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Logos and birthmarks

Research has shown that Western Australians are more likely to buy a WA product if the quality is equivalent to that of an imported product.  For this reason the Buy WA First and WA Birthmark logos were developed to help businesses to improve sales of WA products. You can access the logos here.

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About the Buy WA First campaign

The Buy WA First campaign was developed in 2003 by the State Government to assist Western Australian producers, manufacturers and retailers promote their products to Western Australian consumers.

All Western Australian retailers are invited to join in the campaign.  Coles, IGA and Woolworths all support the initiative.  These retailers promote WA products in their weekly newspaper advertising and in their catalogues.  Several non-food retailers such as City Farmers have also shown their support with point of sale materials promoting WA products.

A range of suppliers have indicated that sales have increased significantly since using the logo on their products. A consumer survey conducted in May 2005 indicated that 94 per cent of respondents confirm their shopping decisions would be influenced by the campaign and 99 per cent of consumers think that the campaign is a worthwhile initiative.

Retailers are able to use the logo to highlight Western Australian products in their outlets, and suppliers may use the logo in their advertising and labelling to promote their products.

Promotion of these products and businesses supports the creation of further employment and broadens the State’s economic base. With the support of customers our suppliers will grow their businesses, leading to increased exports.   Look for the Buy WA First logo and support your producers today.

Why use the Buy WA First logo

Research has shown that Western Australians are more likely to buy a WA product if the quality is equivalent to that of an imported product.  For this reason the Buy WA First logo was developed to help businesses to improve sales of WA products.

The department welcomes your participation in this exciting and highly rewarding marketing opportunity for Western Australian business.

How to use the Buy WA First logo

For the logo to be used on manufactured product the following conditions must be satisfied:

  • The item must have been manufactured or substantially transformed within WA
  • The items distinguishing characteristics/ingredients must have had their origin within WA.

If you are uncertain as to whether your product meets these requirement please contact us.

This logo may be used (in colour or black and white) on the packaging of products, advertising and stationery. There is no restriction on its size, so long as the exact proportions are maintained. Use of the logo is at the discretion of the business.

If you claim that the product or good was grown, caught or manufactured in WA, you must not engage in conduct that is misleading or deceptive or is likely to mislead or deceive in relation to that product or good.

In other words you must not:

  • Falsely represent that the product/good is of a particular standard, quality, value, grade, composition, style or model or have a particular history or particular previous use
  • Make a false or misleading representation concerning the place of origin of the product/good.

Download the Buy WA First logo

Links to the Buy WA First Logo are provided below. You are able to purchase Buy WA First stickers from a number of printers in Perth. For a listing of these stockists, please contact us.

About the WA Birthmark

The WA Birthmark was developed in the 1960's and is available for use by any Western Australian company in promoting their products as Western Australian, or their company as being Western Australian owned. The logo still has wide recognition in the market place.

To build on this recognition, a new concept for advertising products and businesses has been developed - the Buy WA First Campaign (see above).

Who can use the WA Birthmark?

The WA Birthmark can be used by any local business or person who wholly or substantially owns the business in WA.

For the logo to be used on manufactured product the following conditions must be satisfied:

  • The item must have been manufactured or substantially transformed within WA
  • The items distinguishing characteristics/ingredients must have had their origin within Western Australia.

If you are uncertain as to whether your product meets these requirement contact us.

Why use the WA Birthmark?

The WA Birthmark is still widely recognised. Any symbol showing the origin of a product as Western Australian has proven to be of value to suppliers. To modernise this symbol, the Buy WA First logo has been developed (see above). Retailers and suppliers are now encouraged to use this logo.

The responses to an independent survey of businesses identified the following outcomes as a direct result of using symbols showing a product to be made in WA:

  • 64% of businesses reported increased sales
  • 31% of businesses reported increases in staffing levels
  • 55% of all respondents indicated they expected a sales increase during the next twelve months
  • 76% of all respondents indicated a positive outlook in the use of symbols
  • 51% of respondents were motivated by the campaign to act
  • 64% of respondents said one benefit of the campaign would be more jobs for Western Australians

The logos may be used in advertising, on stationery, on products where applicable and on business property where applicable.

How to use the Birthmark

You can use a black and white version of either Birthmark with the centre dot at 30 per cent toning, or a black and white version with a yellow centre dot. The latter is the standard, most commonly used version.

Other colours may be used, providing the exact proportions of the design are maintained; including the centre dot which should remain at 30 per cent toning of the selected colour.

The use of the words Made in Western Australia or Western Australian Owned is optional.

When the words are used, they must maintain the illustrated relationship and proportion to the symbol.

WA Birthmark legislation

The symbol is protected by The Western Australian Products Symbol Act 1972, which includes these particular guidelines:

Section 4:  Prescribed symbol 

The form of design, irrespective of its size and colour, depicted in the Schedule to the Act is the prescribed symbol for the purposes of the Act. This means that the Symbol must be reproduced accurately in relation to its detail and proportions.

Section 5:  Authority to use prescribed symbol 

A person who sells any product, the production and preparation of which is substantially carried out in this state, is authorised to affix to the product or to its container a prescribed symbol. This means that the Symbol is the property of every genuine manufacturer in WA and it is not necessary to seek permission in order to use it. However, when there is doubt about whether a product can be said to be substantially made in WA, the question can be resolved by discussion with the department.

Section 6: Offences

A person who affixed, or causes or permits to be affixed, a prescribed symbol to any product or to the container of any product or sells a product to which, or to the container of which, a prescribed symbol is affixed knowing that such product is not a product, the production and preparation of which is substantially carried out in the state, commits an offence.

Download the WA Birthmark

Links to the birthmarks are provided below. With GIF and JPG files, selecting to download will call the graphic on to your screen. You can then save it.

'Buy west, eat best' - a food specific labelling program

'Buy west, eat best' is a WA State Government initiative. It is a voluntary labelling and domestic marketing program for food products that meet specific requirements including local content and quality assurance. The program is managed by the Department of Agriculture and Food and supported by a marketing campaign to encourage consumers to support the local food industry by looking for products that carry the ‘buy west, eat best’ logo. There has been overwhelming support for the program since it was launched to the food industry in November 2007.

If you are an independent retailer, grower, producer or manufacturer of WA food products, you will benefit by joining this program and taking advantage of the generic marketing and publicity activities. You will be able to use the ‘buy west, eat best’ logo on approved products and in any other promotional material you produce.

The unique ‘buy west, eat best’ logo is specifically tailored for labelling food products, is a registered trademark and has certain criteria to ensure the integrity of its usage. Please refer to www.buywesteatbest.wa.gov.au or call 1800 132 422 for more information.

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