Today marks a special day in our organization’s history: We are officially unveiling the new logo for NEMS Racing.
As an organization, it is important that we continue to invest in our future, and having a logo that accurately represents the NEMS Racing brand is a key part of that. Updating a logo is a significant undertaking, and while the NEMS Board of Directors has long recognized the need for a new logo, we also recognized the importance of taking the time to get it right.
How it all went down
The process of updating the NEMS Racing logo started after the 2022 race season. We had initially hoped to start the process a few years earlier, but we needed to allocate all of our resources to navigating the organization through COVID, as well as starting to build the foundation for the future, which included a new website and registration system.
One thing that was apparent early on was that this project would not be easy, nor would it be quick. Replacing a logo that has represented the organization for decades was one thing, but actually finding someone who could appropriately capture the essence of what we were looking for was a completely different animal. Oh, and let’s not forget that we had to find a design that everyone on the Board could agree on. Very important, but also no small feat.
The Begining:
The process began as you might expect. Soliciting feedback and getting ideas for what people would like to see in a new logo and finding a way to compact that down into something that could eventually be articulated to a graphic designer. After many discussions, we had a solid idea of what we were looking for and it was now time to find our designer and get this logo done. No problem, right? Wrong!
I’ll admit that connecting with a graphic designer is easier (and cheaper) today than say five or ten years ago. Today there are plenty of websites to connect designers with people looking to have any design work done. But that can also make finding the right graphic designer even more of a challenge.
One of the things we looked for in our graphic designer search was someone who could fully understand what we were looking for while also capturing that “rush” feeling you get when going past a gate at full speed. We wanted anyone who saw our logo to experience two things: 1) know right away what we did, and 2) feel that same sense of excitement that we all get when racing past a gate.
After a long search, we narrowed down the list to a few candidates. I recall trying to articulate what we were looking for from a style standpoint, but also how we wanted people to feel and react when they saw the logo. As the drafts came back it was clear we were not going to find our designer this way. The designs, while technically different, all had the same flat feel to them. It was the same basic clip art mashed together in slightly different ways. They lacked both creativity and excitement. It was frustrating and underwhelming.
We eventually found a designer who had some ski race experience. I thought we had found our needle in the graphic designer haystack. We got right to work and began working through details such as shapes, type of text, font, font style, racer direction, colors, background, height, width, racer features, etc. It is unbelievable how many versions of a logo you can create simply by any one of these items.
After some work, we narrowed it down to a few logos that could fit what we were looking for at a high level. They were by no means polished gems, but the hope was that directionally one or two would be the way forward. It was time to show the Board our progress and get the group’s feedback.
Now this is the part of the story where I will remind people that feedback can be a great asset, and if you are going to be a leader, you need to be able to take feedback (good, bad, or indifferent) and find a way forward.
A Tough Night in the Boardroom:
When it came time to show the Board the new logo design drafts the reaction was rather moot. There were no fireworks, no yelling, and no aggressive pounding on the table. To be fair, we don’t have any of that stuff anyway. Sure, there were bits and pieces of logos that people liked, but not one logo jumped out as the clear winner. Not even close.
The general feedback was that we needed to go back to the drawing board. I won’t forget that conversation with our Board for a long time. It was a down moment, but after a beer and some time to collect my thoughts, I remembered the importance of getting feedback and took it as an opportunity to get back to work.
Turning the Page & A Lucky Break:
As we went back to work on the logo it became clear that we needed to make a change. While the designer we used was great, it was clear that our vision and needs might be outside the scope of their abilities. It was back to square one.
A few weeks had passed at this point and not much progress had been made. The idea of needing to start almost from scratch was both daunting and deflating. So much time and energy had gone into this project already and we only had a few logos that no one wanted. Dramatic enough for you? LOL.
