Brings it all together

When it came to looking at rebranding Safefood 360°, we wanted a tag line that captured the product and service we provide. Easier said than done. In previous years we spent countless hours going through mental and creative acrobatics trying to find that one line that would say it all! In the end, it was one of our valued customers that unwittingly came up with it. The marketing company charged with developing our new brand asked the customer ‘what best describes Safefood 360° for you?’

The response was simply: “It brings it all together”

This month we celebrate the launch of our new corporate branding. It is the output of months of work by our internal team and Type Works Studio, a branding and design company based in Buffalo, New York. For both teams this project represented far more than merely a new logo.

This project was an opportunity to create branding, images and messages which more accurately reflect our software product, food business solutions and professional services team. In so doing we would present our business and offerings in a clear and accessible way ensuring existing and new customers can find the solutions they need and connect with the dedicated team supporting them.

Marketing messages
have to match reality

I’m not a marketing expert. But I have experience as a quality manager seeking a software solution. I have read the marketing collateral, seen the brochures, browsed the websites, all in the search of a solution that fits my needs. However, in 22 years working in the food sector I never purchased, nor recommended my clients to purchase a compliance management software solution.

The reason was simple. I was looking for a food safety management solution. The marketing collateral stated they supplied a food safety management solution, but as soon as I scratched the surface of the marketing pitch I quickly realized they offered only partial solutions which were generic and not built for the needs of the food safety manager. I would still need to operate a significant portion of my system using paper even after significant cost.

As a quality manager and potential customer this always left me with a sour after taste. Very soon I grew to distrust the marketing noise and I believe this is one of the reasons the global food industry has threaded softly when it comes to purchasing compliance software. The available solutions were built for other industries (engineering, aerospace, automotive etc.) and repackaged, rebranded and marketed as food safety solution – which they were not. Try using one of these solutions to fully manage a FSM based on GFSI or a technical retailer standard and you will soon realize their significant gaps.

The marketing, while effective, was not supported by products which in reality reflected the message.

Good brands reflect the product

For me branding and marketing must serve both the company and those it’s selling to. It must reflect the offer, culture and ethos of the company. In other words it must make our customers aware of our product and when required clearly inform them of the product and the needs it meets.

This was core to our rebranding project. In recent years both our product, solutions and support services have evolved. For example, the product is now a complete enterprise solution suitable for the needs of large multisite, corporate food businesses. In addition our professional services supports are now in place reflecting an experienced team no other competing software supplier can claim.

This is all important information for our existing and potential customers but our messaging, website and supporting collateral did not fully demonstrate this. So, what have we done?

What has changed?

We have introduced a new logo. It was created by Jason Feltz from Typework Studio and we are delighted with it. It is original and captures the professional nature of our business.

Website is where you will see the biggest changes. Our website is now completely redesigned and focused on providing visitors with the information they need. It is easy to navigate and logically structured around both products and solutions. We have provided detailed information on our team and how we get our clients up and running with the solution. The design is the creative output of Bethany Feltz also from Typework Studio. Please take a look around and let us know your feedback.

Meeting the target

For any software company, when one of your customers summarizes your product with  ‘Brings it all together’ and this perfectly reflects what the you are seeking to provide, then you know you are getting it right.