Dealers Association Rebrands to Boost Advocacy

The National Automobile Dealers Association recently completed an intensive rebranding effort to boost its brand recognition and advocacy efforts.

“NADA launched a rebranding effort with a focus on creating a single, strong brand that would be instantly recognizable to each of NADA’s stakeholders,” Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Jonathan Collegio said.

The association carries out its services through several branches—such as the NADA Academy, retirement program, and legislative office—but over time many had developed their own brand identities separate from NADA as a whole. Individuals and partners working with these units were often unaware they were a part of NADA.

“The rebranding effort sought to realign all of the sub-brands to NADA and make NADA the centerpiece of our brand identity,” Collegio explained.

Part of the rebranding process included redesigning all logos, website, emails, social media, and print products to create a single aesthetic across NADA and its sub-units. For example, the redesigned logos of the sub-units now closely resemble the new logo of the head organization, making the connection between them more recognizable.

NADA also renamed its political action committee to NADA PAC, the National Automobile Dealers Association Political Action Committee, to create a connection with NADA. Under the previous name, Dealers Election Action Committee (DEAC), individuals making or receiving contributions were often unaware it belonged to NADA.

Collegio said the process was necessary to establish controls over the identity of the brand, the usability of the website, and the recognition of NADA sub-brands. “You have to have controls in place to make sure the most important stuff is sitting front and center.”

When Peter Welch became president in 2013, his goal was to refocus the association on advocacy, as it was the most important and demanded role of the group. The 2015 rebranding effort aimed to bolster advocacy by allowing NADA to better support its sub-units and increase member awareness of how the organization is working.

“A strong and recognizable brand is critical to the individual success of each of our dealer members, just as it is critical to the success of the manufacturers of the vehicles our dealers sell and service,” Welch said in a statement  (opens in a new tab). “It’s no different here at NADA.”

(Handout image)