VernonGirl

Interior Transmission Shifts its Marketing into Overdrive with New Logo

Interior Transmission, here in Vernon, B.C., recently worked with my company, Lava Marketing, to develop a new logo (pictured above). When I started this project, I didn't know anything about transmissions. I actually think that was a good thing. It allowed me to leave all assumptions aside and create an image that an uneducated customer, like me, could relate to at-a-glance.

In fact, transmissions aren't sexy at all from an imagery standpoint. They don't really look like anything one would recognize. And most people don't know what they look like. There are many styles of transmissions too, so there is no ONE icon to represent them. Not like Michael Jackson's glove, or Nike's checkmark, or McDonald's yellow arches, or Dolly Parton's....well....you get the point.

When I sat down to talk to Cindy and Kim Myers about their company, I asked them to describe the symptoms of a broken transmission. Kim told me they are a clutch that won't go into gear, a clutch that grinds, leaky fluid, pink puddles, a burnt smell, a "check engine" light coming on, jerking, banging and overdrive lights flashing.

So there are lots of things going WRONG with the interior workings of the car when the transmission is not behaving.

But, how could we get that across with imagery? Well, first, we came up with this:

The logo above was a good start. But the colour was all wrong, the car was the wrong style and its interior workings were too intricate. A logo should be clean, simple, modern and reflective of its owner's values. A logo should be easy to recognize when it is very small and details should be kept to a minimum.

In comes the sexy 1963 Split Window Corvette aka...the Sting Ray. Here is the image my client asked me to replicate in their logo:

Now, this image doesn't say anything about Transmissions, except that if you have one, you would probably want it to be sitting in this car....right? Yah......! I know I would.

But this image DOES say a lot about Kim and Cindy Myers. They like classic cars. Kim likes to fix them. And they REALLY like the Sting Ray. In fact, they might even own one. (Maybe they'll take me for a cruise in it sometime.)

Hence....the creation of the Interior Transmission 2010 logo:

I can't take credit for "Get Your Shift Together." They already had that tagline picked out. But I sure do like the logo....and the hot colour. What do you think? Please leave a comment on my blog by clicking the comments link at the bottom of it.

Thanks for reading.

Courtenay Pitcher (Wishing I was sitting in a hot red Sting Ray cruising by Okanagan Lake with my good-looking husband right now.)

p.s. If you have any of the symptoms of a mis-behaving transmission, go see Interior Transmission in Vernon. According to Cindy, Kim is a genius when it comes to fixing transmissions. He's honest too. And if his wife trusts him, I would too. Shouldn't you?

p.s.s. I would like to give a photo credit for the photo of the Sting Ray above...but I don't know where this photo came from. If you come across it, send me the link so I can link to it.

From Mountie to Mary Kay - Shelley Haslett is 2010 Vernon Woman of the Year

(Pictured above: Shelley Haslett, Vernon Women in Business Woman of the Year 2010 holding the Woman of the Year trophy and wearing the Diamond Journey Pendant she now owns from Gregory's Fine Jewellery, event sponsor.)

Thursday, May 20, 2010 was the night that Shelley Haslett was awarded the 2010 Vernon Women in Business Woman of the Year honour.

The Woman of the Year Award recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments and contributions of women in our community. The 23rd Annual Woman of the Year Gala was held at the Best Western Vernon Lodge. There were inspiring stories about each of the ten nominees.

Described as courageous and contagious, Shelley Haslett is married to Al and they have two daughters – Paige (25) and Colleen (21). Her community involvement over many years includes Chair of the School fun night, Brownie leader, Cancer Society Relay for Life, Adopt A Road program, NOYFFS Adopt a Family at Christmas, Hospice Christmas Home Tour, Bosom Buddies and President of Vernon Women in Business.

Shelley is a Mary Kay Senior Director who started her business in 1979 while working for the RCMP. In 1981, she became a full time Mary Kay business owner and hasn’t looked back.

