A co-operative marque is set to be unveiled in Cape Town next month as part of a new visual identity for the global movement.
Delegates at the International Co-operative Alliance Global Conference and General Assembly will get the first look at the new identity for co-operatives.
The identity has been commissioned in support of the Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade, and is aimed at strengthening the unity, visibility and reputation of co-operatives as a worldwide force for sustainable and democratic enterprise.
Designed by British worker co-operative Calverts, with support from the Barcelona- and Buenos Aires-based Guerrini Island Design, the branding has been designed with feedback provided by co-operators around the world. The process has been overseen by the Alliance's Communications Committee.
In April, the Co-operative Global Identity Survey was unveiled that gathered over 1,000 views from 86 countries from those within the movement. It asked people to choose colours that they best associated with co-operatives, along with what it means to be a co-operative.
The results from this survey have been fed into the design process that has produced the final marque, colour palette, slogan and brand language, this is something that all co-operatives can align with and which will differentiate them from other forms of business.
In Cape Town a range of merchandise will be available including pin badges, flags, notepads and pens.
A series of Signature Images will also be unveiled as part of the new visual identity. These have been developed by BrandOutLoud, a non-profit branding agency based in The Hague, Netherlands. The brand guidelines, will be published by the International Co-operative Alliance on a special website which will be launched at the conference and where co-operatives from around the world will be invited to register and download the toolkit.
The branding kit will also include a font to use with the identity, details of the colour palette, and a guide on language to used with the new Co-operative Marque.
• To find out more about the identity initiative, visit: ica.coop/en/blueprint-themes/identity
