JAXPORT launches rebrand in opening logistics conference

Northeast Florida’s Jacksonville Port Authority has a fresh brand identity, launched today [Tuesday, April 30] in the opening general session of the 2019 JAXPORT Logistics & Intermodal Conference.

“It signals a new day at JAXPORT,” Kristen DeMarco, JAXPORT’s chief commercial officer, told AJOT.

“You can see that reflected in profound growth across all of our cargo segments, as well as multiple new capital development projects, a new senior leadership team, a revitalized culture and a customer base that needs us to show our confidence and vision, more than ever,” added DeMarco, who joined the JAXPORT team in July 2018. “It is paramount that our branding reflect the essence of who we are and the vision of where we are going.”

The “brand reimagining,” as termed by Jeff Price, JAXPORT’s marketing manager, in an interview with AJOT, emerged from an internal effort of a four-member team led by Price and including Amy Klinkenberg, JAXPORT’s creative services coordinator; Whitney Croxton, the authority’s senior coordinator of marketing; and Chelsea Kavanagh, its public information officer.

Following months of research, brainstorming sessions and interviews with port customers, Klinkenberg sketched out more than 100 ideas before ultimate advancement of the selected brand image, centered around a logo showing a conic global projection with JAXPORT marked by an “X” amid lines drawn to link the port with major trade partners throughout the world.

“We do not underestimate the power and voice of a satisfied customer,” DeMarco said. “It’s not just about a flashy new logo, colors and website. It’s the substance and strategy behind it.

“Through social media, national and international press, trade shows, events, and a number of direct communications efforts with our customers, we will articulate the ecosystem of what Jacksonville and all of Northeast Florida is about,” she continued in comments to AJOT. “The message is that we are a gateway not only to Florida, but also to the Southeast, Gulf and Midwest.

“We are committed to being present and visible where it makes sense and in those markets which might lack familiarity with our capabilities,” DeMarco added. “It’s our job to help those customers understand their opportunity at JAXPORT. Branding is an important part of that strategy.”

Of the internal team’s efforts, Robert A. Peek, JAXPORT’s director of marketing and general manager of business development, said, “They hit it out of the park.”

Price explained, “The letter ‘X’ overlays the location of Jacksonville at the center of the global trade lanes. It leads the viewer to conclude that ‘X marks the spot,’ meaning JAXPORT is the place for shippers to move their cargo and enjoy a seamless transportation customer service experience.”

Peek noted that JAXPORT’s now former dark blue logo featuring a silhouetted ship hull was created back in 2001, replacing a multimodal image, as Jacksonville International Airport was removed the year from under the Jacksonville Port Authority aegis. 

Since that time, of course, Jacksonville’s seaport has grown significantly, adding cruise business, an intermodal railyard and further facilities supporting a broad base of operations, including dynamic containerized cargo services with Asia and other key markets, making it now the busiest containerport in Florida.

JAXPORT’s revamped executive staff is led by Eric Green, who in September 2017 was named chief executive officer after having held various vital positions since coming aboard at the port in 2005.

“Today, we begin the new era at JAXPORT,” said Green, who pointed to the port’s continuing growth in numerous sectors, including handling of containerized, roll-on/roll-off and breakbulk cargos, as well as LNG and cruising, and as the leading continental U.S. gateway for Puerto Rico commerce.

Green enthusiastically stated that the project to deepen JAXPORT’s channel to 47 feet is two years ahead of schedule and could be completed by 2023.

Of the logo, Green commented, “It represents who we are as a port and also what we can do for our customers.” 

DeMarco put it this way: “Our goal is simple: We want to create an awareness of the positive changes taking place at JAXPORT. We are working to clearly establish ourselves as a game-changer in the global supply chain for all cargo segments.”

The 2019 JAXPORT Logistics & Intermodal Conference, at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, opened Monday [April 29] with a welcoming reception, with a Wednesday [May 1] golf tournament to wrap things up. This year’s conference, which has drawn more than 350 participants, is the sixth edition of the JAXPORT industry gathering, held in Northeast Florida on a biennial basis since 2009.

Comprehensive coverage of the JAXPORT conference in words and photos is slated to appear in the May 13 print edition of AJOT.