Reinvention of WBCCI

[moosetags]

Has anyone else noticed the information on the new Club website. The Club is now being called the Airstream International, It has a new logo without Wally on it. What's going on????

Brian

[Lily&Me]

Their website says “WBCCI legally operates under one of eight (8) "doing business as" (dba) names including Airstream Club International.”

Maggie

[twobikes]

Maggie and Brian,

You folks who just travel hither and yonder, camping and having fun will just HAVE TO lay up a couple days and catch up things clubby and Facebooky ... catch up People!

Best regards, Al

[Hittenstiehl]

Received this email from WBCCI recently.


"It’s incredible to imagine that, in the eight months since receiving unanimous approval from the 2018-2019 International Board of Trustees to invest in the development of a new website, Phase I of*airstreamclub.org*will launch Friday, August 23, 2019!
From day one, multiple bodies of work were managed with a sharp focus on the needs of current and future members - without leaving any members behind; developing a platform which would support a member self-service management portal driven by a new database (also unanimously approved by the 2019/2020 International Board of Trustees) while celebrating our Club strengths and rich heritage.
More will follow in the November issue of the Blue Beret, but it’s important to note that a team of 15 leaders with over 185*years of membership in the club participated in a day-long Branding Workshop in Robertsdale, AL.* From that workshop, and multiple video and conference calls, the team identified our strengths, opportunities, target audiences and selected a*new marketing logo*using an existing DBA (doing business as) name*registered under the WBCCI with the State of Ohio.* Click*here*to learn more about the branding process.
All of these elements combine into the visual expression of our Club Brand - which is more than just selecting colors and shapes.* It is a language, like music, that speaks to people directly with great meaning.* We hope that you, and future members, have the same reaction that we’ve had at each milestone in this process.
As you explore YOUR new website, we have just a few requests:
•** If you have a suggestion about the website as a whole (navigation, functionality), please send your concerns to the website development team at:*itc@airstreamclub.net
•** If you find missing or incorrect information in your local club's or Region’s data, please contact your webmaster.* They have received instructions on how to edit the Events and Landing page.* If your webmaster hasn't received the instructions, please ask your them to look in their email spam/junk folder.
With a continuity of messaging through our marketing logo, fonts, colors, energy, look and feel in a beautiful new mobile & ADA compliant website; on social media; and with engaging membership recruitment and welcome materials, the Airstream Club International is ready to roll!!!
*- Mona, Eric, Lori, Marc and our invaluable Club volunteers"

Explains it.

[moosetags]

I really sat up and took notice when I queried www.wbcci.org and got the new Website with the Airstream Club International and the new ACI Logo sans Wally in his beret. I have been a WBCCI Member for almost 15 years and hadn't seen any of this. Granted, I rarely take the tome to read anything in the Blue Beret.

Brian

[twestover]

Originally Posted by moosetags

Has anyone else noticed the information on the new Club website. The Club is now being called the Airstream International, It has a new logo without Wally on it. What's going on????

Brian

I LOVE the new logo! So modern and when you break it apart, looking at the letters separately, you have an overview of a trailer, an axel and a view of the trailer from the side. Really creative. And Wally is definitely honored - says "inspired by Wally Byam" right on the logo! Besides, honestly, how many new members really know or care much about Wally Byam. Not that his contribution was not valuable, but he's not the one who started our club, to be clear. That was Helen. If you say "WBCCI", who really knows what that means, except people who have been members for a long time? But if you say Airstream Club International, it's really clear what the club is all about. The colors are cheerful and welcoming. I think it's just terrific. Will it take some adjusting for people who are used to the old badge and logo? Yup, but we want to be timely yes? We want new members who add life and skills and interest to the club and I think this new marketing logo provides some of that. But in addition, we need to change our attitude, IMHO. We need to be more welcoming to new members, less rigid and more casual in our style. Our executive committee is all about this, for the next four years. I'm thrilled with the direction the club has taken. And the website is stunning - love the images, the way you can search so easily for things, the maps for courtesy parking, the easy and fluid language.

[Halford1]

how much is the dues?

[wkerfoot]

$65 International dues plus $1 to $25 for unit dues (depending on the unit)


Bill

Originally Posted by Halford1

how much is the dues?

[Hittenstiehl]

Comments only, not an argument.

We are for change, for progress, inclusivity and positivity.

We are not up for "change" just for the sake of change. The new logo is very creative and very colorful but I don't think it's any better than the old logo. What does "we want to be timely" mean? Does that just mean we want to be trendy.

We do appreciate that the logo says inspired by Wally. And yes Helen may have done the physical work of starting the club but certainly not for herself or by herself.

I'm not keen on the statement of "how many new members really know or care much about Wally Byam". Maybe I just read it wrong but it sounded a little dismissive but that's up for interpretation. If we're talking about inclusivity we can't just care about what the new members think. The old members are just as valuable and many old and new have a great respect for the heritage and history of their Airstreams.

In our time with airstreams and belonging to wbcci we have never seen a bad attitude, have never felt anything rigid or the need to be more casual. Maybe that part is simply a reflection of 4CU and their friendly open inviting nature.

When I enter Airstreem Club International into a search bar that result does not come up. Wbcci.org comes up as a second response so that could still be a little bit confusing.

We will certainly all get used to the new logo and positive changes coming. Let's just remember not to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

[DFlores]

Not a fan

[xrvr]

Most new AS owners that are younger do not have the ability to think, hence wbcci is too confusing! So it had to be simplified and, makes sense?

