U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey ROI of a Visual Identity System at USGS Leslie McElroy U.S. Geological Survey CENDI Workshop November 2, 2006

2 U.S. Geological Survey About us  Chartered in 1879  Scientific research arm of the Department of the Interior  10,000 employees  400 offices across the Nation  $1 billion annual budget

3 U.S. Geological Survey  Buildings  Flags  Vehicles  Equipment  Clothing  Badges  Office supplies Our name appears on:  Web sites  Reports  Maps  Videos  CDs/DVDs  News releases  Exhibits

4 In 1995… “Best-kept secret in the Federal Government”  Caught up in the Contract for America effort—slated for abolishment  Massive awareness-building effort on Capitol Hill  11 th hour reprieve, but message was loud and clear  Known for our topographic maps, but… “We didn’t know you did that too!” “We didn’t know they were part of USGS”

5 In 1996… USGS Mission expanded  Parts of the abolished Bureau of Mines folded in  Addition of the abolished National Biological Service Each brought their own look and feel New staff didn’t see themselves represented in our official seal

6 In 1996… Additional drivers  Every discipline, office, team, even individual projects created a logo and a distinguishing look and feel for their products  Public sometimes unsure if products were USGS works  Parts of the organization hid their association with the agency— appeared to be standalone entities  The news media often mangled our agency name, didn’t show it, or failed to mention it at all.

7 In 1996… Visibility = Support  Too many identities is no identity at all  “One Bureau, One Mission, One Message”  One Look and Feel

8 In 1997… Established a bureau Visual Identity System  Input from customers and employees  Considered changing agency name  “Elevated” the official seal  Created and trademarked an identifier: mark, monogram, motto  Color and typography  Design style  Digital templates for all products  Downloadable file library  Policy

Rolled out the new Visual Identity System Employees: Resistance, even defiance  Employee communications campaign  Manual  Intranet site  Training  Help Desk  Lapel pin Partners, Customers, and the Public: Extremely positive feedback “More professional.” “Easy to spot.” “Makes me want to read it!”

years of the USGS Visual Identity System Employees:  Tipping point occurred about 8 years after implementation  High demand for templates, digital files, and especially clothing  Pride in being part of the “brand” Partners, Customers, and the Public: “Much easier to recognize USGS products and people.”

11 Before VIS

12 After VIS

Return on Investment (ROI) Internally  Reduced design costs by approximately $1 million/year  Fostered a sense of community among employees Externally  Increased awareness of breadth of USGS programs  Increased recognition of other USGS products  Easier to introduce new products  Consistent identification in news media  Serves as a “seal of authenticity”