed at Port Lincoln in 2006 as

soon as logically possible.

Yours in Apex,

Rick Hose

Branding Committee Chairman

Apex Australia