What's in a name? For decades, the world's biggest companies have extensively researched brand recognition, appeal, and messaging.
Think about it: During the holidays, what do you think about when you see majestic Clydesdale horses trudging through the snow with a large red wagon following it? Budweiser. Or, when picturing companies such as Ford and Chevrolet, what comes to mind? Strong, American-made, and built to last.
Branding is not confided to consumer brands. Law firms, politicians, and even academics think long and hard about how to best present themselves to target audiences.
Now, what does this mean for us: a society of plastic and aesthetic nurses? That's the million-dollar question!
Over the last year, leadership in our society has taken deliberate and proactive action to build a brand for our society that aligns with our core values. Following these brand enhancements, and championing them, takes full action of our membership base.
What do you think when you read, "ISPAN is THE Definitive Voice for Plastic and Aesthetic Nurses?"
This is a different brand (and mission) than what we were 1 year ago. As I said, these changes were all very deliberate to position us for success for generations to come. Here's what I mean:
* ISPAN name: Back in March, we changed our name to reflect that we are international and inclusive to nurses around the world. We did this because it became clear that our membership base and society were further-reaching than previously dictated. We want nurses from the United States to the other side of the globe to have access to a life-changing network of nursing professionals and resources. By changing our name, we are making our inclusion abundantly clear, and I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming support from you.
* Definitive voice: No one can deny that there have been shake-ups to the medical industry in the last few years. From health care reform to nurse's rights and advocacy, and from governing policies to certifications, our industry is changing as we know it. We need to have a unifying voice for our priorities and rights-which ultimately becomes our patients' priorities and rights. We are amplifying our voice and being deliberate about what we stand for!
* Plastic and aesthetic nurses: For decades, the society was not stridently speaking for, or 100% inclusive of, our fellow nurses who practice aesthetic nursing. Well, that has changed. We are all on the same team-plastic (reconstructive) and aesthetic nurses, coming together and changing the lives of patients through our work, art and science, and advocacy, and ... we are stronger together!
That said, and now after reading the "back story" of our brand, I hope the ISPAN mission and vision make you feel more empowered and proud to belong to such a global specialty nursing society.
We want our brand to be inclusive. We want our members to have a global mind-set. We want to have our voices heard in the industry and be proactive about our futures amidst a sea of changes. And, we want to have the strength of an international society working together.
I hope you, our members, understand and live by our ISPAN brand. After all, it is a part of your brand as a valued ISPAN member!
Georgia Elmassian, MSN, MA, APRN, CPSN, CFLE
ISPAN President