RCMP Staff Sergeant Margaret Shorter says, “I first met Shelley in the common room in the women’s dorm at the RCMP training academy [30 years ago]. After a few years with the RCMP, Shelley discovered Mary Kay and made a career choice to leave the Force. As she will tell you, she didn’t see the RCMP offering her the opportunity to have a free car and a diamond ring every year. Shelley is a people person and, while she was in the Force she made a good Mountie. She is also a person who dreams, believes, and achieves not only for herself but for anyone who will get on the magic carpet with her. She adds the fun to difficult challenges and celebrates the success of surviving them.”

President of Mary Kay, Ray Patrick writes, “Shelley has always conducted her business with enthusiasm and confidence, displaying the utmost in ethics in all she does.”

Shelley is a breast cancer survivor – - - twice. She is a member of Vernon Bosom Buddies who visits women at Vernon Jubilee Hospital shortly after surgery to offer encouragement and answer questions. Her Vernon Bosom Buddies friend Renee Smith writes: “We all enjoy her great sense of humour and appreciate her willingness to help in any way she can.”

Her husband Al writes, “I personally sat at her side for weeks during her two bouts with breast cancer. The courage and positive attitude this lady demonstrated would be enough to encourage and inspire anybody that was in her company to believe and realize attitude wins it all. There is only one Shelley Haslett who puts all others before herself and lights up a room with her smile and continuously encourages others through positive actions and reinforcement.”

Daughter Paige writes, “My mom has always been my mentor, my educator, my friend. As I start to become my own woman, I see more and more of my mother in me, and each day I realize that this is who I am now and I thank her for giving me every opportunity to discover that.”　

Jan Shumay says, “North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society have benefited from Shelley’s caring spirit for many years. Shelley has made Christmas happen for many forgotten families, youth and young children. Shelley’s generosity makes a truck a necessity in delivering all the gifts. A true Woman of the Year sees her community as part of her responsibility, gives of her time skills and passion, and does it because she CAN. Shelley is truly that person.”

Nominees are considered based on the following:

1. Consistently displays and exercises leadership.
2. Demonstrates vision, initiative, creativity and courage.
3. Enriches and improves quality of life for others.
4. Has an impact in her chosen field.
5. Displays and sustains a continued commitment to her community.
6. Promotes and supports opportunities for females.
7. Has made Greater Vernon a better place to live.

The event is run by volunteers (including myself) made up of members from Vernon Women in Business and is possible through generous sponsorship from VWIB members and the community. (A company I run with my husband, Rhino Curbing, was a Platinum sponsor of this year's event.)

Shelley Haslett's acceptance speech showed her sense of humour. She told the crowd, "I would rather wear out than rust out." when referencing how she likes to keep busy. (This is a saying coined by a 2009 Nominee named Patricia Springborn.) Shelley said, "I haven't done anything big, but I've done a lot of little things." She thanked her parents, husband, sister and friends in the audience and said, "You can never have too many friends." She said, "All of the nominees were asked to prepare an acceptance speech. I thought that was just too presumptuous. Besides, I've never been stuck for words." She described how her husband Al was asked to prepare a letter of support. She was reading it over and she told him, "You're laying it on a bit thick aren't you?" and he replied, "You want to win don't you?" The crowd laughed.

Other nominees included: Cherie Montgomery, Kath Raeber, Samantha Plovie, Angela Yablonski, Cheryl Schmidt, Daina Bull, Deb Stoddard, Michelle Antonation, Sharon Mackenzie

Shelley volunteered on the Woman of the Year committee in 2009 and 2008 when I was the Chair of this event. Her contribution during those two years helped grow the event and I've been very blessed to call her a mentor and friend.

Thanks for reading,

Courtenay Pitcher, Fan of Shelley Haslett
2010 Woman of the Year Event Committee Member
2009 and 2008 Woman of the Year Event Chair