PLANET Announces Rebranding Initiative

HERNDON, Va. – The Professional Landcare Association (PLANET), headquartered here, is getting a new name as part of a major rebranding initiative, reports PLANET President Jim McCutcheon. The new name and the details of the rebranding will be shared Feb. 26-28, 2015, at PLANET’s Great Escape Conference at The Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, The Bahamas. The Association won’t begin using the new name until April 2015.

The delay between the announcement of the new name and the rollout of the rebranding in April will give member companies time to adjust to the changes. The Association will make a toolkit with the new information available to members in March. The full implementation will take several years, McCutcheon reports.

The new name and more aggressive effort to promote the Association and the industry it represents comes on the 10-year anniversary of PLANET, which became official Jan. 1, 2005, as a result of a merger of The Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA) and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA). Efforts the following year to merge the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) into PLANET failed. PLANET has about 4,200 member companies and represents more than 100,000 landscape and lawn service professionals.

McCutcheon reports the PLANET board of directors has been working on the rebranding effort for the past year with "branding partner," DeSantis Breidel, which conducted industry research on behalf of the Association.

"Our new branding is more than just a name," says PLANET on its website. "It is keeping us focused on the things that are most important to members. Over the next year or two, you will see the new branding rolled out more deeply in our programs and services and on our website, but our association will still be the same organization you have come to know and value, working hard to help you meet your business challenges."

PLANET says that it is continually looking at ways to improve, making sure it provides value to all of our members. 

"In addition to the range of services and resources we offer directly to members, our team works with legislators and government agencies to reduce unnecessary regulations and create a business-friendly environment. We also communicate with the media and the public to raise awareness about the important contributions that landscape and lawn care companies make in our lives." says PLANET.

"In order for our message to resonate on Capitol Hill and with the public (your clients), we need to deliver a message that clearly conveys who we are and what we do. Our members are the experts in the field, and we must ensure that the industry is recognized for the contributions we make to society."

PLANET urges members and industry participants to share their thoughts or comments to goodtogreat@landcarenetwork.org. For more information, read our frequently asked questions. If you have questions about the branding process, feel free to contact PLANET’s PR Director, Lisa Schaumann, at lisaschaumann@landcarenetwork.org.