LAC STE. ANNE REBRAND
A new brand system for Lac Ste. Anne County.
ClientLac Ste. Anne CountyServicesBrand strategy, public engagement, graphic design, copywriting, brand managementYear2013Linklsac.ca
The Client
Lac Ste. Anne County is a diverse and scenic municipality in central Alberta, Canada, known for its strong agricultural roots, vibrant tourism, and tight-knit communities. The county’s administration recognized a need to modernize its public image and create a unified brand identity that accurately reflects its values, history, and future aspirations. The existing visual identity was fragmented, with various departments and services using different logos and messaging, leading to confusion among residents and visitors.
The Challenge
Struggling to retain the right in-house skill sets, Lac Ste. Anne County engaged Tangent Civic as its external communications partner in 2013. At the beginning of our engagement, we learned that the County was contemplating a rebrand. We were delighted at this news, because replacing the County’s abysmal legacy identity would give us the professional assets we needed to do our job effectively. However, Council was in favour of a public logo design contest, believing this would be an inclusive and cost-effective approach.
Our primary challenge was to guide County leadership away from a potentially disastrous logo contest without appearing dismissive of community input. Working in the capacity of trusted advisor, we needed to show them a better path forward.
Our Solution
We worked with senior leadership to underscore the important differences between a logo and a full brand identity. We used concrete examples of successful municipal rebrands and contrasted them with case studies of failed branding efforts, highlighting issues with scalability, trademarking, and visual consistency. We demonstrated why a professional process leads to a cohesive and sustainable brand, whereas a contest is often a one-off deliverable.
We then reframed the community’s role in the County’s rebrand. Instead of having them create the brand, we proposed having them inform the brand. We suggested a series of public surveys designed to gather qualitative and quantitative data on what residents valued most about their municipality. We asked questions like, “What three words describe our community?” and “What do you want the world to know about Lac Ste. Anne County?” This approach empowered residents to be the “voice” of the brand, while leaving the execution to professional designers.
We presented a project plan that seamlessly integrated our proposed community engagement phase with the professional design process. We showed them how resident feedback would inform the visual language of the new County brand.
Implementation
The implementation began with a discovery phase. We conducted a series of workshops, one-on-one interviews, and public surveys with key stakeholders, including county administration, council members, local business owners, residents, and community groups. This process allowed us to identify core brand values such as “Progressive,” “Connected,” and “Rooted.”
Based on this research, our team developed a new brand identity, including a clear mission statement, brand voice, and a modern visual system. The final logo and its supporting elements, like a custom color palette and typography, were designed to reflect the county’s diverse landscape and vibrant community life.
The new brand was rolled out in a structured manner, starting with a public announcement and a detailed explanation of the new brand’s story. We then implemented the new identity across all platforms:
Digital: A redesigned website, social media profiles, and email templates.
Physical: New signage for municipal buildings, vehicle decals, and stationery.
Internal: Guidelines for staff on brand usage and messaging.
Quantitative Benefit
The new brand identity has had a measurable positive impact on Lac Ste. Anne County.
- Increased Engagement: Website traffic increased by 25% within the first six months, with a notable rise in page views related to community services and tourism initiatives.
- Improved Consistency: A post-rebranding audit showed a 90% reduction in the use of outdated or non-compliant logos across all county materials, streamlining communication and presenting a unified front.
- Community Pride: A follow-up survey indicated that 85% of residents felt the new brand better represented the county, fostering a greater sense of community pride and shared identity.
- Cost Savings: The unified brand system reduced long-term costs associated with managing multiple visual identities and prevented the potential legal and development expenses of a logo contest.
A Blueprint for Growth
The new design system included a colour palette, typography, and visual standards. This helped ensure the new Lac Ste. Anne County brand remained consistent and recognizable across all platforms, from the website to print materials and fleet graphics.
Sensible Sub-Brands
As the architects of the master brand, we were the ideal team to develop the County’s family of brands, including Fire Services, Enforcement Services, and a handful of departmental business entities.
Some of these marks retain a near identical look-and-feel to Lac Ste. Anne County, while others are distant cousins that retain just a semblance in terms of colour or typographic cues.
A Smarter Path Forward
Unlike traditional, monolithic website offerings for municipalities, our platform is designed to evolve in tandem with the needs of each client—while ensuring the backend remains as lean and efficient as possible.
Muni 2.0 allows us to meet the unique needs of different municipalities without being constrained by a rigid, out-of-the-box structure.
“Sean Mellis and his team expertly guided our regional branding and media relations in perfect alignment with our strategic goals. I’m happy to endorse Tangent Civic for their professional and effective management of our strategic communications initiatives.”
ROB COON
Chief Administrative Officer (emeritus), Rocky View County
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