After years of work, the City of Brantford has a new city logo.
But after just one week, complaints and debates over the new logo throughout the Brantford community has forced the mayor to agree that the logo should be re-considered.
According to a press release, Mayor Chris Friel will be recommending to Council that the logo should be referred back to the Branding Taskforce for further consideration and development of alternative logo designs.
The coming of the new logo was guided through engagement of the community during the initial phase of the project, although it is well aware the community is no longer in support of the current logo. The design group, JAN Kelly Marketing, is still committed to delivering better value.
The bold, curvy “B” and exclamation point logo, accompanied by the slogan “Grand to Great” representing Brantford has been heavily criticized on social media. The cost of rebranding is from $300,000 to $500,000, due to the changing of logos on letterhead and city property, such as buses.
Friel told Brant News that money for the rebranding project is coming from the Casino Legacy Fund— not taxpayers’ dollars.
Friel feels, “encouraged to hear that people are listening and willing to find a solution that will support us moving forward.” And the website thebrantfordidentityproject.ca shows exactly that.
“The Brantford Identity Project is a community-wide initiative led by a group of community based volunteers to brand our city.”
The site shows the very extensive and detailed process that goes into developing a brand in any city. The site covers Brantford “being seen as a small town,” branding the visions from personal interviews with council members and even brand personality.
This visually appealing site creates a sense of reassurance and dismisses the frustration and negativity towards the new logo. The step-by-step site ends off with an entertaining “stay tuned” for what the Branding Taskforce has planned to gain the community’s opinion towards alternative logo designs for Brantford.
