Brand positioning for THE organisation for tree professionals in the UK
The Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) is the only member organisation to offer chartership to both foresters and ariboriculturalists as well as valuable CPD opportunities to all tree professionals across the UK. It faced the task of strengthening its value proposition and visibility within the forestry and arboricultural community.
- Needed to better engage existing members
- Sought to increase overall membership numbers
- Aimed to raise awareness and credibility within the wider sector
Plus: Magazine design, print management, distribution
The brief
The ICF approached the project with a multifaceted vision to modernise its communications and improve its member offerings. As the only UK body offering chartership for foresters and arboriculturists, the ICF sought to:
- reflect its authoritative position
- refresh the brand identity, redesign the member magazine, and upgrade the website
- create a dynamic campaign to support membership renewals and attract new members
Brand refresh
The brand refresh centred around aligning both the professional nature of the Institute and the natural world it represents.
This involved a deep-dive into the organisation and the sector to authentically present ICF’s values with strategic and visual updates across all their platforms.
We then worked with the team to deliver a cohesive, modern brand refresh that supports long-term engagement
Magazine – TREES
The ICF’s quarterly magazine underwent a transformation to better engage readers and reflect the refreshed brand.
Renamed and redesigned in 2020 with a new look and style.
Continues to be published quarterly with support from the creative team and ICF’s in-house editors.
Offers relevant features, industry news, and professional insights to thousands of members.
Campaign: Nurture. Grow. Thrive.
This campaign was designed to revitalise membership communications and celebrate the benefits of belonging to the ICF at every career stage. It was a joy to involve real-life members, who share their experience in the sector and benefits of ICF membership through a series of well-produced videos that appear across platforms.
The campaign:
- aims to encourage renewals and new memberships
- incorporates themes and visuals inspired by nature
- includes art-directed videos, promotional materials, and a flexible toolkit for internal use
- continues to be promoted, with the ownable hashtag #NurtureGrowThrive, extending its reach
Results
The outcomes of the rebrand, campaign, and communications updates positioned the ICF as a forward-thinking, member-focused organisation.
The team now has a strong, sector-specific brand identity and a clear position in the sector.
The compelling membership campaign has lasting visual and strategic assets and continues to deliver value.
Having modernised the quarterly magazine, reader engagement has increased and advertising is now providing revenue.
And the member-focused website features up-to-date sector news and information, and remains a valuable asset to ICF.
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