The Expression of Our Brand
Use this guide as a high-level overview of how to bring the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation brand to life.
Our Brand Identity
We’re bringing all our entities under a congruent voice and visual identity. We are one brand on one mission with a few entry points depending on our audience.If the Chi Chi Rodriguez brand were a person, how would we want to be known in this world? As one who makes a positive impact in the lives of students through providing a innovative acedmic experience. As one who puts the love of golf to work to help fund this vision. As one who is passionate, purposeful, playful, and approachable.
We are confidently turning up the volume on the positive impact that comes when we unite play with purpose. To elevate the Chi Chi Rodriguez brand experience, we are removing obstacles in the way of people understanding our mission. By using both a functional and expressive brand voice, we’ll create more space for brand relevance, human connection, and joy.
“I like to do something good every day of my life, and I wanna leave the earth better than I found it.”
-Chi Chi Rodriguez
The Brand Idea
Our brand idea is the core proposition the rest of our communication stems from. It's not a tagline, but it is a vital peice of communication that can be a call to action, just as much as an explanation of the reason we exist.
The Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation brand idea is "Play with Purpose".
The brand idea will drive our voice and tone. When you are writing or creating for the CCRYF brand, ask yourself this: Does what I'm making move my audience to be involved in our purpose, and enjoy the process along the way?
PLAY
(v) to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation or to take part in a sport. (n) an activity engaged in for enjoyment, particularly for children.
Play is at the core of the Chi Chi Rodriguez brand just as much as the quality academic environment we create for our students. The idea of being playful in our voice stems from Chi Chi's voice. His love of the game of golf, and life itself is infectious. We want to carry that same charming personality with us as we communicate to parents, golfers, and donors alike. When we talk, we should use upbeat, active language. Even with just a few words, our copy should make people smile—always taking into account where our audience is interacting with us. Play doesn't mean juvenile; it means passionate.
PURPOSE
(n) the motivation to do something or reason something exists. (n) a need of a particular person or organization.
Presenting our purpose as clearly as possible is critical to engaging the community and developing our passionate donors who believe in our mission and vision. But, our purpose is not about golf. It's about creating a quality, innovative academic experience in a living classroom that gives students the environment to thrive and become the best versions of themselves. This is the story we must tell consistently to every parent, golfer, and donor we encounter. We can never lose sight of purpose in our communication, even when balancing it with the playfulness of the brand.
Our "Why"
Impacting the lives of students through our innovative academic experience.
Our Tagline
Preparing Students for Success in the Game of Life.
Our Promise to Golfers
When you play at the Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Club and Driving Range, you will challenge your shot-making skills while making a difference in the lives of Pinellas County students.
Our Promise to Donors
When you give to the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation, you're shaping the future of our community by contributing to an innovative, living classroom for Pinellas County Students.
Our Promise to Parents
We'll provide your child with an innovative academic experience, set in a living classroom that builds individualization, social skills, and character.
Brand Pitch
Whether you're talking to a golfer, a potential donor, or the family and friends, this brand pitch will explain everything they need to know about the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation in 30 seconds.
The golf course teaches us many things. Patience. Diligence. Discipline. Humility. Above all, it teaches us no matter what obstacles we encounter; there’s always a way to come out on top.
That’s why hall of fame golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez started a school and a course on the same lot in Clearwater, Florida. He believed that for some kids, a golf course could make a better environment for learning than a traditional classroom.
However you choose to support Chi Chi’s, you’re not just contributing to a pristine, shot-makers’ course. You’re making an impact in the lives of our students. You’re keeping the values of the sport alive. You’re making our community a better place.
Our Logo
Our new logo is designed to communicate our legacy while celebrating where we're headed. It's playful and modern, while still keeping a version of the iconic Chi Chi Panama Hat that we know and love.
The logo comprises of three elements:
The first element is Chi Chi's hat. This icon can be used as a stand alone graphic or in small digital spaces like social media profile images. In the full version of the logo it should always sit on top of and in the middle of "Chi Chi."
The second element is the "Chi Chi Rodriguez" logo-type. This logo-type incorporates a modified version of Recoleta type face. the lowercase "i" letterform has been changed into a golf tee shape. It can be used without the sub brand identifier, and also without the hat in circumstances where space is limited.
