The American Concrete Pipe Association has effected a major brand update with the unveiling of a new signature intended to be more modern, scalable, and representative of the products or markets the group represents and serves. Underscoring the effort are a new ACPA logo presented as the sum of Water + Strength + Resilience, plus an evolution of the www.concretepipe.org site around better navigation, more on-demand training, and mobile device optimization.
Brand modernization and website improvements respond to the changing drainage construction market, notes ACPA President Steve Hawkins, AIA. “The ACPA has been in existence for 115 years and so much has changed in the quality, strength, and resilience of our product—and we wanted these updates to be a direct indicator to the market that the ACPA and our members are evolving with the times,” he affirms. “The resilience and strength of precast concrete pipe and box culverts have made them an integral part of building of our nation’s infrastructure. With the growing importance of building sustainable, long-lasting roads, interstates, and highways, it is as important as ever to let our stakeholders know that we will continue to be there for the future.”
The new ACPA logo has earth-toned colors meant to be reflective of concrete’s natural ingredients while also communicating the sustainable nature of rigid drainage products and structures. Borrowing from three familiar shapes, it mirrors the simplicity of the round or square geometry typifying concrete pipe and box culvert. The first shape is a droplet illustrating the water that pipe and culvert convey, the second a continuous circle indicating the products’ resilience, sustainability and communities it helps build. The final shape, a triangle, represents a level of strength unmatched by alternative products. Together, the colors and shapes fuse to make the new ACPA brand identity.
“Our industry appeals to a variety of stakeholders, ranging from engineers, to contractors, to elected officials, and inherent in this brand change is a story that appeals to all of them,” observes ACPA Chairman Kurt Johnson (Geneva Pipe and Precast). “Additionally, we believe this will continue to help unify and strengthen our relationship with state-affiliated associations as we want them to be able to leverage the new brand, too. We are proud to be a part of this next evolution of the ACPA as a kick-off to the next 115 years.”
In addition to the new brand, the associatin has made significant changes to its website to reflect the branding changes as added new features. “ACPA has always provided high-quality training and resource materials to key stakeholders, but our website was not equally reflective of this quality,” says Vice President of Marketing Michael Kremer. “The updated website now makes it easier for users to find resources they are looking for and also includes a new ACPA Learning Center where users can watch a variety of webinars, take courses, and even earn PDHs on-demand. We are most excited as this platform allows us to provide new and updated materials that our stakeholders will be able to take advantage of as we continue to build it out.” — American Concrete Pipe Association, Irving, Texas, www.concretepipe.org