WESTERN GROWERS FAMILY OF COMPANIES

Change is necessary to create brand synergy. Western Growers Family of Companies is a 100-year old national agricultural association representing farmers, growers and agricultural professionals across the United States. Their membership alone represents over 50% of the produce manufacturing across the country and their company includes not only 15 internal association departments, but also a secondary company for agricultural health insurance and coverage.

The challenge? With that complexity, and with such a deep heritage throughout the years, the brand of WGA had become fragmented. There was little to no alignment with the 15 internal divisions of the association, as well as a very dim connection to the insurance division of Pinnacle. Association members were aware they had financial support, membership support, legal support (among other resources), but each department was executing their own communications, their own visuals and creating confusion in the marketplace.  A storm of chaotic logos, unbranded elements and a lack of brand cohesion.

My objective was to develop, educate and implement a brand unification process, a strategy by which all of the essential departments and divisions could tell their story and benefits, but still be aligned to the parent identity of Western Growers. Through a three-month process which included brand inventory analysis, extensive interviews, and strategic positioning, I presented a brand unification and rebranding strategy to the executive team of Western Growers. One that I streamlined down into an idea and a positioning which supported the very foundation on which the association was based: to grow.

“GROW’ became the tie that bound all of the efforts of the organization together…both visually and through communications. It was carried across 15 internal divisions with anchors that spoke to the departments, but supported the parent identity. GROW Stronger (membership) GROW Knowledge (science and technology) GROW Faster (transportation services), GROW Protected (Pinnacle Health) and so forth. 

Across collateral redesign, web development, video production, print ads and social media executions. GROW became the catalyst for a unified association with a unified purpose. It was the first time in 100 years that the company entertained such a dramatic departure from what was historically dated, to an evolution in execution that brought the organization into a new era of brand positioning.