YMCA rebrand leaves only ‘The Y’

“Its fun to stay at the Y – ‘silence’ ”     —   not quite as catchy to sing along to but the YMCA has announced it will be dropping letters M,C and A from their official name and will soon be officially known simply as ‘the Y’. The good news for the giant non profit is that it will be business as usual for most as the organization has generally been considered simply as ‘the Y’ by most members of the public for many years. When I read this news I reflected on what a unique achievement the YMCA has already locked up, I struggled to think of another institution known simply and commonly by a single letter preceded by ‘the’.

The things you learn when you conduct research…..the Young Men’s Christian Association was originally founded in London, England in 1844 (I always thought it was American) and grew rapidly in the 1800’s. Currently the  ‘Y’ (I’ve already made the official switch) represents more than 45 million members in 124 different countries. Kate Coleman, the organization’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer gives a simple explanation as to why the change has been made.

“It’s a way of being warmer, more genuine, more welcoming, when you call yourself what everyone else calls you,”

The Y is following a trend that has been occurring for years as many companies continue to re-brand their trade name down to initials or abbreviations to present a more pointed, trendy and memorable form of brand awareness. One such example struck me recently when driving. We drove past a KFC at which point our youngest passenger asked “what does KFC mean?”. He knew what they sold, he has eaten there before but the letters struck him as odd. When the information was relayed that this stood for Kentucky Fried Chicken he looked bemused, he’d never heard the phrase (he is only six). Without thinking too much you realise how subtle and successful some of the changes or re-branding campaigns have been, going back a few generations initials usually only applied to radio/tv call letters and governmental departments but now its much more widespread.

IBM have been IBM so long that few recall what it stands for, J & J, P & G and AARP are others where the transition is still partially incomplete. From AT&T to the NBA, NHL and E &Y we all can run off initials at the drop of a hat and there’s a reason for this according to marketing experts. Initials are seen as punchier, easier to remember and more lyrical; each of which helps the appeal in the conscience of the end user. Coupled with modern technology where we shorten everything to fit wherever possible these changes are seen as both a natural progression and beneficial to awareness. Even companies who haven’t made the official change are often known by the public in a different guise where Burger King becomes BK, California Pizza Kitchen CPK, B of A is Bank of America and people fly BA as often as British Airways. Makes me wonder if we’ll know anything by their ‘official’ long name in a few more decades time?

In the non profit sector though some changes may be far more gradual in coming. The name and history associated with a non profit name takes decades to establish and there is some concern that changing more than a logo tweak or a new colour might signal a perceived change in strategic approach or even integrity  with a non profit’s donors. Non profits are rightly concerned that stability, history and pedigree are integral considerations for their followers so changes will most likely be much more glacial. The YMCA is a prime example, the re-branding was unofficially instigated by the general public some twenty or thirty years prior.  Even with this change the YMCA is asking employees to refer to their individual branches as the local YMCA. These things take time and the Y will surely follow.

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