Brand Recognition

[MichaelMcQuinn]

Hello Friends,

My name is Michael, a retired engineer with GM, and an active mentor with various teams. My role is Brand Recognition, and was wondering how many/which teams people knew. Please just fill out the survey. I have included teams from all around the country and world, so you may not know a lot of them. Please be honest!!!

Thanks!

EDIT: 579 is supposed to be 597.

[MichaelMcQuinn]

Very interesting data! 579 is supposed to be 597.

[bobjones227]

Promotion of teams could be through a new breakfast food;
FRCereal! Coming soon to you!

[LDiDomenico]

I think that it is interesting that a small amount of people know this year's World Chairman's Award Winner.

[MichaelMcQuinn]

I think that it is interesting that a small amount of people know this year's World Chairman's Award Winner.

That is also my most interesting point about this data. I will be compiling this data and putting together a document about it.

[IronicDeadBird]

Promotion of teams could be through a new breakfast food;
FRCereal! Coming soon to you!

Kamen O's?

Gracious Cheese Cake company?

Deadball Energy drinks?

I'm down

[Jacob Bendicksen]

No PNW teams..:(

[Mike Schreiber]

I think that it is interesting that a small amount of people know this year's World Chairman's Award Winner.

It doesn't help that their number is wrong and I didn't read the thread before I voted. And if I did it, I guarantee other people did too. If the number was correct then I would have marked them because I did know them - solely because they won CCA. Probably have to throw that data out from final results.

No PNW teams..:(

No MI love either.

[Abhishek R]

It doesn't help that their number is wrong and I didn't read the thread before I voted. And if I did it, I guarantee other people did too. If the number was correct then I would have marked them because I did know them - solely because they won CCA. Probably have to throw that data out from final results.

I should've read the thread, but I can confirm that I did the same thing and didn't vote for them because I thought they meant 579.

[LDiDomenico]

It doesn't help that their number is wrong and I didn't read the thread before I voted. And if I did it, I guarantee other people did too. If the number was correct then I would have marked them because I did know them - solely because they won CCA. Probably have to throw that data out from final results.

I also didn't read the thread before taking the survey.

[MichaelMcQuinn]

Wow! I didn't expect such an enthusiastic response from the community! 115 (As of now) responded. I did make a mistake when entering in team numbers, I entered 597 as 579, my bad.

[CaptainKirby]

How did you decide on what teams to put on the list?

[GeeTwo]

In the interest of disclosure, I only recognized five. Quite a few looked familiar, but not certain. I guess I gave up on using numbers for memory identity when I realized that my cousins didn't stay the same age - a long time ago. I recognized three teams (254, 1114, and 148) as perennial powerhouses whose designs always merit special attention, and two others with whom the interaction was much more personal. There are only about a dozen other team numbers I would recognize straight away, and most of them are Bayou Regional regulars. Sometimes I have to blink a couple of times before I can remember our team number. Then there's 1717, whose mascot is just too "cool" to be forgotten.

[MichaelMcQuinn]

How did you decide on what teams to put on the list?

My PR team and I sat down and discussed this topic for a while. We wanted teams from all around the world, but most to be from the US. Certain great teams weren't included (1678) because the point of the poll was not a popularity contest, but rather see which teams really can make their team loud. We figured most people would have heard of 1114 and 254 so we are going to use their scores as a base line. Many of the teams here are several imagery award winners. Since there is a 25 limit on the poll, we couldn't have everyone. Trust me, we wish we had at least 25 more slots. 1619 was on the border of being included.

[CaptainKirby]

My PR team and I sat down and discussed this topic for a while. We wanted teams from all around the world, but most to be from the US. Certain great teams weren't included (1678) because the point of the poll was not a popularity contest, but rather see which teams really can make their team loud. We figured most people would have heard of 1114 and 254 so we are going to use their scores as a base line. Many of the teams here are several imagery award winners. Since there is a 25 limit on the poll, we couldn't have everyone. Trust me, we wish we had at least 25 more slots. 1619 was on the border of being included.

