The Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association, in Durham, NC, wants to replace the logo you see on the left, and they’re lifting a page from MoveOn.org’s playbook to do it: holding a design contest and inviting all comers to submit logos for their consideration.
It’s not clear how they’ll judge the entries, but they should consider inviting the members to vote. Give everybody a chance to make a little emotional investment in the organization!
There’s a lot to be said for this kind of approach and I hope it works out for them. If they do a good job promoting the contest, a lot of designers will check out their website, learn about their organization, and discuss their participation in the contest with their friends and family. That’s word of mouth PR for the group - the best kind. Furthermore, the winning designer may just be more interested in making a difference than making a buck. When they realize what they can do to help the group, they might do more: volunteering to redesign the website or newsletter, for example. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
Now of course, it’s also possible that the group will only get a few entries and won’t like any of them. In that case, there are some new services on the market that will design your logos at very affordable rates.
Good luck to the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association!
