The same Club, just better...

CV's that are not evidenced mean little. If you cannot blow your own trumpet who else will. 

No doubt it listed his corporate successes and the satisfaction ratio of customers of said corporations? 

Frankly that don't impress me much as the song says. 

I’m not against change, far from it. I face it regularly at work and I’m part of it. The large international company I work for changes to keep pace with the changing needs and requirements of its customers and market, basically to stay in business. I just get the impression that this is change for changes sake. A great many companies change their image for various reasons, some good some questionable. Due to the nature of this club, who WE are, and the way it is funded (partly by us), I put this down as a questionable change.

A work colleague of mine (and a Club member) mentioned that he worked for a major well known insurance company. This company decided to change its name and logo to ‘Move with the Times’ (not sure about encouraging the next generation of explorers though!). Once the consultants had been paid and money spent on things such as signage, IT, uniforms, stationary etc. the bill ran up to millions. I understand there were job losses sometime after (I wonder why, cost savings following the re-branding?)

I have watched the subscriptions increase year after year, fair enough, costs do go up for everyone including the club, but I am not seeing the improvements in the basic facilities on site that members would expect. Yes, we have seen big infrastructure projects on some sites, most commendable, but I would like to see investments on the more basic site aspects. As an example there is Chester club site which we have used a number of times, handy for visiting my daughter attending university nearby. Last winter we noticed a number of hard standings which were unusable due to flooding (let’s face it, in the UK we should be use to and prepared for the odd drop of rain in winter). Members were complaining to me that they were waking up in the morning and having to wade through inches of water to get out of there vans. Other sites could do with a little ‘TLC’ on such items as the washrooms. I could go on but basically this isn’t rocket science, how much club money is destined (or already spent) on the rebrand where it could be spent on minor but vital infrastructure improvements for its members. How much earache have the wardens had to put up with on site since last Tuesday’s announcement? Are the club’s senior leaders really that out of touch? The statement being put out from club HQ about encouraging the next generation of explorers is pathetic, absolutely pathetic (I feel sorry for the poor girl from HQ facing the membership on this forum with printing such rubbish, but I suppose that’s what they pay her for and is she told what to say?). As I have said when posting on here previously, you can vote the committee in and also vote them out (look at the Copeland by-election) I think the leaders will be ‘rattled’ by the reaction to this. Maybe they should consider their positions having wasted so much money without proper consultation? What does it take to stand for the committee anyway? Could my wife or I do it or is it to do with the ‘Old Boys Network’?

I earlier mentioned my daughter was attending university. This change (including pathetic logo) looks like the sort of idea some ‘Wiz kid’ graduate would come up (OK lets be fair they’re not all like this but I’ve worked with some who are). I have mentioned to my daughter (who by the way hates the logo) that when she graduates never forget that old friend that maybe slowly dying away, seldom heard or seen these days, called Common Sense. Replaced now by ‘Political Correctness’.

Last year I received my 15 Year sticker (old logo), I am hoping the future will see me staying in the club and getting my 20 Year sticker. However, the annual subscription is looking expensive when you look at the high club site fees (on top of annual membership subs) compared to equivalent well funded commercial sites. Is it worth staying a member?

 I was in my van this weekend looking at my collection of site plaques thinking to myself, the red CC flag on the green background is still valid in the 21st century. So why spend a fortune to change it? Progress it is not.

Three guesses who wrote the new 'values' and the script that staff are following 

Eurolandy - couldn't agree more - are you available to add your common sense and thoughts to become one of the Clubs 'Leaders' when the ones in charge now are replaced?

You've got my Vote.

Is the Airstream now no longer available in the UK due to poor exchange rates, and hasn't been since last summer? That about sums up the actual lack of knowledge in respect of caravans the DG has.

Perversely, over 10 years ago when we had our daughter, the new generation we inspire, we had a MH and wanted to join the CC and use a drive away awning. We were told at the time the CC didn't allow drive away awnings to be left erected on a pitch. So we joined the friendly club. So now we have a caravan, but the camc wants to attract the next generation that own MH. Bizarre to say the least.

I do wonder if it would have been better to have asked members about the re-brand, given the not inconsiderable cost to implement it. Just on the postage / printing alone that has to be £2 rebate on the membership fees. The signage etc on sites won't be value either. The CC sent an email last Friday wishing us a happy holiday. Twice last week emails about the NEC show. Nothing about the re-brand until I saw it on another caravan forum. I can only think that as a member they used the CC envelopes so as not to go straight in file b for bin as an envelope with an unrecognised branding would normally be subject to!!

