TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Douglas J. Hewett, City Manager
FROM: Kevin Arata, Corporate Communications Director
DATE: January 11, 2021
RE:
Title
Regional Branding Launch
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
The regional rebranding effort has an effect upon all of our strategic goals: Goal I (Safe and Secure Community), Goal II (Diverse and Viable Economy), Goal III (High Quality Built Environment), Goal IV (Desirable Place to Live, Work and Recreate), Goal V (Sustainable Organizational Capacity) and Goal VI (Citizen Engagement & Partnerships). The narrative that is derived from our new regional brand can positively affect each goal in some manner to help improve our image to those within and those outside of our community.
Executive Summary:
The City partnered with the County, Fayetteville-Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, The Arts Council, Cool Spring Downtown District, Fayetteville-Cumberland Convention & Visitors Bureau, Tourism & Development Authority, Greater Fayetteville Chamber and Vision 2026 to rebrand our region. The process, led by FCEDC, began almost 2 years ago when we partnered with North Star Ideas for the rebranding effort. The new regional brand was launched on Dec. 1, 2020 by all partner organizations, which are now in the process of launching their specific brands within and outside of the community.
Background:
From the city perspective, our visual brand has been the City script logo for at least as far back as 1999. The logo is old and outdated. Additionally, the visual brands across the partner organizations as listed above are not consistent with the visual aspects of our scripted logo. This regional rebranding is an effort to bring those disparate visual brands into a similar and complimentary design, which helps promote us uniformly across and outside of our region. The use of a common narrative across the region has also been varied: History, Heroes and a Hometown Feeling, All-America City, and other mantras, have been used to describe the region at various points in our history over the past 20+ years. Our region does not have a consistent message we can share with those in and outside our community; what is the region’s elevator pitch? North Star Ideas began this rebranding process with us almost 2 years ago. They started with an on-the-ground reconnaissance of the area, conducting interviews, an electronic survey and charrettes with elected officials and residents, which includes community leaders, business owners, millennials, and other groups that represent our diverse community - from across the county, city, surrounding municipalities and Fort Bragg. The entire process brought together more than 4,000 responses across the region to help find our commonalities. The result of that culling from the entire community put North Star on the path to identifying our true strengths; what did we have to offer those around us, and those considering moving themselves and / or a business to the region? The result; we are a caring, giving community that gets things done. The overarching message to accompany Can Do Carolina (region), Together We Can (county) and America’s Can Do City (city) is what have been identified as the pillars of our brand; We find a way, We care for one another, We protect the world, and We always go further.
Issues/Analysis:
The rebranding process is a slow and methodical one that will take years for the full effect of the visuals of the brand to be fully changed over from the previous City script logo. Equally important, though, is the change in narrative that accompanies the brand launch; Can Do Carolina (regional), Together We Can (county) and America’s Can Do City (city). As we move this brand forward, council and staff are recommended to include narrative along those lines (region / city taglines) in outside speaking engagements, media interviews, advertising and in their day-to-day engagements with residents.
Budget Impact:
$75,000 has been budgeted for brand launch within the City over the next fiscal year. Partner organizations will use their own resources to promote their brands.
Options:
The information being presented is an informational update on our regional brand launch. The only action being asked by council is the approval of the joint resolution that will also be signed by our partner organizations.
Recommended Action:
Recommend council consider adopting the joint resolution that will be shared with our partner organizations as a commitment to using the regional brand across and outside our community. Recommend the newly designed regional brand and its associated taglines, as mentioned above (Can Do Carolina (regional) and America’s Can Do City (city), be included as much as possible in all that council and staff do with resident interactions.
Attachments:
See attached PPT and proposed joint resolution