After months of hard work, the Monona Ad-Hoc City Marketing Committee unveiled the new city of Monona logo and tagline at the city council meeting, October 20. "Monona - Greener. Bluer. Brighter" was well-received by the city council and will be the centerpiece of a renewed effort to re-brand and highlight the community. This effort will also include a complete redesign of the city website which serves as a virtual gateway to thousands of citizens and visitors each year.
Cynthia Everhart, President of Twist Communications, who collaborated with the committee to create this marketing plan, said the logo and tagline, while simple on the surface, could be interpreted many different ways - all of them positive.
Everhart said the committee asked themselves: "What makes Monona special? What makes Monona stand apart?" She noted that the current "City of Pride" motto could apply to any community.
The Marketing Committee identified Monona's parks and green spaces, waterfront access, towering trees, community facilities and excellent schools as highlights for the city. The logo also represents "motion, momentum, growth, activity, sustainability, efficiency, commerce, energy and renewal."
"This logo is a new presence for the city of Monona," said Everhart. It will be the central focus for the city's future marketing strategies, she added.
Alderman Bob Miller thanked the committee, who had met every week for the past few months, for their dedication and hard work.
"The image for the city of Monona was very important," said Miller of the committee's vision.
Everhart began her presentation by outlining the many different logos that currently represent the city, including many variations on the blue and white seagull theme. Monona, she showed, has different logos on their letterhead, building signs, police vehicles, website and business cards. The committee decided that the community needed to identify a "core identity" to renew Monona's brand. Everhart noted that it was important to control that brand's standards moving forward, ensuring consistent display throughout all city departments.
Lead Designer Rick Suchanek thanked the board and the committee for the opportunity to work on this project. He said the city offered him plenty of wonderful attributes to draw from, and that he worked to create a logo that distinctly reflects the city of Monona.
Miller joked that Suchanek was previously famous for designing the University of Wisconsin "Motion W' logo, but that he would now be most well-known for his work in Monona.
Miller said that the logo and tagline in particular evoked a "Lake Woebegone" mind-set that reflects Monona's proud tradition and history. He said that central idea served as an evolution on the "city of pride" outlook, and really grew on the committee as they narrowed their focus.
Committee member Lisa Jo Von Allmen said the logo was simple but rich with details, like the small Indian mound directly above the "M' in Monona.
"The tagline can be interpreted many ways," said Von Allmen. The word "Greener,' for instance, can represent the trees and parks, great financial opportunities, or the city's commitment to sustainable practices and efficiency.
The committee discussed the importance of copy-writing the new brand, and Suchanek noted how important it was to implement the new logo throughout the city. The new brand includes a consistent "family of logos' that will be used from the Police Department to the Parks Department to the Library.
The city council will vote to approve this new strategy at their November 3 meeting, and they encouraged citizens to lend their input to the design.
