What General Managers Need to Know Before Launching a Brand Transformation

Lessons from a 30-Year Club Identity Change

Frenchman’s Creek Beach and Country Club had the same logo for 30 years.

When leadership decided to transform their brand, they were not just updating visuals. They were asking members who had belonged since 1985 to embrace a new identity while the club was already in transition: temporary facilities, upcoming clubhouse opening, multiple capital projects underway.

The opportunity was significant. The timing was intentional. The approach was strategic.

Alyssa Riegel, their Director of Marketing and Communications, shared what that 18-month transformation looked like: the strategic decisions leadership made, the thoughtful planning, the member engagement, and what determined success.

This is a peer sharing what really happens when you transform a club’s identity with discipline and care.

And if you are a general manager considering or managing a brand transformation, these lessons matter.

Why This Club’s Story Matters to Your Role

Most brand transformation stories focus on design. They show before and after logos. They celebrate visual refresh.

This story is different. It focuses on the operational and strategic decisions general managers make that determine whether transformation creates momentum or stalls.

Alyssa said something that should matter to every GM: “This was a big project, and it is only one of many big projects going on right now. So it really was important to prioritize building that level of trust with our members.”

Brand transformation does not happen in isolation. It happens while you are managing capital projects, navigating leadership transitions, maintaining operations, and keeping members engaged.

The question is not “should we do this?” The question is “how do we lead this well?”

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Four Strategic Decisions GMs Make That Determine Success

Frenchman’s Creek made four specific decisions before their transformation began. Each one shaped what happened next.

Decision 1: Include implementation leaders in strategy, not just execution

Miles Tucker, their General Manager, brought Alyssa into the strategic phase, not to review designs, not to approve colors, but to participate in the strategy that would guide every decision.

Alyssa explained the impact: “I think the biggest thing was developing trust. This was a big project. So it really was important to prioritize building that level of trust with our members that not only were we doing this for them, but we were doing it the right way.”

She could build that trust because she understood why decisions were being made, not just what needed to be implemented.

What this means for GMs:

When you include implementation leaders from the start, you create two advantages. First, they can explain strategic reasoning to members with confidence. Second, they can identify opportunities and address potential challenges before launch.

The people who will activate your brand need to understand the foundation. Include them early.

Decision 2: Choose timing based on strategic alignment, not convenience

Frenchman’s Creek had multiple timing options. They could launch before season, wait until the new clubhouse opened, or tie the launch to a different milestone.

Each option had different strategic implications.

They chose to launch heading into season with a brand new brand. Not the easiest choice. But the most strategically aligned choice.

Alyssa reflected: “We could have timed it differently, which I think was the biggest risk, but in the end it worked out. And it was well received, it took a little bit of time and building to get there.”

What this means for GMs:

Perfect timing does not exist. Every option carries considerations. The question is which timing aligns best with your strategic priorities and gives your team the best chance to build momentum.

Waiting for everything to be perfect often means never starting. Choose the timing that makes strategic sense and commit to leading the transition with confidence.

Decision 3: Define brand transformation as identity work, not visual refresh

The third decision was framing the project correctly from the beginning.

Alyssa was clear about this distinction: “There is a big difference between modernizing what we look like versus modernizing who we are. That starts from vision and mission and culture and then our voice and tone.”

Frenchman’s Creek did not just change their logo. They clarified their strategic identity, competitive positioning, and member experience vision.

What this means for GMs:

If your board sees this as a logo project, you will get logo-level commitment and logo-level budget. If your board sees this as strategic identity work that guides capital decisions and operational priorities, you will get the resources and buy-in needed for meaningful transformation.

Frame the project correctly from the start.

Decision 4: Build governance structures before launch, not after

The fourth decision was creating brand standards and governance before activation began.

This decision set the foundation for consistent, confident implementation: giving staff the tools and clarity they needed to contribute effectively.

Alyssa learned this lesson quickly: “Canva is great, but everybody has access to it. By really maintaining control of our templates and our standards and my expectations, that was the hardest part of it. I was not prepared for how much my teammates would be excited about it and how much they would want to help.”

What this means for GMs:

Enthusiasm with structure creates momentum. Your staff will want to contribute. Give them the tools and standards to contribute effectively.

This requires investment in brand guidelines, templates, training, and clear governance before you launch.

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What Actually Happens During Brand Activation

Theory is simple. Reality is nuanced. Here is what actually happened at Frenchman’s Creek.

Members adopted at different paces

Alyssa was transparent about this: “When somebody does not like something in a club of 600 member families, there is always going to be a few that are the loudest. And that is okay.”

Some members embraced the new brand immediately. Others appreciated having time to understand the strategic vision before fully engaging. Frenchman’s Creek anticipated this natural adoption curve and built their activation plan to accommodate different member journeys – a hallmark of thoughtful change management.

