Guidelines for Using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Name and Trademark

Publicity by recipients of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is an important vehicle for achieving the Baldrige program’s goals of increasing public awareness of the need for a systems approach to improvement and sharing quality and performance improvement strategies. When the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-107) was passed, Congress singled out the role of publicity, especially through advertising: “An organization to which an award is made under this section, and which agrees to help other American organizations improve their quality management, may publicize its receipt of such award and use the award in its advertising...."

Publicity and advertising by award recipients and others, raises the visibility of the Baldrige Award and helps to communicate the benefits of quality and performance improvement.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Commerce Department agency that manages the Baldrige program, has title to the award’s trademark. To assist award recipients and others, the Board of Overseers for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award has reviewed and recommends these guidelines be followed in all publicity that incorporates reference to the award. The guidelines should be applied when award recipients or others refer to the award in advertising, publications, audiovisual productions, and similar materials.

The MBNQA trademark is registered, and its use is restricted to the award recipients and NIST and its sub-contractors. Organizations other than Baldrige Award recipients and NIST and its subcontractors should not use the Baldrige Award trademark; other materials or objects that incorporate the trademark, including the Baldrige Award medallion and photos of the Baldrige Award crystal; or the name—Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award—without prior approval from NIST.

The ribbon portion of the trademark may be used by itself or with the words “Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award” as shown:



The name of the recipient may be stacked on two lines below the trademark if desired.

Award recipients must clearly indicate the year in which the award was won.

The typeface is Goudy. The words when used with the ribbon are not to be positioned in any other order or typeface. The typeface used in the rest of the document should be something other than Goudy.

Authorized colors for the trademark are:
Gold Foil—Universal Astor #835
Burgundy PMS 202
Blue PMS 289
Black PMS 426

All colors must be used at 100 percent. Image can be reversed to white out of a dark background.

If the name of a winning organization changes, it may continue to use the award trademark in conjunction with its new name with the added line, “Formerly XXX” or use the organization’s previous name with the added line “Currently XXX.” The year that the organization won also should be included. See example on next page:

1992 Award Recipient AT&T Transmission Systems (Currently part of Lucent Technologies)

If the organization substantially changes, is taken over by another organization, or in some way becomes a very different entity from the organization that applied and received the Baldrige Award, NIST may ask the organization to discontinue using the trademark and referring to itself as a Baldrige Award recipient. The organization that received the award will continue to be listed as an award recipient in material published by NIST.

Receiving the Baldrige Award does not imply endorsement of an organization’s products or services. Copy should specify that the award is for performance excellence and quality achievement—and not state or imply that it is for a product or service. Neither the award name nor trademark should be used on products or in conjunction with specific product or service claims.

If a subsidiary of an organization wins the award, it should be clear to the reader/viewer/listener which organization received the award. All publicity should state clearly that the unit—not the parent organization—received the award. If the parent unit is cited, the name of the subsidiary unit should be more prominent—in placement, size, and usage—than that of the parent unit.

Only the name of the organization that received the Baldrige Award may be used in conjunction with the MBNQA trademark. The trademark of the subsidiary unit, rather than the trademark of the parent unit, should be used in conjunction with the MBNQA trademark or text referring to the Baldrige Award recipient. If the subsidiary does not have a trademark, the parent unit trademark can be used, but text should make it clear that the subsidiary received the award.

When others, such as the parent unit, suppliers, or customers, are sponsoring publicity, the copy should indicate this connection to make it clear which organization received the award. The publicity should not imply that the sponsor has a connection to the award.

Statements from the parent unit’s officers should not imply that an entire organization—rather than the subsidiary—received the award.

Applicants for the award may acknowledge their participation. However, applicant organizations, in particular those selected for a site visit, should not state or imply that this is a formal recognition of achievements. Being selected for a site visit is not being selected a “finalist” for the award. The award does not have a “finalist” category.

Publicity should not imply that Baldrige Award recipients were compared to their competitors during the award evaluation process. To avoid creating this impression, trademarks or slogans that imply that an award recipient is better than its competitors should not be used in conjunction with the MBNQA name or logo.

Photos or likenesses of, or statements by, the President of the United States, the Secretary of Commerce, other government officials, and the White House should not be used in conjunction with Baldrige Award-related advertising or promotions. Photographs of the President, Secretary of Commerce, or other government officials taken during the Baldrige Award ceremony and public statements made by them may be used in news releases and newsletters.

Award recipients should carefully review all award-related publicity to ensure accuracy. The responsible executives are encouraged to ensure this attention, including consultation among parent units, subsidiaries, quality and public relations officials, and contractors.

Award recipients may reproduce the Baldrige Award trademark and Baldrige Award medallion for use on mementos. However, replicas and printed reproductions of the medallion cannot include the Presidential seal, which is on the reverse side of the medallion. Copies of the medallion may be produced with plain reverse side, a duplicate of the front side, or name or trademark of the award recipient along with the year the award was won.

The award crystal cannot be reproduced in any form or size. Award recipients and other organizations are encouraged to bring questions regarding award-related publicity and these guidelines to NIST Public and Business Affairs, (301) 975-2762.



BNQP Website comments:
nqp@nist.gov

Date created: 7/23/2001
Last updated: 3/18/2004