Where I live in Charleston, SC, I’m always near the water. Whether it’s taking my family to the beach or driving over Intercoastal Waterway, the inspiration a water view brings is part of my daily life. As I was watching a boat struggle to launch the other day in our local marina, I was reminded how hard it can be and how tough the winds are, but the reward of setting out on a sail is well worth the effort.
Launching anything is always an endeavor. If you’ve ever watched a boat try to speed off without preparing effectively, you know what I mean! In our eagerness to get moving, we often forget the basics and the importance of setting the right foundation. We sacrifice time for thoughtfulness. Whether it’s a new project or a new organization, it’s never easy, but then again results never are.
It’s been a long road to get the Association of Talent Acquisition Professionals (ATAP) off the ground. It would have been easy to slap up a new website or logo, but it’s worth it to do it right. And while the new Board will be setting the foundation of the organization, the working committees have been laying the groundwork to make sure we launch thoughtfully.
Building the organization’s brand is one of the first steps. Brand building often seems simple. Grab a logo, pick some colors and put yourself out there. But strong brands have to be anchored in a mission and vision. And launch with consistent and cohesive messaging. The new Board will own the full building of the ATAP brand (architecture and messaging) but we’ll be bridging the gap by launching the brand identity through the new website and other communication channels.
Anchoring the new brand identity is the ATAP logo. If you’re not familiar with graphic design, the term ‘logo’ comes from the Greek ‘logos’ meaning ‘order and knowledge.’ And that’s truly what a logo is designed to do. It drives recognition of the organization and visually portrays the mission of the organization through its design.
That’s why we’re excited to begin sharing the ATAP brand with our new logo. Sure we’re not quite yet off the dock, but it’s like we’re hoisting our sail to get started. While it’s just one element of the brand identity, and the architecture is still to be built, it serves to jumpstart our launch and help provide that recognition.
The elements of the design are purposeful:
- The bold, clean font: the font represents the baseline of the organization: ATAP has a powerful and bold mission, but it will seek to achieve that mission in a professional, transparent way
- The strapline: ATAP is new–so to gain recognition, the strapline underneath (the full name of the organization) serves to reinforce the name and drive brand awareness
- The triangle icon: the only way for ATAP to move is ahead–so the triangle icon demonstrates the upward trajectory and forward progress the organization must make in order to grow, build its reputation and make talent acquisition better
- The color choices: the deep blue anchors the organization’s brand in seriousness and professionalism while the element of orange demonstrates the balance of innovation and new thinking in the space
There’s so much more to come with the ATAP brand and the organization as a whole. But as ATAP sets off on it’s launch, each small step forward is a step toward setting the right foundation and sailing ahead smartly. The sun’s rising for sure, and together, this large community will find it’s wind.
Susan LaMotte is a member of the ATAP Review Board and the marketing committee. She started her career 20 years ago as a recruiter and HR Generalist and now runs the employer brand experience firm, exaqueo. Connect with her @SusanLaMotte or via susan@exaqueo.com.