Making a statement overseas!

The Prince Edward Island Cranberry Growers’ Association had been busy perfecting their fruit and readying themselves to participate in a Canadian trade mission to Taiwan. They needed a logo to assist their impact in this competitive marketplace. During my creative brief research I learned many interesting things to help guide my design process. For starters, the Taiwanese are among the largest consumer population for snack products and are moving toward organic convenience foods. Singles form the largest marital status with 30% of the population being the more affluent baby boomers.

Japan supplies 21% of Taiwan’s total imports, while the US supplies four out of five of Taiwan’s top imported agri-food products. Canada is not as familiar in Taiwan so it faces strong price competition. It’s important to keep in mind that all consumers shop first with their eyes. Strong visual branding supports efforts to get noticed and build consumer relationships —something which is very important to the Taiwanese.

The logo needed to rely on visuals to convey: healthy, natural, quality, Canada, and clearly depict cranberries for easy identification. The maple leaf, using Canadian red, formed the backdrop for the cranberries and their bright green leaves and vine. A crane was the perfect choice to complete the image. In Taiwan cranes represent a soaring spirit, health and happiness. This tied in nicely with the fact that cranberries had originally been called craneberries. And finally the slender head and neck has a similar silhouette to our Island’s blue heron. The sans serif typeface and clean lines for the illustration work well together to create an appealing logo in the Taiwanese target marketplace—connecting our Island to theirs!