It’s a mouthful to say — Sunshine State One Call of Florida, Inc. — and it’s even harder to remember. So, armed with recent results of a brand identity study conducted by marketing and communications agency MGH, Florida’s one-call center changed its name to Sunshine 811.

“We created a 10-minute online survey,” Chris McMurry, MGH senior vice president said. “It was sent to 15,137 e-mail addresses and completed by 413 people. The study focused on brand identity, brand name, brand perceptions, usage of the center and its services.”

With a two-decade history in Florida and several names, the study reflected what some already knew — brand confusion.

“The study showed that most people remembered ’sunshine’ in our name, but not the whole name,” Sunshine 811 Executive Director Mark Sweet said.

With “Sunshine” as the most consistent word mentioned, MGH recommended the name Sunshine 811. The new name also will be easier to remember because it’s shorter and uses 811, which comes with substantial recognition from momentum built by the national 811 campaign.

Early on, there was some concern that using 811 in the name could negatively impact Internet Ticket Entry usage.

“We are pleased with an Internet Ticket Entry level of more than 60 percent,” Sweet said. “Nobody wanted to see that percentage decrease.”

As a result, Sunshine811.com will be used interchangeably with Sunshine 811 as a dual marketing campaign — one that seeks to attract new users with the easy-to-remember 811 phone number, and another that promotes the full-service damage prevention resources available to professional excavators.

“And there’s always that chance,” Sweet added, “that we’ll attract new Internet users since the name no longer uses ’call.’”

Sunshine 811 currently is rebranding its communications pieces and Web site.

“Watch for more exciting things to come,” Sweet concluded, “as we continue striving to make Florida the safest place to dig.”

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