CAMC CL Signage
I welcome the change in Club name to embrace motorhomers more fully, however I was dismayed by the proposed CL signage.
The proposed CL roadside entrance sign lacks impact, readability and 'message' for passing traffic.
The CC brand was very recognisable to members and non-members alike. People had confidence in the Caravan Club 'brand' - a national institution. I fear that such a radical change will lose business for us.
As a CL Owner, we benefit from local recommendations. Our recommendations often come from non-CAMC members - local people tell friends & family to stay with us whilst visiting them in Ellesmere. The proposed CL sign is not large enough and is not recognisable nor obvious enough, particularly to non-members.
The old CL sign was quite clear that we can only accept 5 outfits at a time, and guests must be members of the Club. Even so, we usually have to explain this to non-members (and some members!) several times a year. The new CL sign is less obvious in this respect - if we are to get more non-members knocking at the door, I would welcome the opportunity to be able to enrol them as Club members at our CL.
With a lot of white space, this proposed CL roadside sign will quickly look dirty with splashes from passing vehicles - not an ideal image to promote.
Many websites and social media pages need square logos for avatars etc - CL Owners have only been given a rectangular .jpeg file. The production of style & branding guides is standard marketing department practice - surely there must be a CAMC branding guide with a square logo...?
Ian Kelly
01691 622951
Caravan@BirchHill.co.uk
www.BirchHill.co.uk
Birch Hill Farm – a multi-award winning caravan site in the beautiful lake-lands of Shropshire - exclusively for members of the Caravan and Motorhome Club
Read the reviews - look at the photos.
Number 1398 in the 2015/16 Sites Directory
Comments
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Hi Ian,
Yes, a very interesting point re the signage. Perhaps a way round this is to put the image of the sign in an email to your booked caravanning guest so that they know what to look out for. We have a section in the CL's email signature which gives clear directions, so that is where we will put ours. I am not sure if you email your customers or if many CLs do - it is just the way that we do things around here.
As for other logos, I think they will send you versions which are used for various mediums. Perhaps ask the ladies on the CL response team.
I have also been in touch with the club about a few point that I don't think they had thought about for CLs and where they have to comply. We don't have a sign on a main road indicating the whereabouts of our CL, we only have them on the gate. If the 5 van and members only section is not clearly visible, it will cause more 'chancers' to arrive on site - not a bad thing if you have space for them and they don't mind joining the club there and then.
I would be interested in hearing other CLs views
Louise
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Personally yes we have got sued to looking for the old CC CL sign and recognise it but as time goes on we will no doubt forget about the old sign and recognize the new one.
One change I would like to see though is to have the CL name on the sign. We often pass a CL sign and think this is a nice area maybe we should stay here sometime but we never know the CL name so it involves a map search etc. to try and find it. A sign clearly saying the CL name would help.
One other thing for CL owners why oh why can't you be bothered to get some photo's and a decent up to date verbiage on the C&MC web site so us punters can have a look to see what its like. We are far more likely to book a site if it has pictures and good reviews than one where there are none.
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Is it not possible for CL owners to display both the new and the old signs for a year or two until we members get used to the new one?
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My first thoughts were why don't all the CLs join the CCC instead but on reflection this may be welcomed by the CC?
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I like that idea to ease the transition - unfortunately the CMAC has asked for us to send the old signs back in pre-paid envelopes.
Now you know how you membership fee is being spent.
Ian2 -
We are caravanners as well as CL Owners and like the idea of having the CL name on the sign.
For the next version, we might add our postcode as well as that would help with SatNav.
Ian Kelly
01691 622951
Caravan@BirchHill.co.uk
www.BirchHill.co.uk2 -
What!?
This is ridiculous!
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Were any CL owners or owners groups invited to give their input into the design of these signs or just given them as a fait accompli? I suspect the latter otherwise the secret would have leaked out but just reinforces how much esteem the club really have in the CL network.
They are always ready to promote the use of CLs as one of their selling points but don't seem to involve you a great deal in decision making that mght actually affect your business and therefore income. Is that assumption correct?
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Not really when you think about it logically. As an organization you have rebranded so want everyone to use the same logo, typeface etc. on all letters, signs etc. So by giving the CL owner the pre-paid envelope you ensure they use the new sign and you have the old one to destroy thus ensuring your brand is kept in tact.
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Am I correct in thinking that the new signs do not say 5 vans only, members only?
Just wondering.
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It is indeed. CL owners are going to be in for an interesting Summer!
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Are members of anything welcome?
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Wherenext - All your assumptions are correct!
Like Ian (Birch Hill) , I'm in favour of the re-branding, but CL's are rarely consulted on any changes!
Oh, that reminds me, I'll have to change my Avatar (which I only made last week) .. I've done my website, and I await the new signs for the roadside..which - like Ian - I'm concerned about..
