Introducing "eco-teranga"

The last few days have been extremely productive as we work with our client Agrécol Afrique to validate our final recommendations.  Our team's three-pronged approach has me with the lead on go-to-market strategies and I am buoyed by the confidence that our IBM Corporate Service Corps (#IBMCSC) sub-team will be making a lasting difference to our client organization, and to their mission of combating poverty by raising and ensuring the income of native Senegalese farmers, while creating jobs through the processing and widespread distribution of organic foods.

One area of the go-to-market strategy I have been focused on since yesterday has been on branding for the new commercial enterprise.  In order for them to scale outside of Thiès they will need to create a strong, consistent national brand that evokes quality and social responsibility.  In particular it must align well with the key messages we have worked with the business team to develop, targeting the local #Senegal market and their key targets: procurement managers in the public and private sector (B2B), and female heads of household (B2C):

1. Health & Food Safety: Organic and natural foods are nutritious, healthier and safer than conventional products
2. High Quality: Organic products are cleaner, taste better and store longer than conventional products
3. Support Local Farmers: Products are fresh and prices are competitive
4. Environmental Impact: Organic farming methods ensure the land for future generations

Armed with this important context, yesterday I moderated a workshop to initiate the development of a new commercial brand and logo. The participants included the director and key members of the client's business team, along with the head of a collaborating NGO.  We then of course had independent input from the IBM team, providing valuable Canadian/American, Japanese and Indian perspectives.  I stepped through a number of best practices and then moderated a highly interactive discussion on imagery those key messages evoked in the team's minds.  I am now working  through two design concepts.  Here is one of them:

The premise of this design is to reinforce the client's deep-seated pride in Senegal (Support Local Farmers), while conveying the key benefits of organic foods (Health & Food Safety, High Quality and Environmental Impact).  I have employed the colors of the Senegalese flag, which are green, yellow and red, in both the text and on the frog.  The flag of Senegal conveniently has green which I have leveraged to align my design with eco-friendly concepts.  Now the significance of the frog is that frogs are a leading indicator of the health of the environment.  The jumping frog provided me an outline I was able to turn into the rolling hills of Senegal, just as I have seen on the road between Dakar and Thiès, on which I placed the silhouette of a Baobab tree, the national symbol of Senegal.  In many organic brands we see in North America, the concept of nature (hills, trees, water, birds, etc.) is commonly employed.

The next step was to develop a brand concept for the enterprise, and as I explored notions of eco-friendly products, I immediately connected with the uniquely Senegalese notion of teranga, which goes beyond just friendly, but an openness and hospitality to family, friends and strangers alike.  And thus, eco-teranga.


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