JA of New Jersey’s New Identity and What it Means to Their Staff

Author: Shamyah Bowers-Ray - Public Relations/Social Media Intern
Corporate Responsibility
Published: Wednesday, 05 Oct 2022

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Image caption: JANJ transition logo

My name is Shamyah, and I am currently a senior at Kean University studying Communications with concentration in Public Relations. My journey with JANJ began in 2015 in high school when I decided to join the JA High School Hero program. For the entire duration of my high school career, I participated in High School Heroes, as well as the Women’s Leadership Forum. I grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey where opportunities are slim, but that never deterred me from working hard and strategizing my own path for success. I have been lucky enough to be a part of the JANJ organization for the past 6 months as a Marketing and Public Relations Intern, and it has been a pleasure to work alongside amazing professionals.

On August 22, 2022, JA of New Jersey updated its logo to reflect the global rebrand, which includes a new color scheme, and logo. This is the first change to the Junior Achievement logo since 1986! The purpose behind this new identity was to modernize the original design to maintain pace with the trajectory of the organization. JANJ’s website is now easier to navigate and encompasses a more youthful look.

When I found out about the rebrand, I was surprised because, I was familiar with the notorious green shades the brand was known for globally. The rebranding offers new opportunities, new visions, and hopefully a wider audience. Thanks to the rebranding, we will gain a more youthful look; allowing us to better connect with students and future partners. Coming into play at the perfect time, we are entering the school year with a new president, a new logo, and a fresh start.

The rebranding could not have come at a more perfect time. Showcasing the evolution of the brand, the new logo resembles planes flying in formation or a flock of geese, borrows elements from the five previous JA logos. This visual is excellent in telling the story behind the importance of the symbol. It all begins with a changemaker, which could be anyone from an educator to a volunteer working with Junior Achievement, to impact many lives. That changemaker motivates and prepares students to flourish through experiences that focus on JA’s 3 pillars: work and career readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship.

To help tell the story of our rebrand, I have spearheaded a project, “JA of New Jersey’s new identity and what it means to their staff” where I asked JANJ staff to submit recordings of themselves answering questions like:

How does the rebrand positively impact students?
What about the rebrand excites you for the future?
What was your first reaction to the rebranding?

What excited me most about this project was having the opportunity to collaborate with another intern, Serena, as she helped create the video. In producing this video, teamwork was required and having an amazing group of colleagues made overseeing the project that much easier.

It has been an honor to be a part of Junior Achievement as a teenager and now as young adult – a full circle moment! As a college student leading a marketing initiative for the organization that helped prepare me for the person I am today is rare, and I am grateful for this opportunity. I hope one day others who have participated in Junior Achievement join the list of Alumni who come back to work for the organization.

Watch the “JA of New Jersey’s New Identity and What it Means to Their Staff” video here

If you are an educator and would like to learn more about our programs, please contact Stephanie Karpowicz skarpowicz@ja.org