At the national level, APTA had long maintained a “house of brands” approach, with dozens of individually branded products, services, and events. This approach extended to APTA’s chapters and sections, which used their own distinct names and, often, abbreviations. The result was branding gumbo and alphabet soup, with no meaningful connections between brands.
The solution was to develop a more unified, connected, and coordinated brand — a “branded house” approach — that would make it easier for the physical therapy community to engage with the association, and vice versa. A unified brand would strengthen APTA’s role as the leading voice for the physical therapy profession and enhance the association’s ability to live its mission of building one community while pursuing a transformative vision. With a new brand platform finalized in November 2018, APTA began to develop the unified brand. The work did not start with logo development. Instead, it focused on a brand architecture—how products, services, events, and components would connect with one another in a cohesive system. This process included constant engagement with chapter and section leaders.
By February 2019, blueprints of the brand were done, and it was time to move to design. Over the course of this phase, APTA explored more than two dozen logo concepts before selecting the concept that—after multiple thoughtful revisions—was selected to be the association’s new national mark.
While an entity’s logo is only part of its brand, it is an essential cornerstone of any brand platform and arguably is the most visible element. APTA’s new logo evokes the association’s brand attributes in a number of ways. First, the design of the logo symbol honors APTA’s rich history by carrying forward a triangle shape that has been consistent throughout a century of APTA logos. Second, it retains the color teal, which traditionally has been tied to APTA and enables the association to build on its brand equity. Third, the new logo successfully captures the forward-thinking spirit of the organization and the essential role movement plays in the physical therapy profession.
The new logo was announced in June 2019, with the brand’s official launch is in June 2020.”