The third element of the logo is the sub-brand identifier. Rather than have a separate logo for each area, we've included a version of the logo with a different identifer in the Din 2014 font. This will help us maintain consitency and unity as one cohesive brand.
Logo Spacing
There should be at least a hat sized space between the the logo and surrounding elements at all times.
Logo Colors
There should be no more than two primary brand colors in the logo at any time. When over top of an image or busy background, use all white, or one lighter brand color.
Typography
Our typography, just like Chi Chi, is expressive. It helps communicate our voice and our brand idea. It consists of two primary type families:
Recoleta - This is our headline and display type family. It's soft and gentle shapes pair well with the playful side of our brand voice.
DIN 2014 - This is our body copy and informational type family. It's sturdy and steadfast and helps us to communicate the purposeful side of our brand voice.
In professional design programs. all type should be set to a tracking of +25 and a Leading of x1.6 for body copy, and x1.2 for headlines.
Our Color Palette
Just like Chi Chi's personality, our brand is full of color. Our palette separates us from competitors, enhances our brand idea, and commands and emotional response from our audiences.
Our primary colors are Tarawera, Granny Apple, Bismark, and Celery. These should be used 85% of the time.
Our secondary colors are Carrot, Dark Coral, and Rouge. These should only be for small accents and illustrations.
Texture, Illustration, & Photography
Texture, illustration, and photography should all be used to aid in the clarity of communication, the setting of emotional tone, and ultimately to help our audience connect with our purpose. Whenever possible, a photo should be used over illustration. Here are some guidlines:
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- Photography should capture action on the course and in the classroom.
- Avoid overly posed people looking directly at the camera.
- Never use a landscape picture of a course that isn't ours.
Texture, on the other hand, can be used to add interest to the background of print and digital documents. Our brand texture is called "Dots" and resembles the texture of a golf ball. You can download at the link below.
Click the images below to enlarge for more detail.
Brand Examples and Collateral
In this section, you will find an ever-growing list of example brand executions as well as essential collateral documents.
Letterhead Example
Business Card Example
Media Guide
When interacting with the press, use a mixture of stories, stats, and sound bytes. Supporting points will help you reinforce your message to your audience without becoming repetitive or redundant.
10 Tips To Ace Your Media Interview
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#1: Know your audience.
#2: Memorize sound bytes, but not a script.
#3: Keep your answers under 30 seconds.
#4: Pause before answering.
#5: Anything you say can and will be used.
#6: Don’t make it up.
#7: Be yourself, if yourself is excited and engaged.
#8: Repeat the question in your answer.
#9: Use flagging
“The most important thing for people to remember is…” “The critical issue is…” “The focus of the debate should be…”
#10: Disagree with empathy by using “Yes, and...”
Be Ready for Questions Like These
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#1: What is the most important reason to play golf at the Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Course?
#2: How do you prepare your students with winning strategies for their future?
#3: What are the ways your golf course is different from others in the area?
#4: What impact does the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation make on the community?
#5: What results can parents and students expect to get from your school?
#6: When should someone talk to you about their child qualifying for your school?
#7: How does the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation improve the golfing community?
Guide to Digital Presence
Every photo, video, and piece of content shared over social media should be easily identified as the Chi Chi Rodriguez brand.
When used correctly, social media can be one of the most powerful forms of marketing and one of the most effective ways to grow your audience. Each social channel has a different demographic and intended use so, for the best return on investment, you’ll want to ensure your posts match the channel and your audience.
No matter what type of post you’re sharing, the words you add alongside your content can be crucial in how it performs.
Speaking to Your Social Channels
Facebook is responsible for 18% of website traffic, and with 68% of adult (age 30+) social media users on Facebook, it’s a pretty sure bet you’ll find an audience on that platform.
Although Facebook’s character limit is generous, it’s always best to go with “less is more” for social copy. Shorter posts tend to receive more engagement. The more engagement you get on each post, the more people will see it, and the more likely they are to click over to your site.
With its photo-centric design and ease of use, Instagram leans towards a much younger audience. It is an excellent way to create more visibility as one third of US internet users are on the platform.
