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