Why disguise your STLE identity?
Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report October 2015
Make STLE’s name and logo part of your personal brand statement.
Belonging to STLE makes a statement about you and your company’s commitment to professionalism in the lubricants industry.
OCTOBER IS THE MONTH when kids of all ages like to conceal their identity with Halloween masks. It’s also a good time to remind members that there’s nothing tricky about displaying the STLE name, acronym and logo, provided you treat the usage rules with proper care.
The inspiration for this column came by email a few weeks ago, when a corporate member representative asked if she could display the STLE logo on her company’s Website. They view STLE membership as a sign of the company’s professional commitment to the tribology and lubricants industry but were unsure about usage rules for the logo. This is a fairly common question, especially when it comes to Website display.
In summary form, our policy states, “Members may use the STLE name, acronym and logo, provided such reference does not indicate, directly or indirectly, endorsement by STLE of the member’s business, services or products.”
A copy of the full policy is available at
www.stle.org on the About STLE page. It explains in more detail how to make proper use of your STLE affiliation on letterhead, business cards, Web pages, print advertising and in professional credentials like a CV or biography. The STLE site also provides a digital link to several versions of the STLE logo.
We like to think of this as a win-win proposition: good for the member company’s image in the marketplace and a boost for STLE’s own brand identity based on the fact that members who choose to display our mark are making a statement about STLE’s value and reputation to the industry.
Since we are on the subject, there’s another way to enhance your personal brand identity through STLE. This sign of professional affiliation comes in the form of a stylish lapel pin that’s available in both an individual and corporate member version. Pins are provided to new members as part of their welcome kit and to tenured members when they reach a membership milestone (five, 10 or more years). But keep in mind that the pins also are available to any member at any time on request through the STLE membership department. Of course, the pins are provided at no charge as part of your STLE membership benefits.
STLE’s value proposition, Connect/Learn/Achieve, strongly emphasizes the tangible benefits individuals and companies receive for their membership investment. Things like professional networking at conference events and technical education through this magazine or at local section meetings always score high on the ratings scale. Tapping into the Achieve part of that proposition is just as powerful but is often overlooked or underutilized.
So let STLE membership make a statement for you and your company. People who see our name and logo will recognize that you are part of an organization that for more than 70 years has been on a mission to: “Advance the science of tribology and best practices in lubrication engineering to foster innovation, improve the performance of equipment and products, conserve resources and protect the environment.”
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.