That the CC/camc wotever seem to be run by politically correct types that have no comprehension of the mix of folk in this world that any normal folk recognise without the need for their diversity gibberish to be rammed down our throats. The old adage 'travel broadens the mind', as in touring at home and abroad appears to have gone 747 (over their heads as in aeroplane).

It's bonkers. But then if the chairperson (he stills signs himself mysogynically as chairman) can pull the rear off of a caravan in the debacle of carry on caravanning, there is room for a sequel called 'carry on caravan and motor homing', god forbid. Where's the wedgwood? 

We arrived at the camc Baltic Wharf site on Friday for the weekend.

We approached from the Temple Meads area rather than the route in the handbook. Mainly as we know the area and were coming from the east on the M4 / M32. The sign on the wall was the old CC one, easy to recognise. On the other side it was the new sign for camc and was not easily discernible. So if we are going to unknown sites in future we'll have to be extra wary of looking for the correct sign.

On checking in we were handed a fabric shopping bag with the new branding, containing 2 small bottles of orange juice, a coconut flap jack, a branded pen and the first edition of the camc magazine. Add that cost to the rebranding we knew nothing about prior to a thread on another caravan forum.

The warden mentioned the signage was coming through in dribs and drabs, hence the main sign only having 1 side of the new logo. Which begs the question of why not get 2 sided signs as estate agent boards. The warden uniforms with the new corporate brand had all had to go back to the supplier. Some signs had the new colour scheme. Looking around the site there are considerable signs that will be replaced for the colour change and branding. Reinforces my view of how the powers that be in grimstead towers are so out of touch with the membership.

In respect of MH, 1 was filling his water tank and blocking the arrivals bay at the peak arrival time. Why not travel a few more yards and fill at the next service point??

We arrived home to find a second copy of the first edition magazine and the new handbook, under separate cover. So in the last week we had junk email about the NEC show, an 'enjoy your holiday' email; neither of which made mention of the rebranding. Then we arrive on a site with a haphazard mix of signs, old staff uniforms and giveaways. Then we get 2 items in the post that could easily been sent as 1. It's a different world at the upper echelons of camc  

There were both caravans and MH arriving well before the 12:00 witching hour. The warden did chastise a speeding car.

But most importantly, we had a lovely weekend visiting the in laws, going to dinner at old friends, a super ferry journey into the centre and trip round the museum with rellies, then dinner at other rellies on Saturday, a relaxing sunday morning and departure at 11:00. Just what this caravanning lark is all about. Oh and laughing at the corporate nonsense the caravan back ripping off chairman and cohorts have dreamed up. 

Just bumping the above question.

Would appreciate it if David (or anyone else who is on the Club Council) could answer this?

In my opinion, a total waste of OUR money.

As others have said, why change a name and logo that is (was ?) well known and respected ??

yes, a motorhome IS A CARAVAN with a MOTOR.

 To be all inclusive, why not a rebrand as the "Caravan, motorhome, trailer tent, tent, backpackers, dog owners and any b*gger else" club ??????

I did ask that question and below is the response, complete with a no name respondent, ask a simple question and get a well make your own mind up - can't say as I like or dislike the logo it is what it is but of course these things do turn many people 'on' in particular those given the contract to re-model it. Having, in my working past, been involved in such corporate changes can say it is not cheap, however it is as they say in the reply 'consumable' I can just imagine our old Chairman's response if my Marketing Manager had come up with that one - hey ho onward's we go

Yours Nonplussed of Northants

Pasted from the email reply. 

Hi

The numbers when finalised will be reported to members in the usual way in the Annual Report and Accounts.

The amount is affordable, as it represents a tiny fraction of the Club’s turnover and will not impact any of the Club’s plans for investment in sites or club services. Many of the costs are in consumable items such as uniforms, signage and so on which need replacing on an ongoing basis in any case. We have delayed the launch of the sites directory and handbook (which will be distributed this month) for example to make sure that this has the new branding for all of its two year life and so there has been no extra costs incurred. We expect that the new brand will generate a higher profile and increased interest for the Club which will improve membership recruitment and retention and increase usage of club services so that the Club is even more successful in the future than it is now.

I hope that answers your question

Kind Regards

Email Support Team
Caravan and Motorhome Club
East Grinstead House, East Grinstead, RH19 1UA
+44 (0)1342 318813
www.camc.com

On the issue of 'Consultation' it seems to me that the (members focused) Club could have gone about a proper consultation by asking members directly (no doubt the answer will be cost!) democratic seems to be a good word here. This is a major change and as such those who pay the piper should have (at least) been given courtesy of a say in the matter,

tI would be interesting to hear if the manufacturers had been asked or involved in the 'change' discussions.