Joshua beats rivals to develop FSA identity

The Government’s new Food Standards Agency is to be branded by Joshua, after the group won a six-way strategy pitch against unnamed rivals.

The non-ministerial department will aim “to bring stability and consistency to the approach to food policy and safety issues, and rebuild trust among the general public”, after the food scares of recent years. It will be launched officially in April.

Joshua has been appointed to develop a cohesive identity for the department. The multidisciplinary consultancy has previous experience of working for Government institutions, including projects for both the Department of Energy and the Department of Trade and Industry.

“We felt that Joshua understood the complexities associated with working for a Government agency,” says an FSA spokesman.

The department will have a wide ranging “farm to fork” remit, dealing with all elements of the commercial food chain. “The entire organisation needs to be aligned around a common set of guiding principles with which everyone can work. The design of its corporate identity will be key to establishing these principles,” says the spokesman.

The FSA “will need to be strongly identifiable to consumers, to its own staff, to farmers, local authorities, food manufacturers and retailers, and Government”, says Joshua managing director Nick Spindler.