• by Larissa Faw , January 20, 2020

The Independent Natural Food Retailer Association (INFRA) is undergoing a complete makeover to better convey its mission and identity as well as position itself to be much more visible as a brand.

While it is best-known as a purchasing cooperative for 300+ independent grocers, the group also provides members with resources for training, marketing and operational needs.

The overhaul, developed with Haberman, pivots away from a grocery bag design meant to reflect the retail portion of INFRA’s initiatives to instead represent the group’s broader interests via a new plant-in-hand logo.

The rendering of the previous brand asset created multiple issues when applied to various environments, says Zach Keenan, design director, Haberman. Part of the rationale for how the updated mark looks and functions was to give INFRA a visual asset that allowed for effortless application within any given branding opportunity.

The agency is also introducing five icons to metaphorically express INFRA’s core values in “owner pride, market resilience, internal excellence, financial stability and purchasing power.”

This new direction was shaped during Haberman’s research. “We learned that there was a bigger story around the community that INFRA has helped to both create and support,” Keenan says. As a result, these visual metaphors reflect “both the nurturing role that INFRA plays and the people who make it possible.”

Although the work is primarily focused on B2B communications, the rebrand also includes consumer-facing elements such as templates for monthly promotional flyers as well as point-of-sale signage.