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We at Greetham Retreat CL in Lincolnshire are not happy at all with the change as we have just had printed 15,000 leaflets advertising our CL site and holiday cottages and they all arrived today. They cost us over £500 to print and are all now incorrect with the wrong logo and the club has changed its name too so thats wrong also. Have asked the CC why we as CL owners had no warning re the change and they just said sorry but the change of name was a secret!!! How then did all the Club sites allready have the new signage etc, they must have known about it but us CL owners who we thought were working in partnership with the CC and not to be trusted it seems. Its just not on that they change a name and logo without any warnings. We have not received our new signs yet and today I had a motorhomer ring up and tell me that my website was incorrect and we were useing the wrong logo on our own website and informing me that it had changed. Having spent the £500 on leaflets which now have to go in the bin, its so frustrating and any profits we may make this year have now gone completely due to the selfishness and lack of consideration to CL owners from the caravan Club.
Rob Folwell owner of Greetham Retreat CL in Lincolnshire
Website http://www.greethamretreat.co.uk/touring-carvans/
Mod Comment - Link edited as typo in link
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I agree Rob. Very, Very shabby. I restrain from using profanity on forum!
The whole action was totally thoughtless in the way that it was carried out with no consideration for the effects on CL owners or courtesy of letting members know in advance. Cavalier and arrogant management.
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Just wonder how members of the Motorhome Owners Club feel about what may be assumed as a takeover of their name, or will they eventually be welcomed to use all sites, I don't think so.
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Dear Rob,
It may be just small compensation but the vast majority of respondents on the change of name thread feel the same as you. It would seem that the Executive Committee were all on an ego trip by wanting to make a big announcement at the show last week. Very, very arrogant of them not to consider the impact this would have on CL owners.
It's no wonder we are losing CLs when they receive shabby treatment.
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Sorry to say your link doesn't work on my phone, maybe you are working on it as I type? 😉
I had heard of you before but thought I'd check you out, so adding The link is agreat idea.
I think CL's have been treated very Shabbily, to say the least, since the much heralded upgrade of the Web pages and quite possibly before. The upgrade was the first I knew about your treatment. As far as I can tell the search facility and reviews still not resolved. Then the name and logo change without any consultation. They may have just said suggest you hang back on ordering stationery or similar , because it must have been months in the pipeline. I have to say from a customer, ?member? Poing if view I'd be very disappointed to lose CL's but we're I a CL owner I would be seriously considering my position.until all this started I hadn't realised you couldn't recruit - something good the C&CC allow, that seems mad and if I had just found a site with space I wouldn't be a happy bunny.
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Not to consult CL owners, even if it was to give advance warning, is a real derogation of duty. This is has been an eye opener in the way the CMC operates.
I hope the CMC compensates any expenses incurred, there is no excuse to let this happen at the beginning of the season.
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Brue
Before the announcement everything was on lock-down to ensure news of the name change did not get out before the planned date. I am not suggesting CL owners can't be relied on to keep things confidential but the more widely known something is before the event the more like it is to get out, often by accident rather than design.
David
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David, a couple of points spring to mind:
1. We have been told on the change of name thread that members were consulted yet the majority of respondants to that thread are against the name change, with more members being aghast at the cost of such a change but not that bothered about the name changing per se. Yet these members who were allegedly consulted did not leak the news. Extremely surprising considering the anger directed at the club. So which was it, we were notified or we weren't or maybe only a few selected members were/
2. Why did management have to make it a secret anyway. Why not float the idea and gauge the response before committing yourselves.
3. If they wanted a big splash why not do it at the show in October before people had started to make plans for this year. That way everyone would have known in advance and not have ordered new clothing such as some Rally centres have and CL owners have had 2017 stationery printed. In addition the new site book wouldn't have been held up.
In my view the management have acted in a poor way towards the members and CL owners and that is putting it mildly.
BTW - I have no objection to the change of name as I feel it properly reflects the current membership but there are more pressing matters to be spending our money on.
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Begs the question did you know?
How would people like CL's and rally organisers know about lock down? Clearly even that appears to have been privileged information.
I have objection to name change or even logo change - I don't like it much but hey ho, but I am concerned about the costs from the reserves, we could use some new sites decent motorhome points etc, but these points are raised on the same club but better thread. I am further incensed at the cavalier attitude to CL's which the Club love to trumpet above buy appear NOT to champion and respect.
It would be nice if management justified their actions rather than it being left to unpaid mods and Rochelle 😉
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Whilst understanding what you are saying David it would still have been possible to tell CL owners that new signage was on the way. Consulting with them about what they considered to be important elements of the signage would not have involved revealing further details but might have prevented some preparing new details, photos etc with the wrong titles or letterheads.
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Ian, if you don't send the old signs back what punishment has been suggested?
As I'm sure all of your CC visitors have had a great time and will probably return, have you thought about transferring to the CCC ( who will probably welcome you with open arms) to attract a new crowd of users?
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For all that there was to trumpet with this grand unveiling (and there was B all to trumpet about) if the club had said 6 months ago that the club name was to change in 6 months to something to more represent the membership their would have been no stupendous announcement to spoil as there was no stupendous announcement. All that accompanied the name change was meaningless hyperbole and flimflam that the best snake oil salesmen would have been proud of.
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