By JONATHAN SNYDER
Reusser, a marketing firm in Fort Wayne has been given an extra $5,000 to make different logos for the city’s proposed rebranding project.
Public surveys showed both the old and proposed city logos and asked the public their preferred options. When asked which logo they preferred, 169 out of the 348 responses preferred the existing logo. Out of those 348, 106 preferred the new logo and 73 preferred neither logo.
Additionally, 74 out of 112 surveyed said they would change the bison symbols in the logo. Forty-five people stated they would change the colors and 22 people said they would like to see changes in the text and font style.
Similar numbers were reported in regard to the proposed city flag, with just over 45% of the 345 responses answering to keep the existing flag. Additionally, 65% of 118 surveyed would change the symbols and 40% would change the colors.
City employees were also polled, with an average of 67% of employees either disliking or strongly disliking the logo and flag. Throughout the creation process, the main point of contention in Bluffton Common Council meetings and in online spaces was the bison logo. From criticism of the logo being too similar to the county’s and the lack of options available, the council saw it fit to give extra money to Reusser to create and present other options.
“We (the Common Council) only got the one recommendation as such,” Mayor John Whicker said. “And we were looking for more choices, and maybe that’s something we didn’t make clear. Hindsight’s always 20/20.”
Discussions from the council about the logos were a part of preliminary budget meetings in late August and early September. During that time, the council showed their appreciation for Reusser’s work, while acknowledging the lack of clarity on objectives.
“I always like choices,” Rick Elwell said during a budget meeting on Sept. 4. “My ideal scenario which wasn’t said to you (Chandler Gerber, liaison between the city and Reusser) so I get it, you went off and did what you were supposed to do and they (Reusser) went off and did what they were supposed to do. It’s not that I disliked it (the logo) completely, but we probably should redefine our expectations on some of these things moving forward, so that we don’t walk away feeling that we didn’t get any options or choices. It’s not against anybody that was involved in the effort, I wonder if we just weren’t detailed enough in the beginning to communicate those expectations.”
Whicker also stated that new logo options will hopefully be available within the next 30 days. No discussions on how the new logos will be implemented have taken place yet, as the council is waiting on the new options.
jonathan@news-banner.com
