Friday, 9 April, 2010
Where Did Community Go?
With this question, the YMCA of Greater Vancouver has launched a powerful conversation about community and why it matters. You’ll want to read the article in today’s Globe and Mail that tells the story of this exciting multi-media campaign, and to check out the website that is already engaging people from around the world. But first, take a minute to watch this video and let it work its magic on you.
Congratulations to the YMCA of Greater Vancouver’s board and staff for their bold and creative leadership! Let’s join the discussion that they’ve started and encourage others to do the same.
So, when did we stop letting our children walk to school?
Scott
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This blog posting has generated the most activity of any I’ve posted so far. It certainly shows the power of the short video developed by the YMCA of Greater Vancouver. The message to “keep it simple” will definitely guide our thinking as we work on a national brand strategy over the coming year.
Scott
Simple, creative, potent and engaging are just some of the words that have been used to describe this video and I can’t agree more, especially with the word “simple”.
As a writer and producer of material that needs to be understood by “the masses” I know all too well that if people have to review something 2 or 3 times before they really understand the message, in most cases, you will lose them before that ever happens. But not in this case. Kudos to the Vancouver Y for keeping it “simple” this time!
As a long time volunteer of the Y I’m hoping we keep this in mind when creating our national brand strategy. It will make our ultimate goal of building healthier, stronger communities a little simpler.
Wonderful! Thanks Scott!
Congratulations YMCA of Greater Vancouver for not only an excellent and memorable video on Community and the YMCA, but keeping the message simple and relating to the youth and families that we are engaging.
Well done!
Angie
This is an outstanding video. It draws attention to many of the ‘abundant assets’ and is narrated beautifully. Thank-you Vancouver for this fine work.
The risk management/aversion department identified walking to school as a highly possible and therefore unacceptable risk …
This is a fantastic tool, and I have shared it with our YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada Advisory Committee. Chris
I spent the weekend with the National Resource Creation and Capacity Building Reference Group talking about how we can develop a similar campaign at the national level by building a brand strategy on the fine work of the Vancouver YMCA. We are currently testing the brand promise we want to make related to our cause. We’ll have a lot to talk about at this year’s AGM on this subject.
Rebecca, do feel free to post this video on your Association’s website. We’d like to help the Vancouver YMCA get its message out far and wide. Thanks for playing a role in achieving this shared goal. By the way, Pat, this same conversation is happening at the world level. I met with colleagues from all regions around the world on Friday evening to talk about how we can learn these lessons of community building from each other.
Scott
What a wonderful message! And the presentation is just perfect! The National Capital Region YMCA-YWCA would like to post this video on our website. Please let me know if we have permission to do so.
This video is the best communication piece I have ever seen produced by a YMCA. It is a creative and potent expression of a problem and a solution. Well done Vancouver! PS I allow my son to walk to and from the computer each day.
Very good topic! Timely and highly important. Congrats also to Vancouver Y (Bill and Team) for adding to the discussion and engaging the public.
One thought to add – our international partnerships see financial support being given (Ethiopia as an example) but in exchange we ask little and that’s as it should be. But a lot of value exists in these partnerships – many of our international partnerships exisit in countries where the public knows the true value of “community” and in fact it’s their survival. It would be good to have them invited, if not already, into the dialogue. Who knows what we can learn! I agree that we are struggling as a society to come to grips with our evolving sense of community.
So true. Great work, Vancouver
I have not let my kids stop from walking but now they walk with a friend. The YMCA to me is were we meet and have great friends and can keep our kids safe and strengthen our spirit mind and body.
Community is what you make it. The video faces up to the isolated spaces we have created. It is time to walk to school, trust our neighbours, allow ourselves to talk and leave the computers at work.
Thanks YMCA for reminding me that my community needs me to be actively involved!
Melanie
Many thanks for bringing this video to our attention – and for Y Canada taking the baton from Greater Vancouver, by looking at ways to run with its core messages.
I also appreciate the irony and opportunity here: i.e. using the same technology to help answer the questions raised and hopefully alter the habits formed, in large part, by that technology’s role in the modern world.
As Chair of the Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford YMCA, I know that our Board looks forward to hearing more from Y Canada on this subject, and exploring more ways to work together to build healthier and stronger communities!
— Brian Heagle
THIS is what the YMCA is about AND what people everywhere are craving – a way to belong and grow together as a community – congrats to the Vancouver Y for putting their finger on the pulse of where we need to be.
simple
clear
heartfelt
well done !
Hi Marilyn, Happy and Eric,
The YMCA of Greater Vancouver has really led the way on an exciting and engaging approach to linking the YMCA brand to an important question for Canadians. We are meeting in Toronto today with the National Resource Creation and Capacity Building Reference Group and this video is inspiring us to create a national brand strategy that links Canada’s YMCA to this type of cause.
Scott
Answer: when we started to get scared. Modern media deforms our perception of risk.
Great video! I’ve shared it on my facebook and I am going to spread it around as much as I can.
I love this video, we were just having this kind of conversation yesterday with our scholarship selection committee composed of staff, Y members and donors. I would love to see this made into a national campaign – so simple, and even though we are not in an urban centre and many of the images do not apply to us, the problems are the same and the message will ring true with anyone who watches it. Congratulations to YMCA Vancouver. Happy
Excellent question and my congratulations also to Vancouver, where I first learned about the Y and I did walk to school! Marilyn