ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council, the non-profit organization serving as a global voice for the eyewear and eyecare industry, today announced the launch of a new brand identity, including a reimagined logo and a new website designed to better serve and accommodate the needs of members and the vision care community at large, according to an announcement from the organization. The rebrand and website launch represent the initial phase of the plan The Vision Council announced in January 2020 when it set a new direction for the organization based on community-building and industry growth.
The branding roll-out follows months of collaboration with members, during which The Vision Council’s leadership team held regular industry task force calls with optical community leaders to understand the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the vision care industry and to determine what kinds of tools and resources would best serve members in a rapidly changing marketplace.
“Coming out of The Vision Council’s Executive Summit in January 2020, we announced a five-year plan reflecting a renewed focus on community-building and promoting industry growth,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council. “Since then, the industry has been confronted with unprecedented challenges. The need to come together as a community and bolster our industry has resonated more powerfully than we could have imagined.
“Over the past several months, we have worked closely with industry leaders and our members to understand how their businesses were being impacted by the pandemic and what kind of support they needed most. These specific areas of need have informed the design, capabilities, and content of the new website, which we are excited to launch now, at a time when helping members navigate the marketplace and succeed is of critical importance,” Mills said.
The Vision Council’s new brand identity is anchored by a new logo. Inspired by the concepts of refracted light and the visible light spectrum, the logo includes a “V” shaped mark comprised of seven different lines and colors—representing each of The Vision Council’s seven membership divisions—alongside “The Vision Council” in bold typeface.
“The Vision Council’s new brand identity is forward-thinking, vibrant, and confident,” said Maureen Beddis, vice president of marketing and membership at The Vision Council. “The dynamic “V” shape in the logo represents an uplifting trajectory and reflects how The Vision Council brings together diverse segments of the industry through the shared goal of advancing the industry. It boldly illustrates our steadfast commitment to delivering on the promise we made to bring the vision care community together and drive industry growth.”
The Vision Council’s new website, TheVisionCouncil.org, has been reimagined based on the needs of members, with the results of a recent member needs and program awareness survey informing the website’s design and content. The new website offers improved navigation, modern features and curated content. New features include:
- Member-focused homepage: The homepage has been redesigned to offer more immediate access to highly-valued member programs. The five main tabs on the homepage include: Optical Market Research; Meetings & Events; Member Services & Initiatives; Government & Regulatory Affairs; and Standards.
- New Research Download Center: The new Research Download Center offers an improved user experience with better filtering capabilities, including the option to sort by most popular reports.
- Secure, Members-only content: Each division has a dedicated area on the website that contains links to agendas and meeting minutes from past Vision Expo, division, committee and Executive Summit meetings as well as pertinent guidelines and reports. These pages are secured and for members only.
- Seamless Event Registration: The website offers easier registration for virtual and in-person events.
“While 2020 has proven to be a year of unexpected challenges, The Vision Council has remained committed to members, listening to what they need and working diligently and quickly to deliver the programs and tools that are so critical to the success of the entire community,” said Beddis. “Now that we have taken this thoughtful approach to the rebrand, our website and the way we communicate with members in the industry, we are excited to continue to strengthen the vision care community through community-building focused programming and new member initiatives.”
Details on new virtual programming and member initiatives for the remainder of 2020 and 2021 will be announced in the coming months.