It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Discussion of the re-branding of CTC as Cycling UK.
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gaz
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by gaz »

At the time this thread was started an "image change" was being proposed - "Refresh the Brand".

An image change can mean many things. At one time BP changed to BP although I think it's now back to BP again. Sellafield used to be Windscale.

Proposed changes were put out to focus groups for feedback. I do not know how subtle or radical the range of proposals were.

We continue to await the outcome.
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Si
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by Si »

Issue may be further delayed by staff changes at N.O. ?
thirdcrank
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by thirdcrank »

A refreshing of the brand refreshers? Sounds like the idea for a good song.
mercsport
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by mercsport »

Have only read a couple of pages of this thread but am with those who have declared that the CTC, and in full 'Cyclists Touring Club', is sacrosanct. Even the idea of altering it conjures up thoughts of Maurice Saathchi types who have rebranding on the brain. It often is not a good thing. Look what Saathchi did for British art! :roll:
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gaz
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by gaz »

Si wrote:Issue may be further delayed by staff changes at N.O. ?

Were they sacked for carving the club initials on a møøse?
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pioneer
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by pioneer »

Silly me, yes, I had quite forgotten about the hijack! I met a chap some time ago who wanted to rename the CTC as British Cycling. Couldn't ofcourse as the name is already taken. But, he had absolutely no idea at all about the loyalty from members towards what they see as "their club" . Neither could he understand that not everybody is in love with re-branding, re-imaging and he saw the CTC as a throwback to the past. This was somebody from management/head office who was also involved with the Birthday Rides. We did not hit it off and after that, I walked away from rides mainly because of his attitude.
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fatmac
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by fatmac »

How about

The Charity Called CTC, formerly known as the Cyclists Touring Club, instigated as The Bicycle Club

trips off the tongue & says what it really is. :lol:
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freiston
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by freiston »

I came across this thread after unsuccessfully searching the CTC website for winged wheel lapel badges (hasn't the winged wheel always had the letters C-T-C incorprated into it?)!

I came back to the CTC (I've always known it informally as 'the CTC' and have reserved the descriptive 'Cyclists' Touring Club' for those not in the know) last year after several years absence. When I rejoined, I noticed (was surprised at) the new logo and the strapline 'the national cycling charity' and didn't think about them much further but I have to admit that I was a tad turned off by them. I've always thought of the CTC as a club (including DAs and Sections) comprising and serving its subscription-paying membership of recreational cyclists - be they active or inactive members (not a charity) and I've always identified the winged wheel with it. I use the term 'recreational cyclist' to loosely encapsulate all defintions of touring cyclist and to distinguish from competition cyclist.

I've nothing against the CTC campaigning or charitably acting on behalf of cyclists generally, but personally I think such activities should be ancillary to the main thrust of it being a club as I perceive it.

Does the Cyclists' Touring Club need to be identified (as a brand) outside of the 'cycling fraternity'? Does it matter if your 'man on the Clapham omnibus' doesn't know what CTC stands for? I think 'no' on both counts irrespective of whether it would be favourable. I do think it is necessary that the CTC maintains an identity within the cycling community as the club for the recreational cyclist.

People join clubs or associations for different reasons than those that move them to support charities. Cycling as a pastime is enjoying a big boom at the moment and the CTC could benefit significantly because of this - not by rebranding as a [vague] charity but by building on and strengthening its identity as the club for the recreational cyclist - offering benefits of membership such as third party insurance, resources for planning rides, advice and tips, local events/rides, etc. After this, then the charitable and campaigning work can follow and even be integral.

