Building one ownable brandfrom two successful cooperatives.
Building one ownable brandfrom two successful cooperatives.
Disciplining the process to win the future.
When two rural midwestern cooperatives—Countryside and Landmark—decided it was time to join forces, it was important to craft a new brand identity that would set it apart from the competition—and any confusion about its mission moving forward. Of course, in any merger, this is easier said than done since it inevitably raises a long list of questions: What will the new brand be called and what will it look like? How will it be accepted both within the organization and in the eyes of external stakeholders? What’s the best process for making it all happen in a way that’s true to the leadership’s vision for the future?
Solution: Take both organizations camping.
With an understanding that buy-in across organizations is essential for the ultimate success of any merger, we held one of our off-site BrandCamp events to bring together diverse voices across both organizations. Through various camp-themed activities, they identified pain points, cataloged strengths and mapped out plans for developing brand identities. The result of this and subsequent virtual meetings: A clearly articulated “why” for the new organization and recommendations for the new brand identity that the CEO and Board of Directors might consider.
“BrandCamp provides an opportunity for many different individuals in diverse roles to step back and evaluate the past, present and future of their brand.”
– Jennifer Wallace, EVP of Creative Services
From BrandCamp to ChampCamp to “All. Together. Now.”
After settling on one of the brand identity recommendations arrived at by this grassroots effort involving employees, leadership and the Board of Directors, the next step was to make sure everyone understood the story behind ALCIVIA. To do that, we held semiweekly, virtual “ChampCamps.” This smaller group of brand champions was tasked with explaining how the new name combined the word “all” with the same word for community found in common words like “civic” and “civility.” And how this messaging—and the organization’s vision—is impossible to miss in the new tagline: “All. Together. Now.”
We love strong brands almost as much as we love food.
The ALCIVIA story is the sort of tale we love telling over and over because it’s an example of how strong brands can make a positive difference when they have a great story to tell that everyone can and does get behind. We are grateful for any opportunity to find partners who understand the importance of irresistible brands and want to discipline their processes to get the best ultimate outcomes.