I was driving through Natick one weekend and decided to stop by SkiMD to check in on things. Fellow NEMS racer, Rickie DeFrancisco happened to be there as well. He was working to fix an electrical issue that was seriously impacting the performance of Mike’s tuning machines. Now, Mike is a perfectionist who also happens to be a former World Cup technician, so he was still putting out those perfect tunes he is known for. That said, with a rack of skis on the back wall four pairs deep, machines not working properly was a big problem.
If you aren’t familiar with Rickie he is a relative newcomer to NEMS. But aside from being an all-around good dude, he is also a brilliant engineer and managed to find and fix the problems other electricians and technicians could not. He also managed to solve my graphic designer issue.
While chatting I mentioned to Rickie that NEMS was trying to design a new logo. I mentioned we were a bit stuck and showed him the current designs. I won’t repeat exactly what he said, but lets just say he agreed with the Board’s feedback. Actually, the Board’s was far nicer. However, after adding his two cents, Rickie also said he had a guy that would be perfect. A branding specialist who was sport enthusiast and who had done some pretty great designs, including a helmet design for Bruins goalie, Tuukka Rask. No big deal. Within 15 minutes he put us in touch and we had time set up to get started.
Hurry Up to Wait
Within 30 seconds of talking with Luke Dobbie I knew we had our guy. He understood what we were trying to do, but most importantly, because he was also a marketing and branding expert, he understood how we were trying to create a logo to energize our brand and bring it to the next level.
At this point we are in the middle of fall with the race season quickly approaching. The goal was to try and get everything done before the start of the season, which was no small undertaking. Luke, to his credit, was able to design a few great logos so we could start the process of dialing things in. Yet, as we entered December and we continued to chip away at the finer details, we knew the logo would not be ready before the season started. With all of our resources needing to be focused on the season, finishing the logo would need to be paused.
The Last Mile Problem:
There is a term in shipping called “the last mile problem”. The jist of it is if you ship something 1,000 miles, the first 999 miles are relatively easy, but the last mile is the most challenging, takes the greatest amount of time, and often the most expensive. It’s also one of the most important parts of the process, the final delivery.
One thing that really stood out to me during this process was how challenging it can be to get those final details correct. Our Board meeting in December again yielded some great feedback, and far more positive than the previous logo conversation. The problem this time actually centered on a few details that truly make the logo standout. This was our last mile problem. But details matter, especially to this group of Masters, and we knew we needed to get this right.
The Final Push:
After the season concluded in March we got back to work on finishing the logo. The goal was to have it completed and ready for a final vote at our June Board meeting.
The final additions involved some very specific details. Some made the final cut and others did not. From facial features, to body shading, race line placement, fonts, and colors. It was all being worked on. While this might appear straightforward, I can assure you it is not.
One of the things I actually appreciated about Luke was his willingness to go that extra mile. In stead of simply designing everything we asked for, he took the time to reach out to his contacts at embroidering and printing companies to see if certain features would be possible. He knew we wanted the logo to look great on paper but also on a shirts and other merchandise. He wanted this logo to succeed as much as we did.
A special feature embedded within the new logo is the six mountain peaks representing each of the six New England states in our region. Yes, even Rhode Island!
A New Logo and the Next Chapter of NEMS Racing:
The final version of the logo was approved by the Board during our June meeting. It represents to culmination of a project that took over a year to complete. It represents the end of one chapter and the start of the new chapter in our organization’s history.
NEMS is about Masters ski racing. It always has been and it always will be. But there is far more to our organization than just ski racing. NEMS is as much about our people as it is our races. It’s about a lifestyle. It’s about a group of people with an unwavering passion for the sport, and the passion and dedication that come along with it. NEMS Racing has always been a brand, the problem is that no one truly realized it.
I am excited to begin the next chapter in our organization’s history and I look forward to having you all be a part of it.
I hope you enjoyed the story. Looking forward to seeing everyone back out on the snow very soon!
Thanks,
Matt Mitsis
President
NEMS Racing