Here’s a sneak peak at a logo Sproutreach recently created for Fletcher Community Farm, Haverhill’s new CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

Mission Statement: Fletcher Community Farm aims to get quality, local and natural food into the hands and bellies of Greater Haverhill area residents, and foster public appreciation for the benefits of local agricultural lands and the crops they produce.

For additional information about the Fletcher Community Farm CSA Program, or to sign up for a share in this year’s harvest of fresh, local fruits and vegetables, contact Polly at 978-388-3422.

I do more thinking about brands, mine and my clients’, than I care to admit. As a result, I’m always interested in what others in the design and marketing fields have to say about branding, both as a concept and as a service. Here are a few thoughts generated by bits I’ve read over the past month that I found intriguing.

It’s not about the logo
A logo does not make a brand. While the reverse is also not the case, it is closer to being accurate, as the proper development of brand will build meaning for your logo over time.

On the lowest level, branding is confused with the creation of a logo. This is a perverse – yet surprisingly resilient – falsehood. An icon, monogram, or wordmark is in no way a brand—thinking so is akin to believing that a hood-ornament is a car. Yet, this is where a great number of brand projects start: “Yay! We’ve started our company! Let’s brand it with a logo!”
— Eric Karjaluoto, The most important question in branding

Positive Expression
In a world where people have (and use) more tools than ever with which to share their thoughts with the world, it is more important than ever to choose your words carefully. Your words, your thoughts, and the associated actions exist in a inter-related web that serves as your identity, and by extension, your brand’s identity. Blair Enns’ Seven Words You Can’t Say in Business Development reminds us of the Chinese saying that roughly translated says, “Watch your thoughts, they become your language. Watch your language, it becomes your deeds. Watch your deeds, they become your behavior.”

Expert? Really?
It seems there are far too many brands claiming expertise in their industry with little basis beyond membership. This unfortunate trend exists in the graphic design and marketing industries as much as anywhere else, and may indicate a mindset that allows this philosophy to permeate the work that these firms do for their clients. I’m reminded of another quote from Blair Enns:

“I hate the word ‘branding’ as a claim of expertise. An expert is someone who has a deeper knowledge of the subject than others trading in the area. I wonder if there’s even such thing as a branding expert. There are just too many people in it and very, very few that have meaningful knowledge that others do not. A designer claiming expertise in branding is like a fish claiming expertise in swimming. It’s not expertise; it’s the price of entry.”
— Blair Enns’ Win Without Pitching

With 2009 having just arrived, I am pleased to announce an exciting new change within my own graphic design business. Our company, operating as Gough Graphics since 1999, has been renamed Sproutreach. The name change comes with a few other changes, including a new logo (right) and, of course, a re-designed website.

After almost a year of careful thought and much discussion on the subject, we’ve implemented the change for a number of important reasons. Perhaps the most important of these reasons is our desire for a company name that more accurately represents our core mission – to serve socially and environmentally responsible organizations by helping them grow and connect with their audiences..

We’re very excited about this news, but we’d love to hear what you think. Please leave a comment below with your thoughts, or as always, feel free to email us directly with your feedback.

- Rob