As part of our strategic planning process it was identified that the NZOF brand was in need of a refresh, and consequently work has been undertaken in recent months to develop a new brand identity.  This work has resulted in a new name, logo, and strap line, which we hope will support efforts to promote and grow the sport of orienteering in NZ.

Whilst the “New Zealand Orienteering Federation” will continue to be our legal name, (as outlined in the constitution) we will use “Orienteering NZ” as our common trading name.  This name refinement enables us to put the focus on the sport, with “orienteering” being the primary word used, and consequently will support any efforts we have towards growing the “brand” of orienteering in NZ generally.

Along with the name change is the addition of a logo, which provides a recognisable graphic that people will associate with orienteering.  Many symbols were considered and researched for the logo, and we looked at what different clubs and orienteering associations have used in NZ and overseas.  In the end we settled on a stylised compass, which we believe is a symbol people associate with navigational sports and which is commonly recognised by orienteers and non-orienteers alike.  It was important to use a symbol which worked for the wider public, as we want the sport to be better recognised by the public generally, as this will support growth in the sport.  The logo is stylised and slanted, to convey a sense of movement, and uses orange as the primary colour – something we feel is “ownable” by orienteering, as aligns to the orange used on flags.

As part of the brand “package”, we will sometimes use a strap line which complements the name and logo. This strap line is “Find your adventure”, which is a play on words that expresses key features of the sport, namely finding things (navigation), and having an adventurous experience – however great or small.  It also is about finding “your” adventure, meaning it is personalised to your own level of difficulty and desire.

We appreciate that any re-branding activity will stimulate debate and discussion, and that whilst some people will like it, some won’t.  The key point to emphasise here is “does the brand work to achieve the outcomes we want”, and to that point, we believe this brand identity will assist in making the sport more recognisable, and presents us in a more modern and contemporary way which is accessible to all New Zealanders.  The job of brand identify is to convey certain attributes and present us in a way that stands out and is recognisable.  The new logo is something that is modern, contemporary, and which presents orienteering in an accessible way, using a device or logo which people could relate to whether they were orienteers or not.

More information on our branding?

Information on branding will be uploaded on our website at www.orienteering.org.nz/media-resources/ and including image files of our logo there.  We will be looking to create an OCAD file of the logo to make it easier for clubs to put the logo on maps.

What help do we need from you or your club?

Please remove all previous references to our old logo and update with our new logo.  It is important that when you are making use of our logo that you keep the logo colours as they are and use the logo as a whole.  We hope that in time, the new brand identity will be better recognised than the current one, and support all our efforts to grow the sport of orienteering.  We would love to see orienteering as recognisable by the majority of New Zealanders, so repeated use of this logo and brand identity will assist with the recognition of the sport as a whole.

As a final note – we wish to thank Peter Swanson for all his work on our Strategic Plan process and for leading our brand development.