Logo refresh - recommendation

ANOKA-HENNEPIN COMMUNITY EDUCATION LOGO REFRESH: FINAL RECOMMENDATION

Anoka-Hennepin Community Education engaged department leadership, staff, advisory councils and participants to develop a refreshed logo. Work was completed by the department’s communications coordinator in collaboration with an external strategic design and art consultant. A communications plan and departmental strategic plan goals guided the logo refresh process, which will ultimately steer future branding, design, communications and marketing efforts for the Community Education department.

OBJECTIVES • Develop a modern, refreshed logo/brand package that appeals to a changing customer base, attracts new, prospective customers and is competitive with local businesses and organizations offering similar programs and services.

• Involve key community education staff in the process of refreshing the logo/brand package of the community education department to ensure consistency across all electronic and print publications. A “marketing committee” will influence the development of a departmental brand style guide that will apply to all programs and align with the brand standards of the school district.

• Schedule a strategic roll-out plan to ensure that employees will be able to effectively understand and follow brand style guidelines and that we retain loyal customers in the process of the transition.

PROPOSAL Adopt a new logo that is truly a “refreshed” version of the current logo. Changes include:

•Use of a simplistic font, Avenir, which is used in the new youth enrichment / “Community Schools” catalogs and flyers; and is also one of the three fonts included in the school district style guide.

•Use of traditional colors taken from the former/current logo - while also incorporating new colors introduced in accent color palettes laid out in the school district/department style guides.

•Use of smoother lines in the icon design of the “person” representing the people we serve.

FULL COLOR: A horizontal or a compact version may be used.

ONE COLOR: A horizontal or a compact version may be used.

ejdesign firm

Anoka Hennepin Community Education Logo - Proof 5

1 TheOption engagement tactics below influenced this final recommendation. Prior to the completion of this recommendation report, two preliminary designs were shared with participants and staff.

Discover Community DiscoverEducation Anoka-Hennepin School District Community Education

Option 1

Anoka-Hennepin School District

Discover Community Discover Education Community Anoka-Hennepin Education School District Anoka-Hennepin School District

Option 2

Discover Community DiscoverEducation Anoka-Hennepin School District Community Education

Option 2

Anoka-Hennepin School District

Discover Community Discover Education Community Anoka-Hennepin Education School District Anoka-Hennepin School District

ENGAGEMENT OF LEADERSHIP TEAM The Community Education Leadership Team was supportive of a true logo “refresh” as work continues in the effort to align the look and feel of the programs within the department. A style guide will serve as the reference to begin using consistent fonts, colors and design elements on the new departmental websites and in marketing catalogs, brochures, flyers, etc.

ENGAGEMENT OF THE DEPARTMENTAL MARKETING COMMITTEE A Community Education marketing committee was formed to influence the development of a district and departmental style guide, which will serve as a reference in creating a consistent look and feel in the marketing of all programs.

Marketing committee members were strategically selected to include representation from a wide range of Community Education programs. Most members already serve as a point-person on current publications or web editing for their respective program. The marketing committee will lead the department in executing and carrying out the final logo refresh and supplemental style guides as work continues in aligning the look and feel of marketing materials for all Community Education programs.

Feedback provided included: • “Ties in the old with the new...a true freshening of the current logo.”

• “The design is familiar, but updated. I like idea of having a person in the logo and keeping it recognizable.”

Overall, the Community Education marketing committee slightly favored an alternate design option than the final recommendation, but were able to preview and influence more logo design options than other staff and participant groups throughout the process (see page 5).

ENGAGEMENT OF YOUTH A focus group was conducted with approximately 20 fourth- and fifth-grade students to gauge what may appeal to school-age participants. The majority of the group gravitated toward icons featuring peoplefigures rather than exclamation marks. Youth groups also favored the use of bright, vibrant colors.

Feedback provided included:

• “The people are so cute.”

• “People jumping make me feel happy and excited.”

ENGAGEMENT OF ADULTS A presentation on the logo refresh process and school district/departmental marketing efforts was given to two parent advisory groups impacted by Community Education programs (Early Childhood Family Education/School Readiness Preschool and Adventures Plus). In addition, surveys were emailed to the “Top 200” Adult Learning participants and shared with Community Education social media subscribers/ facebook “followers.”

Points to note:

• 14 - 48% of participants surveyed did not recognize the current Anoka-Hennepin Community Education logo, or rather - associated the Anoka-Hennepin Community Education brand “look” with the catalogs they receive at home rather than a specific icon. (The department will need to be sensitive to this when making design changes to catalogs in the future.)

• Participants wanted to see a wider range of color in the future branding and marketing efforts of community education programs, while noting the importance of selecting a logo that is still impactful in one-color printing materials so the department may be conservative with printing budgets when needed.

Overall, adult participants favored the recommended version of the refreshed logo design.

Feedback provided included: • “The font is much improved.”

• [The logo makes me think,] “Yeah! Come join us!”

• “Playful, familiar. Consider adding more color.”

• “Fun, excited, cool. I think this is more familiar to families.

It seems more interactive and resembles who would be involved in community ed.”

• “It’s more “personable” to have a person instead of an exclamation mark.”

• “I do think it’s a modernized version of the current logo.”

• “It makes me feel excited about education and learning new things for adults too.”

• “Focus on people and education. Simple and sleek compare to current.”

• “To me, the image of a person better describes the services provided and the person is leaping for joy!”

• “It shows a person looking excited about all the different classes offered. It makes me feel happy and looking forward to learning something new.”

• “Simply clean. It doesn’t completely change the identity of the brand, just freshens it up.”

ROLL-OUT PLAN The Anoka-Hennepin Community Education department will transition to using a refreshed logo beginning in the 2014-15 school year to help identify the programs serving more than half a million people every year – through classes, services, tours, programs, outreach activities and athletics.

2002-2014 LOGO The community education logo was created as a one-color logo and was only printable as either all black or all green. The logo was a complete unit and should have always been used in its entirety.

CURRENT LOGO:

Only two, one-color logos in a horizontal format are available for use.

REFRESHED LOGO FOR USE BEGINNING IN THE 2014-15 SCHOOL YEAR The community education logo and brand package was refreshed to appeal to current and prospective customers. Anoka-Hennepin Community Education will strive to refresh all marketing materials and pull the look and feel of outreach efforts together in an effort to look and feel like one unified brand.

The colors reflect the history and tradition of the former community education logo, while including a few colors from the accent color palette for a fresh and modern twist. The refreshed version of the community education logo will provide more flexibility in use as technology tools evolve.

FULL COLOR: A horizontal or a compact version may be used.

ONE COLOR: A horizontal or a compact version may be used.

All draft design mock-ups developed throughout the brand refresh process (January - May 2014) may be viewed on pages 5-8 of this final recommendation report.

PROCESS All draft design mock-ups pictured on pages 5-8 of this final recommendation report were developed throughout the brand refresh process (January - May 2014) based on existing marketing materials; feedback from department leadership, department staff, participants; and the development of a style guide which will direct the look and feel of future district and department marketing and branding efforts.