Ok thanks, I was just curious since I did notice that there were a large number of teams that I would put up because they are great teams, but it makes sense why they weren't up there now.

Also, I don't want to give the wrong impression. I was not indirectly asking "why not us?".

[Gregor]

I recognized all of them (can you tell I spend too much time on chief?).

597 is the only one on that last I had never heard of before champs.

[MichaelMcQuinn]

Ok thanks, I was just curious since I did notice that there were a large number of teams that I would put up because they are great teams, but it makes sense why they weren't up there now.

Also, I don't want to give the wrong impression. I was not indirectly asking "why not us?".

Don't worry, I didn't think that. I think the team felt that your "Brand Recognition" was very high, so they didn't feel the absolute need to put 1619 on the list.

[GreyingJay]

My PR team and I sat down and discussed this topic for a while. We wanted teams from all around the world, but most to be from the US. Certain great teams weren't included (1678) because the point of the poll was not a popularity contest, but rather see which teams really can make their team loud. We figured most people would have heard of 1114 and 254 so we are going to use their scores as a base line. Many of the teams here are several imagery award winners. Since there is a 25 limit on the poll, we couldn't have everyone. Trust me, we wish we had at least 25 more slots. 1619 was on the border of being included.

It might be interesting to try the survey again except using team names instead of numbers. I'd probably recognize a lot more names than numbers.

The only numbers I recall are the REALLY popular ones (1114, 254) though of course that might not be the result of their marketing or brand as much as sheer size and performance.

[GuyM142]

I'm so exited that my team is in that list! and even more that we actually got a relatively big amount of votes!
Thanks everyone :)

[MichaelMcQuinn]

It might be interesting to try the survey again except using team names instead of numbers. I'd probably recognize a lot more names than numbers.

The only numbers I recall are the REALLY popular ones (1114, 254) though of course that might not be the result of their marketing or brand as much as sheer size and performance.


I was thinking the same thing. I'll release one today.

[Alan Anderson]

I might not have understood the instructions. I looked up the team for each listed number and answered based on whether I knew of the team, not whether I recognized the number. I do remember a lot of teams' numbers, but I tend to hang my knowlege of a team on its name and/or location.

[waialua359]

I recognized all of them (can you tell I spend too much time on chief?).

597 is the only one on that last I had never heard of before champs.

Darryl Newhouse and his program the Wolverines have done some great all-around work since their inception.
They won several EI's and RCA's for awhile and then got off the radar a bit until recently.
His team reminds me of 842 because of the students he services in similar situations.
I always knew at some point their program would win the CCA. Many in the West Coast area know how great they are.

I think what's interesting is that with the recent new rules on competing for the RCA, they would not have won it this year if the IE or LA regional that they competed at was their one and only choice to apply for it under the old rules. We were at the IE event and LiveWire won it instead. Their next event, they won EI. And then finally, at their last event in Las Vegas they won the RCA.
Its amazing how they earned a better award each time they competed.
Either they really took to heart in improving their presentation each time or we have some really inconsistent judging between events.

[Jacob Bendicksen]

Either they really took to heart in improving their presentation each time or we have some really inconsistent judging between events.

What I find interesting is how much the presentation (apparently) matters. I'm not too familiar with 597's program, but I doubt they did any new outreach stuff between March and April (in my experience, huge new outreach initiatives during competition season are rare), so the difference between not winning an RCA and winning the CCA, for 597, was a re-working of the presentation. That's a lot of weight for seven minutes.

[Koko Ed]

Being a lead que at the championships and a frequent volunteer who has attended dozens of events over the years I am familiar with almost every team on the list including 597.

[Amit3339]

I think 1678 are definitely deserves to be on that list they were one of the nicest team I've got to know! :)
Also 225.

[evanperryg]

I think it'd be a fun game of name-dropping to see who could correctly name the most teams. Also- OP, is there any more specific reasoning on why you chose certain teams? I'm guessing, based on the variety, your main criteria besides location are recent awards and general reputation.

[EricH]

I think it'd be a fun game of name-dropping to see who could correctly name the most teams.

