NEWS AND INFORMATION

News Release April 9, 2008

The City of Clarksville will mark a significant milestone later this week when it unveils its new logo and slogan.  The unveiling ceremony will take place on Friday, April 11th at 10am at the F&M Bank Franklin Room in downtown Clarksville.

The development of a new logo and slogan is part of a large re-branding and marketing initiative that the City began last summer when the City Council decided more should be done to “put Clarksville on the map.” The current logo has been in use for nine years and there was a consensus among the Mayor and City Council that it was time to explore a new, more up-to-date look for the City that would make a bold statement about what Clarksville has to offer. 

The new logo design and slogan were selected by a Communications Committee that was appointed last August to spearhead the marketing efforts for the City.  The Committee solicited bids from marketing firms and selected MMA Creative- a company that has extensive experience in helping urban and rural communities brand themselves- to assist them in developing a new look.  At the Committee’s direction, representatives from MMA Creative interviewed a number of community leaders and the City created a website devoted to collecting ideas from citizens who wanted to participate. More than 80 ideas and suggestions were collected, and MMA Creative and the Committee took elements of various ideas and suggestions made to develop the new brand/logo.

The City will use a phased approach to transition to the new logo.  For additional information, please call 645-7444.

QUESTIONS OF INTEREST ABOUT THE NEW
BRANDING EFFORT FOR THE CITY OF CLARKSVILLE

Why did City leaders feel the need to change the City’s brand/logo?

The current brand/logo has been in use for nine years, and there was consensus among the Mayor and the City Council that it was time to explore a new, more up-to-date look for the City.

Why is a more up to date look for the City all that important?

Clarksville has to compete against other communities across the region for higher paying, better skilled jobs and for tourism traffic, and it is crucial that our City be able to make a bold statement about who we are and what we have to offer.  An up-to-date and strong brand/logo is the foundation for all promotional efforts of a community, so that’s why we started with that task.

Where did the idea for a new brand/logo come from?

The seed was planted last summer when during a major strategic planning process City leaders determined that we needed to do a better job of “putting Clarksville on the map.”  We have many assets that would be attractive to new businesses and to tourists, but we simply weren’t doing enough to spread the word about what our city has to offer.

Who decided on the new brand/logo that’s been selected?

The City Council appointed a communications committee made up of Council members, citizens and administrative staff to drive the process of developing a new brand/logo for Clarksville.

The Committee solicited bids from marketing firms and chose MMA Creative – which has extensive experience in helping urban and rural communities brand themselves – to assist them in developing the new look.

At the Committee’s direction, representatives from MMA Creative interviewed a number of community leaders and the City created a Web site devoted to collecting ideas from citizens who wanted to participate.

More than 80 ideas and suggestions were collected, and MMA Creative and the Committee took elements of various ideas and suggestions made to develop the new brand/logo.

What specific criteria did you follow to decide on the final brand/logo?

First and foremost the Committee wanted the theme to come from the community, which it did.

Secondly, the Committee wanted to be certain that the new brand/logo met the following standards:

1. that it be Authentic – distinctive to our community, and true to who we are and where we want to go as a community.
2. that it be Creative – visually eye catching, with a message that covers many important thematic bases.
3. that it be Easy To Adapt – can be incorporated or work alongside all of the City’s promotional efforts – from economic and community development, to tourism and public events.
4. that it be Memorable – its look and message are easy to remember and leave a lasting impression.

The Committee believes that all these criteria and standards were met with this new brand/logo.

How much did it cost the City to develop this new brand/logo?

The City budgeted a little less than $30,000 for the initial marketing phase, which involved a lot of strategic marketing advice, community research, development of the new logo/brand, and development of a new web site design. About a third of that went into the actual logo development, slogan development and branding standards, which will be used for many years to come. All of the work has been done on time and within budget.

What will happen now with this new brand/logo?

The Committee will begin to prioritize and assess how best to roll out this new brand/logo in a cost effective and efficient manner.

Discussions are already underway to incorporate the new brand/logo on a re-designed City Web site, and the City will use this brand/logo and its message in its promotional booth at an upcoming major retail business trade show in May.

Efforts will begin soon to also look at how the new brand/logo will be displayed in signage around the City and in official materials used to promote the City and our local events. It may take some time to implement this fully, but that is typical with any re-branding process.

How much will the future rollout of the new brand/logo cost the City?

As with everything we do, the City will be prudent in how any funds are allocated and then used to roll out or utilize the new brand/logo. While things like a Web site can be put into place this spring, signage around the City and replacement of all existing promotional materials with the current brand/logo will take longer to implement. We will begin gathering cost estimates on this soon. In the meantime, we will begin encouraging businesses and local community groups and organizations to use our City’s new brand/logo were and when appropriate to promote their respective events or activities.