Naming & Rebranding: Food Federation Germany
Since its establishment, the Food Federation Germany has advocated for the food industry across the entire supply chain, "from farm to fork." It represents various associations, 250 companies, and 150 individual members involved in agriculture, food processing, and retail at a national level. The federation serves as a partner for dialogue with political, administrative, and scientific entities, as well as a defender of consumer rights and media interests. The organization faced challenges in aligning its overall brand with its specific roles and responsibilities. The original name, intended to be descriptive, was lengthy and cumbersome for both internal and external communications. Therefore, a new name needed to be created that was both descriptive and impactful, effectively conveying the essence of the brand. Another hurdle in the renaming process was to unify the diverse interests and backgrounds of the organization, requiring the new name to pass through two approval stages, with the final one needing approval from all 800 members. Through a combination of interviews, brainstorming sessions, research, benchmarking, and collaborative naming workshops, we developed a new name: ‘Lebensmittelverband Deutschland.’ It became apparent that a truly iconic brand system was necessary to harness the power of name recognition. The name was further enhanced by the design of a logo that reflects the organization’s mission and simplifies the communication of its values and message: “from farm to fork.” To instill a sense of humanity and underscore the organization’s comprehensive approach, we created an accessible brand identity that narrates the story of unity and commitment to making an impact. The new name was positively received both within the organization and externally, achieving the essential goal of clarity for the target audience. A press conference attended by prominent journalists and politicians generated 1500 press mentions in a single day.