See the subtle difference?

 According to the Daily Telegraph, the National Trust has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds rebranding itself by dropping the word “The” in front of its name. It is also switching to lower case letters and, according to the article, “jazzing up its brand with bright colours.” The oak leaf symbol will be bigger and instead of just the green, other colours will be introduced.

The purpose is to make (the) national trust more friendly and inclusive. The new approach is not yet on their website so I can’t show you what it looks like. They say that the new logo and colours will be introduced gradually which presumably means when existing stock runs out they will alter and thus not throw any stock away.

But, if the Telegraph is right, they have still spent hundreds of thousands on this.

Is it right that a charity, and a very successful charity at that, should spend this sort if money?  With 3.8 million members it is one of the biggest so why spend about the equivalent of 2600 annual memberships on what their marketing director calls “a fresh coat of paint” because research showed they look a bit old fashioned. But surely being old fashioned is what they are about? Presenting and preserving our past.

In their annual report they claim to make “every penny count.

Will members agree?