Last week, the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa was erupting with enthusiasm as over 800 Dale Carnegie leaders, trainers and partners gathered at the organization’s biannual International convention. The organization (formerly known as Dale Carnegie Training – now simply referred to as Dale Carnegie) is also marking its 104th anniversary.
The Dale Carnegie iconic leadership program is represented in all 50 U.S. states and in over 90 countries—and delivered daily in over 25 languages by stellar instructors. Given the organization’s global reach—which continues to grow, and since the organization is now over a century old, the company unveiled a new visual identity as part of a sweeping global brand modernization on Dec. 7th at the convention. This immense rebrand dovetails the 80th anniversary celebration of Dale Carnegie’s perennial bestselling book, How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Just as Dale Carnegie Training has transformed the lives of over eight million people worldwide, the new logo, which is a form of the “DC” monogram, now bears the resemblance of a butterfly—the quintessential symbol for transformation. Upon its unveiling, CEO Joe Hart stated, “Just as my first Dale Carnegie course inspired and transformed my life back in 1995, the new design and visual identity better captures the empowering effects of Dale Carnegie courses. Dale Carnegie is truly a powerful force, enabling people to make a difference in their lives, their businesses and their future opportunities.”
The new visual identity’s vibrant color scheme and professional branding convey the inner potential of every professional and the enduring nature of Dale Carnegie’s values. “Dale Carnegie believes that everyone has inherent greatness – a special spark – and this is now captured in our bright, bold new branding,” stated Michelle Bonterre, Chief Brand Officer. “As our brand has evolved over the past 104 years, we have always remained focused on our core belief that Dale Carnegie can empower individuals to take risks, rise to challenges and contribute to boosting a company’s performance.”
The massive brand modernization work was conceived and created by renowned branding agency Carbone Smolan Agency (CSA), with foundational research and strategy from Siegel+Gale. Next year, Dale Carnegie will begin updating its entire online presence – from its corporate website to local franchisee sites worldwide. To ensure brand consistency and in a continued effort to support franchisees around the globe, each franchisee will receive a comprehensive toolkit for implementation of the new branding across all materials and media.
To further enhance every training participant’s educational experience, Dale Carnegie is also developing new technology that will support them throughout their engagement with the organization. From the moment that participants register for a program until they are actually applying what they have learned, they will have access to the tools and trainers required to propel them to success.