Washington Business Summer 2017 | Washington Business | Page 27

what’s working
“It’s about our culture, how we operate
as staff, how the board operates and
leads. It’s really the reflected message
and vision of what this organization is.”
— Kris Johnson, AWB president
and the start of the rebranding, Johnson pulled back a
drape to reveal the new logo.
A few weeks later, the new logo was revealed to the public.
Like the previous logo, the new brand mark features
AWB’s initials in capital letters. But it abandons the familiar
dark blue rectangle and adds a logo “bug,” or emblem, for
the first time.
The four sections of the bug refer to the broad reach of
AWB, which encompasses the state, as well as the diverse
industry sectors AWB represents. It also depicts the
idea of employers coming together to work on solutions.
The shapes in the upper right-hand corner refer to the
importance of the people that make up the community and
diversity within AWB.
The position of the symbol, next to the “B,” is similar
to an asterisk, which in economics is meant to indicate
something is at its optimal level.
The weight of the letters strikes a balance to convey
simplicity, confidence and clarity, said Michelle Hege, CEO
at DH, the Spokane firm that designed the new logo (see
page 46). The blue colors connect to AWB’s history but also
provide a fresh, modern update.
As AWB’s staff members studied the new logo for the
first time, Schwenk — who flew in from the Tri-Cities
specifically to attend the reveal party — summarized the
work over the last few years that led to the moment.
It’s been an adventure, Schwenk said as he recapped
AWB’s mission to be a catalytic leader and unifying voice
for economic prosperity throughout Washington, and a
vision that Washington will excel as a globally competitive
state built on a solid foundation of innovation, a world-class
workforce and a quality of place second to none.
“Those mission and vision statements are really not about
the institution,” Schwenk said. “They’re about the state of
Washington and the impact AWB can have on the state of
Washington. That was a big shift.”
Bigger, even, than a redesigned logo.
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