UKC

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/bmc-to-change-its-name-to-climb-britain

Feels to me like they're desperately trying to be young and trendy. I liked the maturity of "British Mountaineering Council."

In reply to climbwhenready:

Bit daft changing it's name just now. Britain might not exist in a couple of years.

In reply to climbwhenready:

Interestingly the CTC (Cyclist Touring Club) also decided that they had to "rebrand" and change their name to Cycling UK . I can see a theme in these names.

In reply to climbwhenready:

Fits well with the Trail magazine jolly hockeysticks guff that is Summit.

D

In reply to alisonk:

With the CTC I can see the point since they have broadened out a lot from the touring roots. For the BMC not so sure. Especially since the new name seems to ignore a fair amount of what they get up to.

In reply to climbwhenready:

Their new font is bloody hideous.

In reply to climbwhenready:

They should have waited a few years, if the sweaties get independence they'll have to rebrand all over again.

In reply to Steve nevers:

And the emblem looks French...

In reply to climbwhenready:

"Climb Britan" sounds like a charity event

In reply to Father Noel Furlong:


Well the 'Britain' bit is already misleading as they don't represent Scotland. That's the Mountaineering Council of Scotland... So if Scotland goes independent nothing will really change in that regard.

In reply to climbwhenready:

Absolutely rubbish idea and a rubbish name and a rubbish logo. Looks like they've given up hope of attracting more walkers as members.

In reply to climbwhenready:

Bit of a shot in the foot for their attempts for a broader audience including hillwalkers. At least 'mountaineering' was a bit more general than 'climb' which sounds like it's just for climbers. This may be fine for many on here, but seems odd to be takling about walkers in the press release announcing a rebrand as 'climb'.

In reply to climbwhenready:

F**king BM..Climb thingy..

I like how the 'ALL ROUND SUPPORT' section has support from 3 people that work or did work for the BM..thing.

Usual navel gazing approach.

In reply to Steve nevers:


I think the logo looks like one that a shite courier company would use

In reply to climbwhenready:

Do I really care. Not much.

This bit made me laugh though, could have come from that comedy about the Beeb, W1:

"After a nine-month independent study, sports marketing specialists b-focused and design agency Thinkfarm found the answer.

“BMC members all climb stuff,” they reported back."

I wonder how much Sport England paid the design agency for that then?

In reply to climbwhenready:

I'm just glad they've got around to fixing the problem with the old name

In reply to climbwhenready:

It should really be Climb England & Wales

In reply to climbwhenready:

I don't actually mind the new logo too much, but the name does sound a bit like its been made less 'official' somehow.

It is just my opinion of course, but the established name to me is more reflective of the work the BMC does in arranging access to climbing areas, conservation and so on. The word "council" may sound a bit old-fashioned these days, but it does connote a certain "overseer" weight of authority etc. There are a lot of behind the scenes things that have gone on, and will continue to go on, to make it easy and free (mostly) for people to be able to walk up to a crag and climb it.

Plus, as other people have mentioned, it excludes hillwalkers, which I'd have thought there might be more of than rock climbers and others that 'climb'?

If they were going to play around with the name, there are other options: Mountaineering Britain, British Mountaineering Association (maybe a good one to reflect the club members?) Outdoor Activities Britain and so on...

I also wonder how much of my subscription is being spent on marketing consultant fees.

In reply to climbwhenready:

Errr.. I'm a member. I dont remember being consulted?

In reply to climbwhenready:

It's a bit Perfect Curve, isn't it? From the BMC link above: '“BMC members all climb stuff,” they reported back.'

The old name sounded grown-up and like, oh, a serious national* representative body with 70 years of continuity and institutional memory, not a marketing department. Or maybe I'm a bit old and grumpy today.

*Yes, I know there's the MCoS. Are they going to be Climb Scotland?

In reply to climbwhenready:
I don't identify as a climber and probably never will. I identify as a hill walker, fell runner, mountaineer... I'm sure there are others who too will feel somewhat alienated by this and by the Olympification of their sport. The logo's horrid too.

In reply to climbwhenready:

BMC statement says; "our partner north of the border – the Mountaineering Council of Scotland – has indicated its intention to rebrand as Mountaineering Scotland."

Mountaineering Britain would have been okay, and in keeping.

Also "whilst Climb Britain is our new public identity, our formal legal name remains British Mountaineering Council."

So it's just a surface brand change.

The Dave Turnbull-signed mail says; " keep an eye on our website and social media as we take the first steps of this exciting journey."

I must remember to redefine "exciting"

In reply to bigbobbyking:

Not 100% correct as some things are still done on a UK wide basis eg international competitions.

In reply to SNC:

There already is a Climb Scotland, part of the MCofS.

In reply to Noelle:

None. See post above - it was paid for by Sport England.

