Audit Reveals Need for New
Southeast Dairy Association Logo
The Southeast Dairy Association (SUDIA) is one of c21’s founding clients – for more than 16 years, we have conducted media tours, e-mail marketing, event planning and more for the nonprofit organization dedicated to educating consumers about the benefits of milk, cheese and yogurt. In 2008, one of our projects for SUDIA was a comprehensive communications audit, which included recommendations to solidify SUDIA’s brand and marketing initiatives in the 21st century.
What is a communications audit? Essentially, it’s a comprehensive review of all internal and external communications materials to determine their cohesiveness and effectiveness. All of an organization’s communication materials -- presentations, internal memos, e-mail marketing, letterhead, fliers, Web site, brochures, signage, posters, branded merchandise and much more – are reviewed to determine whether the branding and messaging is consistent, how effective they are at reaching their target audiences, what messages are conveyed through the images used, etc. The result is a complete set of recommendations to ensure that communications materials convey the intended messages and are effective.
Why is a communications audit important? Over the years, even the best brand strategies and guidelines can get diluted. Altering logo designs and colors, changing key messages and employee turnover all contribute to the creation of inconsistent communication materials. A communication audit identifies areas for improvement and provides specific recommendations for making sure the whole company is on the same page.
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Original logo |
In SUDIA’s communications audit, c21 found that the logo, which had not changed for more than 15 years, no longer matched the modern look and feel of the organization’s innovative marketing efforts. Also, inconsistent use of and changes to the logo had left it pixilated and fuzzy in many collateral materials.
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New logo |
One of c21’s recommendations included updating the logo to make it more modern, and to create detailed brand standards that would help prevent the logo from being compromised over time. The result is a fresh logo, shown below, that is being incorporated into all of SUDIA’s marketing efforts.
To tell us what you think about the new logo, or discuss your own branding issues, e-mail us.
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