Instagram also allows quite a hefty character limit (2,200), but hook your reader’s attention in your opening words because the preview text will cut off after three lines. A catchy first couple words will encourage users to keep reading, especially if you have a longer and more informational caption continued after those initial three lines. One very effective strategy when using Instagram is adding relevant hashtags, which can increase your reach and allow more people to discover your content.
10 Tips to Writing Content for Social
Be authentic. Use your brand voice guide to write posts with a genuine, relatable tone.
Speak to your audience. Even when it’s about you—it’s not about you. If you’re posting about services, accomplishments, discounts, or offerings, always position your post to speak to your audience and how this news benefits them.
Engage your audience. It’s called social media, so you’ll get more results by being social. Reply to comments made on your posts. Whenever possible, comment on posts from other accounts, or share thoughts about current events.
Quality over quantity. Social channels are full of clutter. Offer a unique perspective (ex: Play with Purpose) and limit yourself to only sharing quality photographs, videos, and content to stand out from the crowd.
Give away value. Chi Chi himself said, “Everything I’ve ever had, I’ve shared.” Approach every post by asking yourself what you can give to your audience today. Pro-tips, success stories, discounts—value, value, value.
Always use a call-to-action. Whether that’s asking your followers to book a tee time or read more of a blog, the call-to-action should link to your website. The goal is to turn your social followers into loyal website visitors.
Visuals increase engagement. A picture paints a thousand words, as they say.
Diversify your messaging. Even if you’re trying to communicate the same focused message over a certain length of time, look for ways to change how you say it, to keep your audience’s attention.
Give people a reason to engage. A great way to get people to respond is by asking questions (ex: “What stopped you from playing golf today?”). Other ways to be engaging is to use humor and be entertaining. Make your content timely. Timely and relevant content will increase levels of engagement.
Leave nothing to chance. Create a content schedule. Know what you want to post and when you want to post it. Have a plan so you can get the most out of your posts. Then check your analytics to see which posts are performing the best and do more of that!
Top 10 Essential Rules for Blogging
Headline (H1). The optimal length is around 55 characters. If possible, incorporate keywords into the headline: golf, golf course, Clearwater, play golf, driving range.
Meta Copy. This is the text you see when you share the blog on social media or if it appears in a Google search. Optimal length is 150 characters, anything more will likely get cut off.
Use Subheadline (H2). Break up your text with subheadings that organize and categorize your content. These are also useful for SEO, and should include keywords whenever possible.
Text Basics. Blogs should be no less than 500 words, but between 500-1200 words is optimal for SEO value. Also, use keywords throughout the blog as much as possible. It won’t always sound completely natural, but it could help boost your SEO rank. None of the words matter if no one ever finds the blog and reads it.
Readability. The average internet reader has an elementary school level reading ability. Make sure that your text is easy to read with the Flesch-Kincaid readability test. The readability score should be 50 or above (the higher the score the easier to read) and the grade-level should never be higher than 12th (https://www.webfx.com/tools/read-able/check.php).
Use a call-to-action. Don’t miss the opportunity to tell readers what to do next. Whether that’s asking your followers to book a tee time or call for pricing information, it’s always best to have the call-to-action link back to pages on your website or other blog posts.
Visuals increase engagement. Just like your social posts, blog visuals help keep the reader engaged. Pick a striking header image and use images to break up the post when possible.
Solve Your Audience Problems. Set up a problem at the beginning of your post (ex: “Most golfers struggle to…”), and then use the post to express empathy and solve the problem. Most blogs should clearly show a Before and After (ex: “Before they played on our course they thought this, but after they played on our course they knew…”).
Keep Your Audience the Hero. Remember, even when it’s a blog about you–it’s not about you. Before you start writing, ask yourself, why this is important to your reader and how will it benefit them? Make your words reflect those answers.
Use Your Clear Brand Voice. Don’t forget your voice guide. It will help you find the proper tone in your writing. Everything you offer to the public should be easily identified as your brand, blogs too!
Blog Example
Word & Character Counts
Headline: 53/55
Meta Text: 122/150
Blog Text: 899/500-1200
Readability: 56 & 11th grade
Meta Copy: Keep the game of golf from getting lost in the busyness of life and help give the next generation a passion for the sport.
