We constantly referred to TEC – which understandably many people understood to be something to do with technology, when in fact we intended it as the abbreviation of the Training & Education Committee.
Then there is our flagship and much-admired patent drafting course, SEAD – the acronym for Southeast Asia Drafting Course– but confusingly the courses are held all over the world.
And SEAD was organised by yet another differently named entity, the FICPI Academy of Education.
I am delighted to say we have created a much more elegant and simple approach to the branding of FICPI’s education activities, which will help us to extend awareness, understanding and participation in our initiatives.
The sharp eyed among you may have already spotted the application of the new naming approach on our website.
In future, all communication and publicity concerning the delivery of education and training activities by FICPI, the names Training and Education Committee and the FICPI Academy of Education are replaced by a single ‘master’ brand for all initiatives:
THE FICPI ACADEMY: Supported by the FICPI Training & Education Committee
The shorthand version is simply, ‘The FICPI Academy’.
Here’s how the new name looks as a graphic:
Meanwhile, the SEAD courses, which have a valuable legacy, awareness and appreciation among stakeholders, will continue to be known by that name.
However, while doing so, all references to the fuller version of SEAD’s name, with its reference to the course’s roots in Southeast Asia, will be removed from FICPI’s communications and not used going forward.
The formal new version of the brand is:
SEAD: A drafting curriculum by The FICPI Academy
The SEAD name can also be presented as a play on the word ‘Seed’ - perfect for a drafting course that helps develop and grow talent.
By the way, the commercial world is full of examples of brands that evolved from their roots to embrace a larger meaning with just the initials.
You probably have never heard of the Government Employees Insurance Company – but you may well have heard of the insurance company it became, GEICO.
Similarly, Queensland and Northern Territorial Aerial Services became a global airline brand known by the snappier name of QANTAS.
We are still working on the new graphic for SEAD – more news to come later.
This is an important step forward for FICPI’s education initiatives – it all begins with communication, and I believe the new branding helps us to reach and engage members much more effectively to help grow and expand our projects.
Please do contact me with any questions or comments: [email protected]