Colours and cornerstones: Introducing the new RCM brand

By Gill Walton, Chief Executive on 01 October 2021 Maternity Services Midwifery

There are four cornerstones that are absolutely central to the RCM: our members, of course, but all midwives, maternity support workers, and the mothers and parents we care for. These four groups shape what we do and how we do it. Everything we do – every representation, every consultation response, every publication – is to deliver a positive impact for each of those groups. We stand up – and we want to stand out too.

Today, Friday 1 October, I am really excited to unveil the RCM’s new look. Based on those four cornerstones of our work - midwives, maternity support workers, mothers and parents, and members – we have created a new brand. It links four Ms together, demonstrating not only these vital component parts of the RCM but how we work together. We perform best when we work together – whether that’s on the shop floor, in education, in research or in policy development. Strength, collaboration, shared purpose and a sense of togetherness and belonging are central to who we are and our new brand demonstrates that.

When you look at organisations involved in the health sector, all you see is a sea of blue. There might be the odd flash of red in there, but it’s mainly variations on a theme. The RCM was very much part of that sea, with our blue rectangle and our little cameo figures. But not anymore. Now, our logo is a vibrant blend of purple, pink, orange and apricot – not an inch of blue to be seen. The new colours represent the warmth that pervades maternity and midwifery.

I’m sure there will be some of you wondering ‘why change the brand now?’. We’ve had our current brand, with some minor tweaks, since the 1980s – back when I was a student midwife! Things have changed and moved on in maternity in that time, and we wanted to reflect that in how we present ourselves as an organisation. We are forward-looking, dynamic, warm and compassionate and our old brand simply didn’t suggest that. Now, with our new colour palette and logo, we stand out from the crowd and we reflect what we stand for.

There will also be those of you questioning how much it cost. We worked with some excellent design consultants, Johnson Banks, who were responsible for the branding at homelessness charity Shelter, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and the other RCM, the Royal Academy of Music, to name just a few. They helped us define what we needed and developed a number of options for us to look at. The process, which included interviews with members and presentations to the RCM Board, took eight months and cost £20,000. Bearing in mind our previous branding was with us for nearly 40 years, we believe that this is a good investment in the RCM’s present and future.

Over the next few days, RCM branches will be receiving a box full of branded posters, pens, lanyards and ski-reels. These will help you dress your noticeboards and demonstrate your RCM membership with pride. If you haven’t received your box by the end of next week (8 October), please contact RCM Connect and we’ll get it sorted for you.

I am so proud of the RCM and what we’ve achieved, not just over the past 18 months of the pandemic, but day after day, year after year. I’m proud of what we stand for and WHO we stand for - our members, midwives, maternity support workers, and the mothers and parents we care for. I hope you will join me and wear our new RCM brand with pride.