Bridging the urban-rural divide through cohesive branding and communication

Central Pines Regional Council (CPRC) aids local governments and communities in jointly pursuing success by endorsing regional policies, encouraging teamwork, and providing technical support. Yet, the diverse nature of their 40 urban and rural member organizations made crafting a unified brand challenging. Particularly, finding a name and visual identity that resonates with all members was tough. Their previous name, Triangle J Council of Governments, left some member groups feeling underrepresented. Our challenge was to come up with a name and brand that reflected the diversity of their members.

Client: Central Pines Regional Council (CPRC, Formerly Triangle J Council of Governments, TJCOG)

Project Type: Brand Strategy, Messaging, Logo Design, Visual Identity

Industry: Governement

Creating a common ground for regional collaboration and growth

The strategy we implemented revolved around extensive research into the diversity of the member areas. We sought to find common elements that resonated within this variance, knitting together a unified yet distinct brand identity. Through diligent exploration, we found our shared symbol in the pine tree—an icon of adaptability thriving in diverse terrains, much like their members and organization. This insight gave birth to a new name, Central Pines Regional Council (CPRC), encapsulating their united vision while acknowledging their diversity.

Crafting an inclusive brand identity and communications strategy

Building on the new name, we conceptualized a brand identity revolving around an abstract split pinecone. The split design echoes the urban-rural dichotomy among their members, emphasizing that each holds equal weight in the council’s balance. The new design echoes the adaptability of the pine tree, illustrating unity amid diversity. Alongside this visual transformation, we devised a brand communications and messaging strategy. This initiative cleared up any prior confusion about CPRC's role and objectives, providing a clear narrative of their mission and services.

Bridging communities: a comprehensive brand transformation for TJCOG

Our strategic approach, resulting in a brand identity and communication strategy, has profoundly redefined the Central Pines Regional Council (CPRC). By blending the symbolism of the pine tree and the abstract split pinecone design, we’ve crafted a brand identity that resonates with both urban and rural members. The comprehensive communications strategy has clarified CPRC's mission and objectives, forging unity from diversity. The success of this project demonstrates our belief in the transformative power of strategic design, and its ability to drive an organization towards its goals.