It's a changing and complex world, and the MACPA has grown in recent years to meet those challenges. We are a bigger and better organization, and we are doing more to help CPAs throughout Maryland and across the country.

Our brand is strong. Our staff is top-notch, and we are consistently delivering a high-quality member experience.

However, our existing logo did not communicate the quality and personality of our brand.

It was time for a change. It was time for new life and a new focus for our visual identity.

The MACPA is launching a new branding campaign in 2012, and the process starts with our logo.

We asked our new creative agency, Blue Ocean Ideas, to lead us through the process, and we couldn't be happier with their work.

As with any new logo, there will always be voices who believe they have "better ideas" or who might even be disappointed with the result. As exciting as the process is for developing a new logo, there can sometimes be disagreement along the way. This is normal.

Please know that we worked very hard to act in the interest of our members, and that our entire staff is very excited about our new logo.

The MACPA's job is to connect members in strategic ways, protect members' professional interests, and help them achieve continual and increasing success.

Connect. Protect. Achieve. That's the "CPA" in MACPA. That's our promise to members.

The association's brand must embody and communicate that promise, and it starts with our corporate identity. It is incredibly important that our logo - the primary visual cue for our brand - communicate who we are and what we believe.

Here's the story behind the new logo, beginning with a look at each of its parts.

First, the font selection. The modern type face reveals the MACPA as an organization that is relevant today. While we have no interest in being "trendy," we are committed to the future of the profession, and we want to communicate this to our members. The font is all lowercase - humble and approachable. Yet it is balanced with a bold font weight to communicate strength and long-standing service.

We include a subtle darkening of the letters "CPA" to reinforce exactly what we do and who we serve. The character spacing, consistent font size, and the gentle separation of color communicate with clarity the best depiction of our name.

Next, the symbol above the typography. The colorful elements above our name alludes to a depiction of our tagline, "Connect. Protect. Achieve."

Each dot is a different color to reflect the diversity of the association and our members. The dots are connected by a single thread, offering this message: We are all in this together, and the MACPA is the foundation for our connections.

The MACPA also helps protect our members and the profession. The seamlessly connected dots are an umbrella above the "macpa" - a buffer from threats.

Just as you read left-to-right, so, too, does the logo mark "move" left-to-right. It is not a static symbol off to the side of our name. We move together. We achieve together.

Our mark starts with the color green, a cultural archetype meaning "go." While colorful, the colors are muted, tempered, grounded, time-tested, secure, and professional. As you follow the connection line, it flows to our final color of blue. There are still bigger seas, brighter skies, and better days ahead. The MACPA, with its rich history of success, is just getting started!

We hope you love the logo as much as we do. We worked very hard to create something that you, our members, can be proud of. We hope this new mark inspires you in your work and your membership. We also hope that this logo will help create more and better opportunities for the MACPA because of its appealing qualities.

The team at Blue Ocean Ideas constantly reminds their clients that "brand development is telling the truth about who you are, faster."

Our new logo feels like "us."