By Geoff Scotton, National Communications and Marketing Team Member (geoffscotton@skipatrol.ca)
The CSP’s branding standards are a foundational component of the important and evolving journey of renewal and modernization the CSP has been on over the past decade. There are lots of resources and collaterals available to make using those standards simple and easy.
Our striking red, white and black operational colours, our powerful red maple leaf and white cross-based logo and its division and zone derivatives, and even our preferred text font (Myriad Pro Condensed) are all key elements of projecting an image of an organization is competent, cohesive, and professional.
Good branding allows organizations – corporations, governments, campaigns, clubs and causes- to be easily recognizable and respected; to evoke not only recognition but reputation and character. To be, literally, memorable.
The CSP’s branding standards were released almost nine years ago, on October 1, 2013, when we officially adopted red, white and black as our official colours, and the red maple leaf with white cross icon with accompanying two-colour (black and red) Canadian Ski Patrol lettering as our logo. They are all in something called the CSP Brand Identity Guide, available here.
Within those standards, which allow considerable room for flexibility and provide approved alternative treatments, are some pretty key limitations: Within the logo, the cross must NEVER be red. (Take a wild guess why.) And the cross must not be see-through to take on the background colour of what it’s applied to. The CSP logo includes (and must include) BOTH the red maple leaf and white cross icon, AND the red and black text of Canadian Ski Patrol in Myriad Pro Condensed typeface. And lastly, the logo in red, black and white is to be used unless it simply cannot be reproduced in the circumstances.
Our standards include the proper shades of red and black (Pantone colours), the required spacing and proportion within the red maple leaf and white cross icon and how our branding should – and should not – be used. The board of directors said this when they were released: “The Canadian Ski Patrol (CSP) believes that it is important for the organization to maintain a common national identity and to provide a legal basis on which this identity can be defended and protected. Proper and consistent usage of the national logo is a critical component in maintaining this identity.”
Since then, as an organization lots of things (and people) in the CSP have changed, but our vision to be professional, passionate and proud has not wavered, and so our branding is more relevant than ever. We would encourage you to explore the resources available, and to always, always, always rely on those originals to build branded materials of all types.
The central takeaway on CSP branding is this: It’s easy to do it right and help us project the image and reputation we all value so highly and work so hard to maintain. In fact, it’s right at our fingertips. If you’ve accessed the resources available and you have questions or quandaries, contact the national Communications and Marketing team. We’d be happy to help.
This post is also available in: French