NEW IDDBA LOGO STRESSES EDUCATIONAL ROLE

ROSEANNE HARPER

PHILADELPHIA -- The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association unveiled its new logo here this week at its Dairy-Deli-Bake '98 annual seminar and expo.

The logo, designed to highlight the association's educational role, was introduced by Bob Gilbert, IDDBA president, who is also president of Bel/Kaukauna, Kaukauna, Wis.

Gilbert said the new logo, which comprises a stylistic illustration of the sun illuminating an open book, highlights the association's mission to provide relevant information to its members. The sun and book are shown inside a pediment supported by the letters IDDBA. "The letters IDDBA are the columns supporting the college of knowledge," Gilbert said.

The previous logo featured an illustration of cheese, sausage, bread and dairy products against a globe.

As he introduced the new design, Gilbert emphasized the association has not changed its focus.

"We did not change our name, nor did we change our mission or focus. Our focus is on dairy, deli and bakery. These are the core departments that we represent and they are critical to our seminars, educational programs and research."

Carol Christison, IDDBA executive director, in a preshow interview with SN, commented on the association's continuing strength in providing education.

"What has changed over the years is that our focus used to be on product. When we were founded in 1964, it was for the purpose of selling more product. Then, as we added programs and developed the resources to pay for them, we changed our focus to include education. We still want to sell product but we recognize that we must train and educate in order to do it effectively," Christison said.

"We train retailers, manufacturers, brokers, distributors and other professionals in product knowledge, food safety, merchandising, suggestive selling, category management and consumer buying behavior. Our store-level training is a certificate program that recognizes accomplishments and was used to train more than 11,000 associates, last year alone."

Christison pointed out that the new logo "goes to the substance of the change.

"It symbolizes our educational foundation and dissemination of knowledge."

Formerly known as IDDA, the association now uses the IDDBA acronym. The name was changed in 1990 to include bakery, but the acronym was not changed at that time. The reason for not changing it then was to preserve continuity, Gilbert pointed out.

The IDDBA acronym and new logo will be used on all new print materials and promotional pieces, he said.