20 February, 2013 11:22AM ACDT

New brand to fill the gap for regional SA

South Australia's new brand will enhance rather than overshadow the identities of its diverse regions.

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Regional tourism, business and sporting groups will be able to incorporate the State's new logo into their marketing in a more flexible manner than allowed under previous campaigns such as SA Great and Advantage SA.

These were among the key messages delivered at regional forums ahead of the launch of South Australia's new logo on March 6.

The new logo will be tagless - without wording - and has been described as 'simple' and 'easily recognisable'.

"It's an endorsement brand, it sits alongside what people are already doing rather than replaces it," strategic consultant with the Economic Development Board Peter Joy said.

"Regional brands are absolutely fundamental to the state.

"This has to work... with subsets of the brands within the [regions]."

He drew a parallel with Canada's instantly recognisable red maple leaf design.

"I'm not in any way suggesting it's a leaf or an animal or anything, but when people see it they will know exactly what it is," he said the SA logo.

"The great power of it is what it triggers, it's what it represents that is important."

Marketing opportunities

South Australia's regional communities can expect to be able to adapt the logo into their own marketing opportunities.

"The great lesson from Canada is that it isn't just the maple leaf, a lot of organisations private and public have been able to work with, move around and distort the logo," Mr Joy said.

"This isn't a style guide saying how you have to use it, this is a symbol of what the state represents and you can interpret it and merge it with your own identity.

Mr Joy said consultations were held across regional South Australia, Adelaide and with key stakeholder groups as part of the rebranding process.

He said the diversity of the State's regional base was one of its most attractive features.

"The diversity of South Australia is a fundamental part of who we are," Mr Joy said.

"We are not one region, we are made up of very diverse regions - the Riverland is quite distinct from the Flinders or Kangaroo Island.

"That uniqueness needs to be preserved and enhanced.

"The whole purpose of this exercise is not to come up with a State brand that will commoditise the state or override the individual identities but will enhance what is occurring here but will make the most and improve perceptions."

A rose by any other name...

The latest rebranding exercise has included discussion on whether the State needed a name change, a suggestion rejected by Mr Joy.

"South Australia is 50 per cent Australia, which is one of the strongest brands overseas," he said.

"Our problem is with the South, which globally tends to be seen as a poorer region as in South America."

South Australia's new logo will not feature an iconic landmark but is also unlikely to be totally abstract.

"I will give you an absolute 100 per cent guarantee that you will recognise it for what it is," Mr Joy said.

"I think trying to find some emblem or icon like the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the Opera House is an impossible task, we do not have one so why try to invent one and try to impose it upon people.

"A great logo triggers meaning, it doesn't create it, the guy that's designed the new state logo also did the Commonwealth Bank and it's a yellow square with a bit of black on it and you think what's that to do with a bank.

"And in many ways it has nothing to do with a bank but when you see it you know exactly what it represents so it triggers a set of associations."

Mr Joy welcomed the suggestion that the new design was likely to inspire a mixed reaction.

"I would be disappointed if there weren't people who hated it, this is a classic case of not trying to please all the people all the time," he said.

"It also is an incredibly functional identity,it will be able to be adapted.

"It is a simple design, in fact the best logos are simple designs.

"I always think of Nike it's a swoosh, Commonwealth Bank is a square, even Japan is a red dot."