 A Club of Their Own
New Strategy Attracts Teen Members
Teenagers are a tough group to impress, and no one knows that better than Boys & Girls Club staff. Teenagers yearn to find their independence and express their individuality. Add the idle time many teens confront in the afternoon hours, and the potential to get into trouble is even higher. For these reasons and more, 13-to18-year-olds present the biggest challenge in both recruiting and retaining Club members.
"Across the country, millions of teens grow up with no place to go after school," says Romero Brown, senior director of teen services at Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "Many of them have limited contact with positive peers or caring adults. And all too frequently, these young people resort to drugs, sex and violence as alternatives to boredom."
Responding to this challenge, Boys & Girls Clubs of America recently launched an exciting new brand strategy – The Club – designed to attract and retain the more than 1.2 million teens who attend Clubs nationwide.
Inspired, developed and created by teens themselves, The Club is a national strategy with its own logo, signage and programs that appeal to teens and give them their own unique Club experience. The main goal: to let teens know they are a valued part of the Boys & Girls Club cause.
Initial feedback on The Club has been extremely positive.
The concept debuted at a 2005 national teen leadership conference, bringing rave reviews from teenage Club members. The aspect that appealed to them most was the logo. "It has style as well as creativity and is something that would make
us want to join!" says one Club teen.
The colorful logo will be placed on T-shirts, varsity jackets, bucket hats and such popular accessories as dog tags and wristbands, all items favored by teens.
In addition to helping Boys & Girls Clubs retain and recruit teens, the new brand is also designed to inspire pre-teen Club members by giving them an experience to look forward to – and an incentive to stay in the Club.
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