The role of the CITE brand is to provide our audiences with the easiest, most effective way to recognize and remember us. They will be able to recall who we are, what we do or an experience they have had with us. Our brand helps ensure that our hard work and quality service is attributed to the proper source. Now, CITE is taking steps to communicate its image to CITE members, other company employees and people throughout the communities that Verizon serves. By this, we contribute to the strength and equity of our brand.

Getting recognition in the marketplace takes hard work, consistency and creativity. We send messages to our audiences using a variety of print and broadcast media. The CITE brand name and logo should be displayed on all external communications, from a simple letter to a complex web site. Every communication in every medium should be seen as an opportunity to build recognition and recall of the CITE brand. Building a strong brand also takes teamwork. Everyone who is part of CITE represents our brand, and everything we do influences the perceptions that people have of our brand.

Over the past several months, 10 of CITE's 12 local chapters changed their names to CITE. Like Verizon, whose name is now known nationally as one of the largest communications companies in the world, CITE is evolving as a nationally-branded organization with the recent additions of CITE-California, CITE-Florida, CITE-Indiana, CITE-New England, CITE-New Jersey, CITE-New York, CITE-Pennsylvania/Delaware, CITE-Texas, CITE-Virginia and CITE-West Virginia. Two remaining chapters - Association of Telecommunications Managers and Associates (ATMA) - Maryland and ATMA-Metro - will make the name change by the end of the year.

Most of Verizon's senior executives immediately recognize the CITE brand. The CITE name is linked to a highly visible conference and a large, influential African American employee resource group in Verizon.

The old names of CITE's local chapters, while solid in their origins, were local and relatively unknown outside of their respective states. More importantly, these names conveyed neither the chapter's missions nor its integral role in the CITE organization.

With this in mind, CITE encouraged its local chapters to come under the CITE umbrella.

For CITE, the benefits of branding include:

• A heightened awareness of the organization and leverage in strengthening the organization's relationship with Verizon.
• A spike in membership roles building on momentum from the CITE conference.
• Absolute clarity as to who and what we are and a way for local chapters to be recognized for the many charitable, educational and civic activities that CITE supports. Local chapter efforts are just not as recognizable to Verizon as CITE efforts.
• A powerful message that local chapters are part of a large and well-organized group whose strength is our strength and whose concerns will and must be addressed.

As part of the CITE branding, the organization launched its new logo at this year's conference. The logo is a quilt design with four Adinkra symb and the CITE name. Adinkra symbols were and still are used in Africa as a language and form of communication. Each motif that makes up the corpus of Adinkra symbolism has a name and meaning derived either from a proverb, historical event, human attitude, animal behavior, plant life, and forms and shapes of inanimate and man-made objects. Adinkra symbolism is a visual representation of social thought relating to the history, philosophy and religious beliefs of the Akan people of Ghana and Cote' d'Ivoire.

The Adinkra symbols used in the CITE quilt include the wisdom knot (for intelligence and ingenuity); the talking drum (for communication, united action and goodwill); the two-headed crocodile (for unity in diversity and oneness of the human family despite cultural differences); and twistings (for selfless devotion to service, adaptability and ability to withstand and overcome hardships). In the old days, quilts were made to keep families warm. Quilts also protected and helped slaves during their escape to freedom. The logo colors are black, red and white to represent CITE's affiliation with Verizon.

A great deal of thought went into designing a new logo. The organization chose a logo that really could tell the CITE story and explain what the organization is all about. The purpose of CITE is to raise the level of consciousness of all employees with regard to minority concerns; to facilitate the personal, professional and career development of black employees; and ultimately, to enhance the power and effectiveness of its local member organizations. Annual CITE conferences have been a vital source of networking information and professional growth.

CITE's web site has been redesigned with a new look and feel, updated information and the organization's brand new logo. Visit us online at www.forcite.org. The Forcite newsletter is also available online.  Download the latest issue of  FORCITE today: