Introduction
The UF/IFAS Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology (CLCE) promotes the protection and preservation of Florida’s natural resources through responsible landscape management. Florida’s landscape plays an important role in the state’s economy, generating $10 billion a year.
CLCE offers various landscaping and gardening programs that cater to multiple audiences. These programs include: Florida Master Gardeners, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods and Gardening in a Minute.
Intrigued by an opportunity to change its branding identity, CLCE asked the PIE Center to perform a communications audit and series of focus groups in order to understand stakeholders’ current perceptions of CLCE as well as new branding ideas.
For the communications audit, the PIE Center requested and received a representative sampling of materials used to communicate with both external and internal audiences, including a website, social media and print materials. Six focus groups, which focused on Master Gardeners and county Extension agents, were conducted in Orlando, Live Oak and Tampa.
Key findings
Overall, focus group participants were not familiar with CLCE. The participants were most familiar with Florida-Friendly Landscaping but were confused about the similarities or differences from Florida Yards and Neighborhoods. Some participants had heard of Gardening in a Minute but many said they do not listen to the show.
Although participants were worried about a general lack of education about landscaping issues, the participants thought that all CLCE programs were trying to educate the public and raise awareness. The participants thought these programs could play a role in providing educational resources about environmental and landscaping issues.
Focus groups assessed the viability and reactions to potential new brand names for CLCE. Participants explicitly liked two words: Florida and landscape. Many words were found to be misleading or exclusive: neighborhood, urban, yard, horticulture and center.
Recommendations
Focus group participants generally did not understand the organization’s goals. Although CLCE is looking to change its name in order to communicate more clearly with key audiences, participants exhibited a disconnect with the academic language used in name testing activities. CLCE’s current name is possibly making the organization less accessible to certain audiences.
Although focus group participants did not arrive at an agreed umbrella brand name, PIE Center researchers can suggest the following names based on focus group analysis:
- Center for Landscape Resources
- Center for Landscape Information
- Center for Landscape Resources & Information
- Center for Gardening & Landscaping Information
- Center for Gardening & Landscaping Resources
- Center for Gardening & Landscaping Solutions
- Florida Landscape Resources Center
Researchers did not include the word “Florida” with the assumption that UF/IFAS would be included in the center’s title. If not, “Florida” should be added to the above names.
Additionally, PIE Center researchers suggested CLCE consider whether it wants to strengthen the umbrella organization’s brand or to strengthen the brands of the programs underneath CLCE, as participants were generally aware of the individual programs.