[AldeanFan]

Originally Posted by xrvr

Most new AS owners that are younger do not have the ability to think, hence wbcci is too confusing! So it had to be simplified and, makes sense?

You forgot to include an emoji to indicate your sarcasm, without that us younger owners will likely be offended by your comment.

[Acheron2010]

I was ho hum at the new logo, but the revised website is awesome. I am traveling in New England at the moment, and within three mouse clicks, was able to find Airstream club rallies along my path, and made easy reservations to attend.

[nvestysly]

Originally Posted by Acheron2010

I was ho hum at the new logo, but the revised website is awesome. I am traveling in New England at the moment, and within three mouse clicks, was able to find Airstream club rallies along my path, and made easy reservations to attend.

We're in the same camp - the new marketing logo, as it was described at the recent international rally, seems a bit out of place. Can't quite put my finger on it but it just doesn't seem to fit. The new web page needs a few tweaks but it's WAAAY better than the old web page! With a few clicks I was able to find a rally and send the link to a friend so they could obtain more details. The club needed a new web page.

The new membership package is also awesome. I don't know if anyone has pictures of the package new members will receive when they join but it's leaps and bounds better than just receiving your badges in the mail. Definitely a quality, well thought out package. The club needed something to make new members feel part of a larger organization.

The new marketing logo, as it was described at the international rally, will be used to brand promotional items but is not officially replacing the logo with Wally's face at this time. It's not much of a stretch to see the marketing logo becoming the club logo. If you are a club member and have a strong opinion one way or the other you should contact headquarters and make your thoughts known.

[twestover]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

Comments only, not an argument.

We are for change, for progress, inclusivity and positivity.

We are not up for "change" just for the sake of change. The new logo is very creative and very colorful but I don't think it's any better than the old logo. What does "we want to be timely" mean? Does that just mean we want to be trendy.

We do appreciate that the logo says inspired by Wally. And yes Helen may have done the physical work of starting the club but certainly not for herself or by herself.

I'm not keen on the statement of "how many new members really know or care much about Wally Byam". Maybe I just read it wrong but it sounded a little dismissive but that's up for interpretation. If we're talking about inclusivity we can't just care about what the new members think. The old members are just as valuable and many old and new have a great respect for the heritage and history of their Airstreams.

In our time with airstreams and belonging to wbcci we have never seen a bad attitude, have never felt anything rigid or the need to be more casual. Maybe that part is simply a reflection of 4CU and their friendly open inviting nature.

When I enter Airstreem Club International into a search bar that result does not come up. Wbcci.org comes up as a second response so that could still be a little bit confusing.

We will certainly all get used to the new logo and positive changes coming. Let's just remember not to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

You belong to a fabulous club and I'm glad you haven't seen a bad attitude or rigidity in your club but that is not the case for all clubs. I have seen and heard things from club members that are not kind and not inclusive and make me sad. And I totally agree that we need to include new members and established members into future plans for this club. For now, this is a marketing logo, not a change to the logo on the badges. I suspect the logo issue will be discussed at length at the Las Vegas winter meeting. And I doubt that the old logo will disappear! The new logo was not an effort to be "trendy" but rather to be perhaps more current in it's appearance. Companies update their logos all the time.



If my comment about new members not knowing about Wally Byam sounded dismissive, I apologize. That was not my intent. What I meant was that new members are not as familiar with the background of Wally Byam in relation to this club and having the name be simpler would make searching for the local and international club easier and identifying what we do at this club more straightforward. You may have noticed that many of what were previously "units" are now "clubs" - Idaho Airstream Club, Oregon Airstream Club, Washington Airstream Club. Perhaps half still identify as " WBCCI units", but this name change issue is also an effort to make clearer what it is these clubs are about - Airstreams!



My husband and I are long time members of this club and we respect the heritage and all the work the previous boards have done to keep this club going and active and fun. Would you believe that not that long ago, women wore long dresses and gloves to the installation of officers ceremony? Those joining the club now (or even us long time members) just think ball gowns should stay home! Just a small example of how things have changed, just in the past 15 years.



We know that the club needs to attract new members or it will become stagnant. So I don't think the change is for change itself - it is to keep current, keep interesting, keep caravanning, keep rallying - together.



I really appreciate all of your comments and I think the are legitimate and important. Thank you.

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by AldeanFan

You forgot to include an emoji to indicate your sarcasm, without that us younger owners will likely be offended by your comment.

Okay if that makes you feel better.

[Airtandem]

What's in a name? My thought when I/we joined that the name "Wally Byam Caravan Club International" was a misnamed. " Caravan" should have been replaced with "Camping".

I almost didn't join due to the name.

How many members are actually Caravanners; and how many are Campers?
With this modern thinking, the club is headed in the right direction.
mj

[Hittenstiehl]

Twestover thanks for your reply.

And I forgot to add in my initial posting that the website looks nice and was fairly easy to navigate.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Like it or not, we live in an internet focused age. As time has gone by, the internet presence of a lot of outfits (not just WBCCI). You either keep up or you start to look very dated. New prospective members / customers (of any age ) come along and judge you by your web presence. That may or may not be fair. It is the way it works.

Both at the national and at the unit level, they have needed a "refresh" for a while now.

Bob

[wheel interested]

The new logo looks more like the TCT logo now. But I like it.