Not sure if that's possible given that it seems to have now become primarily a charity - maybe it should rename and leave the old name to be used for a real Cyclists' Touring Club ;)
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute. ;)
Bazza55
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by Bazza55 »

It is becoming more apparent that British Cycling with SKY money behind them and the T de F successes want to become all things cycling, which means treading on the CTC's toes.
However the Cyclists Touring Club have one advantage over British Cycling that many regularly forget, the CTC have history and tradition. Our greatest selling point is that WE ARE CYCLE TOURISTS and that is what many new cyclists are looking for. Not everyone coming into this past time sees themselves as Chris Froome, and those that do will probably join a small local racing club anyway
The winged wheel is a tremendously attractive and unique logo which should be exploited to the full, it doesn't even appear on the front of 'Cycle' magazine anymore. The club have an asset and don't even seem to be aware of it.
So my advice is:
1 Ditch the wobbly wheel and all the charity signs attached to it and let's see the magnificent winged wheel proudly restored.
2 Refer to ourselves as the 'Cyclists Touring Club' and less so 'the CTC'
3 Be proud of our history, traditions, past and present members and tell the world "If you're not racing, then this is the club for you."
4 Sell our club on our past history and values, don't compete with other organisations which may use tacky commercialism.

Sky could ditch British Cycling in three years and sponsor F1 motor racing instead
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by reohn2 »

Bazza55 wrote:........ The club have an asset and don't even seem to be aware of it......


It's its members,but since becoming a 'charity' don't seem to be bothered about them too much :?
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JohnW
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by JohnW »

British Cycling are successors to the BCF - 'CTC' are successors to the 'Cyclists' Touring Club' - cycling organisations with different raisons d'etre. They had a lot in common, some of us were members of both - and the RTTC.

We still have a common interest - increasingly so. What a shame that the two don't liaise and relate sufficiently to unite in the common interest, sensibly divide labours, and work together.

It seems that we are in competition with each other for membership and honours, which is absolutely ridiculous. I was recently in a meeting which was sponsored and organised by a third party, but in the (ours) common interest. A couple of BC members were in the same 'workshop' group as I was, and their comments and references to the CTC were insolent and infantile and would have been unworthy of a 12-year-old with a brain. The insolence came out of nowhere, it wasn't relevant to the discussion, and it wasn't targeted at me - I know that because they didn't know me, and until after the meeting they had no idea of my affiliations.

The two associations do have different interests, but we also have common interests and we really won't progress until we are on common ground and united in aims and intentions. Cycling isn't united - how ridiculous - we don't learn the lessons of history - a document as old as the Bible tells us that : "a house divided against itself cannot stand".

Whilst we are looking down on BC as 'upstarts' and they are ridiculing us as 'cloth cap brigade', and whilst we're competing for membership, the enemy continues to treat us and our lives with sheer contempt..............whatever the rhetoric and splather that comes form the politicians.
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Si
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by Si »

Would you like to ride with us? We are a membership organisation for hardened cycle tourists - £40 please, now ride much further and faster than you've ever tried to before.

Would you like to ride with us? Although we are a membership organisation you don't have to be a member - £0 please, now come along for one of the rides we do for beginners.


As a total newcomer, which one would you pick?

OK, the CTC welcomes anyone not just hardened cycle tourists and most MGs do a plethora of rides of all shapes and sizes - but the view of the CTC that many new comers get is that outlined at the top, plus although you can do five rides for free, you have to pay after that.
And BC don't do as many easy rides under the Sky banner that CTC MG groups do in many places, but the view that many new comers get is that BC are doing what they want.

One of our many problems is that we are faced with a choice of prioritising our members or prioritising people who are new to riding. The group that I work with (not BC/Sky) is open to all comers and free, and we get 100s of newbies coming along. The local CTC MG (and it's a really good MG) gets many many fewer.
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by JohnW »

Si wrote:...............Would you like to ride with us? Although we are a membership organisation you don't have to be a member - £0 please, now come along for one of the rides we do for beginners...............


That's not how I read the entrance conditions for SKY rides - the way I read it is that they want you to join this social network thing, and the impression that I have from what they say is that you have to join it to join the ride.............then they have your details!!!!!!
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Si
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by Si »

But you don't have to pay to go on the Sky rides, whereas with the CTC rides you have to pay and you have to give them your details too!
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Re: It's all in the name - Cyclists' TOURING club

Post by JohnW »

Si wrote:But you don't have to pay to go on the Sky rides, whereas with the CTC rides you have to pay and you have to give them your details too!


True - you don't have to pay to go on a SKY ride, but (following my previous post) you should have seen the details they wanted to enable me to join this social network site thing that I had to join for the only SKY ride I've ever thought of riding.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not decrying SKY rides, but I wouldn't want you to put your own club down.
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