In reply to Chris_Mellor:

Being fair when I have a think about it - the British Mountaineering Council or Mountaineering Council of Scotland does sound a bit 1960's quango, all stuffed shirts and the Rt hon Sir Bufton Tufton whatever and climbing is just not like that.

In reply to climbwhenready:

This is what happens when organisations disappear up their own arseholes.

Does anyone really think the name of the organisation was a priority issue that needed to be addressed ahead of other things, and use budget that could've been assigned to them?

Depressingly typical that the new name and "corporate image" they've gone for is poorly chosen, and looks like some teenage graphics project. Like others, the new name seems less inclusive than the old one.

I genuinely appreciate and support the excellent work the BMC does, but please don't spend our membership money on this kind of crap.

In reply to Phil Anderson:
What about calling it Climbarse then?
Or ClimbyMacClimbface.
That worked for the British Antartic Survey and it includes the Scots too.

In reply to KevinD:


To be fair, so did the old name.

In reply to climbwhenready:



It's just so desperately unsophisticated, when that presumably is exactly what they are trying to be. It's a tired 90s formula that is already past its sell-by date.

The way the BMC is described as having been 'trading' for 70 years tells you quite a lot. Heritage brands are back, in case you haven't heard.

The term council was meant to convey that the BMC acted as a forum, providing a platform for its member clubs. What does the new branding say?

In reply to Max factor:



what was the question?

In reply to Oceanrower:


True but surely the idea should be to replace it with a better name and not just piss off a different group of members?

In reply to Mr Fuller:

I am (just about) a climber, definitely not a mountaineer. So I just feel alienated by the marketing bullshit-ness of it.

I read the email moments ago and thought they were taking the piss at first, but what can you expect if you ask outfits called "b-focused" and "Thinkfarm" about this kind of thing? F*cking ludicrous.

In reply to climbwhenready:

Only slight issue is that I only ever called it the BMC, never the British Mountaineering Council. A bit like BP, BG and BT corporates that virtually never got referred to by the full name and subtlety ditched it in their marketing.

So will the new body be CB?

If so, it sounds a bit too much like CBeebies for my liking......

In reply to climbwhenready:
Oh marvellous. Having spent the last few years swearing blind they are not just a climbing club, what do they do... They finally admit they're a climbing club! Nice kick in the teeth for those of us who joined because of the ML requirement, had no intention of climbing, and bent the ear of Cary Davis about the amount climbing/lack of hill walking, in Summit mag. And what happened to that survey maybe 2014? which found the vast majority of members were mainly hillwalkers!

Well thank goodness I got out of BMC before this, as this spring I moved to Scotland and I like The Scottish Mountaineer mag alot more. It was a no brainer to switch allegiance.

The new name for the MCofS: "Mountaineering Scotland" sounds much more inclusive of all folk than Climb Britain. Certainly applaud the MCofS having spun off/started ClimbScotland last year which is its organisation for encouraging young climbers.

There's not something in the water is there? - all this rebranding, sounds like it might be catching.

In reply to beth:

Should have called it Brexit Cracks.

In reply to climbwhenready:

OK if I am to climb Britain where's the topo?

In reply to Babika:

As of 2001, British Petroleum changed it's name to BP ("Beyond Petroleum") plc. It's not been "British" for a while......

In reply to climbwhenready:

I don't even think it's trying to be young and trendy, it's just arseholes trying to justify their own jobs, and meddle in things that don't need fixed, just to try and make a name for themselves.

In reply to galpinos:

That was the point I was making - I never called them "British" Petroleum. BG did the same (although now owned by Shell) and also BT

The BMC could have just rebranded themselves BMC and be done with it.

In reply to climbwhenready:

Please sign the petition to stop the BMC changing it's name to Climb Britian.

https://www.change.org/p/british-mountaineering-council-stop-the-bmc-from-c...

In reply to Bootrock:

You got it right.

I see so much of that sh*t in my work. It's f*cking depressing when it starts to intrude into your free time and the things you love.

Climb Britain sound like a declaration made by an idiot.

In reply to Flinticus:

Anyone know why the original thread has been archived and won't take new replies?

trying to silence the masses? It's been a bit of a disaster really.

The alienated top echelons forgetting about the bottom and preaching without consulting. Always the same.

Shame really.

And I still want to know why they offer a discount for the unemployed?

In reply to Bootrock:

It's probably reached its maximum size allowed.
Start Part 2

In reply to Lusk:

Och, I can't be arsed. End of the day they won't listen to the members, and they think a name change will fix everything. They know it's shit but it's too tangled up in bureaucratic bullshit it won't change.



You can polish a turd and roll it in glitter, so it looks nice but it's still a turd.

In reply to Bootrock:

You're probably right.
I've never liked these two word names like Team GB, Team Sky and now Climb Britain.
They just reek of Americanisation, and little girls with pom-poms jumping up and down shrieking 'Go Team GB' or cringe, 'Go Climb Britain'.