The goal was not universal immediate adoption. The goal was building momentum, trust, and pride over time while respecting that people process change at different rates.

Consistency over time built growing acceptance

What strengthened member confidence was not just a strong launch. It was relentless consistency in the weeks and months that followed.

Every email reinforced the same identity. Every publication used the same voice and tone. Every social post reflected the same visual system. Every staff interaction embodied the same culture.

Alyssa explained: “You can deliver a message, and it may sound great, but are you steady in how you continue to deliver that day in and day out? You have to be consistent with it.”

That consistency built trust. Trust built acceptance. Acceptance built pride.

Staff enthusiasm created opportunity for engagement

Member questions were expected. The pleasant surprise was staff enthusiasm wanting to contribute to the brand.

People wanted to help. They wanted to create event materials, design social posts, and be part of the transformation.

With clear governance and training, that enthusiasm became momentum.

Alyssa learned to channel enthusiasm productively: “I love that you want to be a part of this, but let me show you how to use the brand correctly” empowered them to do it better the next time.

This turned staff engagement into a strength of the activation process.

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How to Manage Member Trust Through Major Change

The foundation of successful brand transformation is member trust. With it, transformation becomes an opportunity to strengthen identity and deepen member attachment.

Here is how Frenchman’s Creek built and maintained trust:

1. Connect transformation to member value

Leadership framed brand transformation as part of the club’s long-term strategic planning and capital model. Not as a marketing project. As a strategic investment in the club’s future.

This context mattered. Members understood this was not cosmetic change. This was intentional evolution aligned with capital projects and member experience improvements.

2. Acknowledge sentimental attachment

Frenchman’s Creek had the same identity for 30 years. That history mattered to members.

Leadership did not dismiss that attachment. They honored it while explaining why evolution was necessary.

Alyssa explained: “That sentimental piece is what existed for 30 years, and so it was really important to reestablish that trust of, we are not losing the value of Frenchman’s Creek, we are just modernizing it for the next generation.”

3. Show how the new brand honors what members love

The new brand incorporated their Beach Club, which members loved but the old brand underrepresented.

By bringing that element forward visually and strategically, members saw their values reflected in the transformation.

Alyssa shared: “By harnessing the Beach Club piece of it, which is something that our members love the most, it really made them resonate with it because we finally embraced that piece of our identity.”

4. Maintain consistency through transition

Trust is built through repeated, consistent experiences. Every touchpoint reinforced the same message, tone, and visual identity.

This required discipline, governance, and patience. And it is working.

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Your Action Plan: What to Do Before You Start

If you are considering brand transformation or in the early stages, here is your action plan based on what worked at Frenchman’s Creek:

Step 1: Include implementation leaders in strategy from day one

Do not hand your marketing director a finished brand and expect them to activate it successfully. Bring them into strategic conversations early.

Ask yourself: Who will be responsible for activation? Are they in the room where strategic decisions are being made?

Step 2: Frame this as strategic identity work, not visual refresh

Have the conversation with your board about what this project actually is.

If they see it as a logo update, you will not get the resources or commitment needed. If they see it as strategic identity work that guides operations and capital investments, you will.

Step 3: Plan for governance and brand standards before launch

Do not wait until launch to think about how staff will use the brand. Build templates, create guidelines, and establish clear governance structures.

Ask yourself: Who owns brand standards? How will staff access templates? What approval process exists for new materials?

Step 4: Set realistic expectations about timeline and adoption

Brand transformation is not completed at launch. It is completed when the brand is lived consistently and members have built pride in the new identity.

That takes months, not weeks. Set expectations accordingly with your board and leadership.

Step 5: Connect with peers who have done this

Alyssa’s advice to others: building a network of peers navigating similar transformations adds tremendous value to the process.

Find other general managers who have led brand transformation. Learn from their experience. Ask about what they learned along the way.

You are not the first club to do this. Learn from those who have.

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The Bottom Line for General Managers

Brand transformation is not about taking risks. It is about leading change with confidence.

Frenchman’s Creek had a strategic launch managed with discipline, consistency, and member trust at the center.

Alyssa’s final insight matters: “This is not so structured and rigid as the corporate world. This is fun. It is hospitality. People invest financially and emotionally in their club, and you have got to return that to them.”

Your role as general manager is not to avoid change. Your role is to lead change in a way that honors member investment, builds trust, and positions your club for the next generation.

Others have done this successfully. You can too.

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If you are planning a brand transformation or managing one now, we have built a process specifically for clubs navigating this transition.

Schedule a 30-minute introductory call.

We will show you how clubs like Frenchman’s Creek lead transformation while building member trust and operational confidence.

Not ready to talk yet? Download our free Club Brand Workbook to assess your current state and identify what needs attention before you begin.

You are not alone in this. Others have navigated transformation successfully. Let their lessons guide your path.

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