Date: June 14, 2012
To: CoSIDA Membership
From: Tom Di Camillo, CoSIDA President
Re: Strategic Branding Review
In May of 2012, the College Sports Information Directors of America embarked on an extensive, yearlong strategic branding review of the entire organization from top to bottom.
The purpose of this review is to take a good, long look at our organization through the eyes of the many constituents we serve and with whom we interact. We need this information - this reflection - to help guide our organization into the future.
The CoSIDA Board has selected the
Cryder Rinebold Company - a company with a deep understanding of collegiate athletic organizations and higher education – to coordinate the entire process.
As president of this organization, I am personally asking each of you – if and when you are called upon – to participate in the process of positioning CoSIDA for the future
Cryder Rinebold will be reaching out to organizations within the sports information community, as well as outside organizations, to gather the data, feedback and information we need for future strategic plans and sound decision-making.
What has spurred this course of action? Several board members, including myself, were tasked with providing a strategic branding review of our organization over the last few years. We could not do it for one very simple reason - we are too close to the organization. CoSIDA needed a fresh approach from an external organization to help.
Major changes in CoSIDA such as the convention moving to NACDA, the hiring of full-time employees and the change of the Capital One Academic All-America® program all have caused a shift in how we conduct business, how we are viewed by peer organizations, and how we plan for the future.
Discussions on changing the organization’s name, altering the structure of the board, and developing a new strategic plan are at our doorstep. But without a clear and common purpose that galvanizes the diverse CoSIDA membership, these decisions will be purely administrative in nature rather than strategic and future-focused.
The Cryder Rinebold Company’s review will confirm things we know about our organization, reveal items we did not know, and unveil challenges that we will need to tackle. Everything – and I mean everything – is on the proverbial table for discussion and change. Consider this our accreditation review.
Let’s also be crystal clear that doing this type of review comes with a commitment from CoSIDA– on a practical level, this strategic review and positioning comes with a price tag that will range from $60,000-$100,000. But more importantly, going through this type of exercise requires our unwavering commitment to engage, contribute and in turn be prepared to consider and act upon the recommendations that come as a result. The entire CoSIDA Board leadership that is comprised of members from across divisions and organizations had an opportunity to contribute in these discussions and all agreed that the right decision was to move forward with this course of action.
What is the cost of
NOT doing this review? Infinitely higher while the organization remains status quo. The role of the athletic communications professional and the surrounding environment grow exponentially more complex with each passing academic year. In order to provide value and relevancy to our respective institutions and conferences, we need to be clear about where our role currently rests but more importantly where it should be in the long-term on their behalf.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at
tomdicamillo@thepacwest.com or
tom.dicamillo@centralaz.edu or call me directly at 480-204-9333.
Thank you.
Tom Di Camillo
Central Arizona College
The Pacific West Conference
2011-12 CoSIDA President