Of the teams in the poll, I can name 21 (597 being one of them). Many of them I have no in-person interaction with, but I do play Fantasy FIRST, and I do recognize several from CD.

Bonus item for the game suggested: name one or more CD users for each team you name...

[evanperryg]

Of the teams in the poll, I can name 21 (597 being one of them). Many of them I have no in-person interaction with, but I do play Fantasy FIRST, and I do recognize several from CD.

Bonus item for the game suggested: name one or more CD users for each team you name...

All the better... I'm not sure how to make this happen but it'd certainly be entertaining :D Perhaps just a google form?
Edit: And so it begins. (http://goo.gl/forms/abZeoCOVk1)

[Darkseer54]

Many of the teams here are several imagery award winners.

If you are basing it off of imagery awards where are 1902? They have 5 of those. Or what about us? We have 6, including 3 this year.:p

[Abhishek R]

If you are basing it off of imagery awards where are 1902? They have 5 of those. Or what about us? We have 6, including 3 this year.:p

Before this thread, I really underestimated the value of the Imagery Award and what it really means, and I think I've found a newfound pride in the honor. Looking back, we won our 8th Imagery Award this year, and the poll made me think about the effects it has. I think a consistent imagery program can really set a team up for brand recognition, which I think is why we seem to be so well-known. We've had students on lots of FIRST publications, ranging from the slideshows on their websites to life size motivational posters to the videos they play at the start of the regional (a lot of which has to do with the spiked hair). 624 got more votes than multiple teams who in my opinion have been building very competitive robots for a much longer time.

To preface my next statements, I could name all the teams on the list by name, but I'm probably a bit of an outlier; I spend a lot of time on CD and just learning about other teams. I was actually surprised to see more people have heard of our team than 1538 (one of the California teams I really look up to, and our team actually holds as a branding standard to strive for) and 842 Falcon Robotics. In addition, 359 has been all over the world for many events, and have built very good machines for so long, yet they are even with us in the poll - and all three of these teams are CCA winners, which I figured would help boost recognition as well.

I guess spiked hair is just OP.

[JB987]

I guess I am a bit confused as to the message this thread conveys. If we are not on the list should we be rethinking, retooling our branding efforts? Are we missing outreach effectiveness? If we are 'underbranded' exactly what are the consequences? Do we need to change our image? Shall we have more than our driver adopt a mohawk? Should I color the little hair I have left?:) :)

[mman1506]

I guess I am a bit confused as to the message this thread conveys. If we are not on the list should we be rethinking, retooling our branding efforts? Are we missing outreach effectiveness? If we are 'underbranded' exactly what are the consequences? Do we need to change our image? Shall we have more than our driver adopt a mohawk? Should I color the little hair I have left?:) :)

It's a survey not a competition. 865 has never won an imagery award, we didn't even have branded T-shirts before 2014. I wouldn't be surprised if you don't remember our pit being next to yours on Curie in 2014 as it usually looks like this (https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11129645_10155387901660576_7142022923175026866_n.j pg?oh=066de64111d6360ad90d0a673e43f033&oe=5603D00A).

I'm actually surprised our number of votes is anywhere near 4039. They've been competitive since their inception and go as far as building branded rainbow bumpers for practice day. The only thing we really do imagery wise is following a solid set of branding standards.

[JB987]

I know this thread isn't a competition. I am thinking there was a motive for starting this. Doesn't brand recognition have some relationship to competition though? It affects financial support for a team and resource availability. It impacts several awards too, right? My questions hope to elicit constructive suggestions that might help my team increase brand recognition ...which I assume was the same motive for the OP of this thread.

[Electronica1]

While I think my team has a pretty decent brand, I am incredibly surprised that 1902 did not make this list. They are the FIRST team I think of when I think of branding.

Oink Oink...

[James1902]

While I think my team has a pretty decent brand, I am incredibly surprised that 1902 did not make this list. They are the FIRST team I think of when I think of branding.

Oink Oink...

BOOM!

...sorry, reflex. What's going on now?