COTA SA | The Plug-in
How we delivered a brand identity that empowers older South Australians
How we delivered a brand identity that empowers older South Australians
COTA SA is the peak body representing the rights, interests and future of SA’s over 50s. They are at the forefront with their social enterprise, The Plug-in, working with businesses, government and not-for-profit sectors to innovate to improve their products, services and policies for the growing market.
In 2017, COTA SA required a brand strategy and identity for The Plug-in. It needed to visually express older South Australians’ willingness and eagerness to be ‘plugged in’ to research and innovation about technology, services and products that support ageing well.
The brand identity and language needed to be fresh, creative, dynamic, responsive and reliable. It was also important for the audience to feel important, welcome, valued, respected, supported, connected, heard and empowered.
We started by conducting a brand workshop where we profiled:
This resulted in the development of a ‘brand blueprint’, which provided clarity on the brand positioning and informed the design brief.
We felt strongly the brand identity needed to speak to its name and in researching the core elements, they needed to earn their place in the final logo mark with a story and meaning for each.
The main elements represented in the logo include:
The friendliness and warmth of the brand shines through with the playful incorporation of a smiley face also visible in the ‘g’ and equals symbol.
communikate et al conceptualised and managed the following project elements:
The Plug-in has steadily grown since 2017, now with 26 projects completed for 19 clients including Weber, ACH Group, CSIRO and University of Adelaide.
Striking a balance between playfulness and meaning was fundamental to the success of the identity. So too was:
The punchy colour palette:
Leading on the right foot from the beginning, with a highly considered, professional and impactful brand helped COTA SA and The Plug-in to create clarity in the market quickly.
I have worked with communikate et al for many years in a number of roles. They form an integral part of our team at Walara, having taken the time to understand our community and the two businesses that merged to develop a brand name and identity that reflects our shared values and vision for future growth in the lower mid-north region. communikate has created an extensive range of content and communication assets to establish us as a leading provider of aged care services in the region. We’ve received nothing short of positive feedback from our residents, their families and our staff.
It has been great working with the team at communikate et al, they use a different thought process and approach that brings all stakeholders on the journey and gets you thinking about the bigger picture.
As a membership body we need to make sure we are serving the interests of our membership and the wider community that we support. We now have a positioning for Master Builders SA that is reflective and representative of our entire membership base and an updated logo and collateral that is cohesive. l would highly recommend communikate et al to any business considering a brand refresh.
The communikate team really took the time to understand our business. They very quickly came up to speed on our products and the nuances of our very technical and specialised industry. They’ve written accurate and engaging content to be used in industry publications, our electronic newsletter, and on LinkedIn, which has performed really well.
The communikate et al team played a crucial role in bringing the vision of the SA Philanthropy Network to life, thanks to their strategic marketing expertise and creative solutions. Their support delivered significant attention across South Australian media and fostered meaningful community connections.
I am incredibly grateful for their own dedication to giving back and supporting causes in our community. I would highly recommend communikate to anyone looking to make a meaningful impact with their organisation - because they get people and purpose!
The South Australian Museum worked with communikate on a SA Tourism Award submission. The submission is a huge task with many moving parts and communikate helped bring it all together seamlessly. Always a pleasure working with CK!
The visual impact of the creative was exactly what the Local Government Association was looking for to engage audiences and drive an increase in nominations from traditionally underrepresented groups on council.
As a result of the advertising we saw a particularly strong increase in candidates identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and many more candidates from culturally diverse backgrounds.
I had the pleasure of collaborating with the exceptional team at communikate et al on our inaugural old scholar publication, and I cannot speak highly enough of their professionalism and expertise. They demonstrated a profound understanding of our vision and brand, and their dedication to excellence was evident in every aspect of their work.
Their attention to detail and commitment to thorough research ensured that the final product not only met but exceeded our expectations. We have enjoyed an overwhelmingly positive response to our publication and look forward to working with the team again. Their genuine care for their clients makes communikate et al a truly standout agency.
communikate et al have provided a very clear marketing framework for Dockside Port Vincent, confidently and masterfully clarifying the vision and character of development. The developed Brand Story crafted by the team for the project inspires every stage of the development. The skill sets of the individual team members is legendary and the seamless working connectivity between the team functions provided a great business experience. I'm very happy to recommend the abilities and the work of communikate.
We came to communikate et al with a specific need to update our brand. We needed to refine our brand’s visual touchpoints to make sure we were resonating with our customers and engaging a wider audience. This was the first step of our broader branding and business strategy to execute with communikate et al.
There was an instant clarity and understanding of where we needed to go; both from a creative perspective, but also tangible outcomes for the business and our customers. The delivery of our updated branding was considered and beautifully executed. We couldn't be happier with our next chapter.
The depth of talent in their team makes them truly a full-service agency ready to jump on any project that you can dream up... Not to mention the good vibes and great attitude.
communikate et al’s design work is visually impactful, and they partnered with us to help bring our vision to life. Our tagline ‘flourish’, is an excellent reflection of our core values, beautiful botanic campus and our genuine aspirations for every young person in our care.
communikate’e professionalism, relatability and ability to give life to our vision is commendable.
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Upstairs 200 The Parade,
Norwood SA 5067
Get in touch
Telephone +61 8 8331 1444hello@communikate.net.au
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