Playing with Purpose Can Keep the Game of Golf Alive
People are just too busy. When someone asks, “How are you doing?” a common response these days is, “crazy busy.” Studies show that leisure time is shrinking and, after a demanding day of work and home responsibilities, more time is spent watching TV than hitting the links.
It’s not just adults - kids today seem to be nearly as overscheduled as their parents. They’re juggling homework, soccer practice, saxophone lessons, and afterschool STEM classes. Even if kids had more time, would they want to spend it playing golf when iPhones, tablets, Xboxes, and Instagram are competing for their attention?
In 2009, Jack Nicklaus lamented, “Kids just don’t play golf any more in the United States and it is sad.”
At the Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Course and Driving Range, we don’t want the game of golf to be lost–for adults or today’s youth.
It’s More Than Golf
We help golfers balance their love of the sport with life’s demands by offering a par-69 course featuring more than 70 sand traps, water hazards on 12 holes, two-tiered greens, and fairways covered with Bermuda grass. Men and women who love the sport appreciate that they can play a round of golf after work and still be home in time for dinner.
Better yet, when golfers play our course or practice on our driving range, they help keep the passion for golf alive in the next generation. A portion of every golf fee benefits our nontraditional education academy where students grow in character, life skills, and academics.
Passing On A Love for Golf and Learning
When Hall of Fame golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez started a school on our Clearwater, FL, golf course, he believed that the course could make a better environment for learning than a traditional classroom for some kids.
Playing golf is a key ingredient for young people to grow in character, life skills, and academics. Unlike other sports, the game of golf does not require exceptional size, speed, or strength for excellence. The sport does, however, require personal discipline, diligence, concentration, honesty, humility, and tenacity. Above all, golf teaches us that we can overcome any obstacles we encounter and come out on top.
That’s why so many of our golfers love that they Play with Purpose here at Chi Chi’s.
3 Ways Play with Purpose is Changing Lives
#1: Golfers Feel Confident
While golfers may or may not be happy with the game they played on any given day, they still leave our golf course feeling confident in knowing that they have contributed to something greater than themselves.
People believe that “collective action” can make a difference, and many golfers gravitate toward the opportunity to make a positive difference in the future of golfing and in the lives of the next generation. It makes our patrons feel good that, instead of simply making a one-off charitable donation, they can better integrate charitable giving into their lifestyle.
Our golfers appreciate that they can play the game they love at Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Course or practice on the Chi Chi Rodriguez Driving Range and make a life-changing impact on the next generation through the Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy. They Play with Purpose.
#2: Students Feel Empowered
Many students struggle with poor grades, low self-esteem, or adjusting to a traditional academic environment. At the Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy, we are determined to positively impact the graduation rate of our community and prepare our students for success in the most important game of all–life.
Our students are playing out a different story for their future through a non-traditional environment where they can learn through exploration, habit building, and the game of golf. Our students receive:
Hands-on education in a living classroom that focuses on individualization, social skills, character, business, art, nature, and golf.
Exposure to successful adult golfers who become role models and mentors.
Practical learning that leads to future success.
Playing golf is a key element in our nontraditional education program where students grow in character, life skills, and academics. This is what it means for them to Play with Purpose.
#3: Donors Feel Inspired
Donors who support the Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy love the game of golf and want the principles of the game to make a positive impact on the next generation. They feel inspired by how Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy sets formerly-struggling students up for success in the most important game of all–life.
Their support helps us:
Maintain the unique, living classroom environment our students need to succeed.
Increase graduation rates and enrich the future of our community.
Instill personal discipline, concentration, honesty, and tenacity into future generations.
Their generosity inspires others to be more like Chi Chi Rodriguez himself when he said,
“I like to do something good every day of my life, and I want to leave the earth better than I found it.” They understand that when they Play with Purpose, it leaves a lasting impact on generations to come.
Avoid the “Too Busy” Excuse
You are never too busy to make a positive impact on someone’s life. At Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Course and Driving Range, we give you the opportunity to use even the smallest amount of your leisure time to enjoy a quick round of golf while influencing the future of the game and the lives of the young people we serve. Are you ready to turn off the TV and come hit the links with us? Book your tee time today!