33.7 F
Reno

ThisisReno Readers: City’s Logo, Brand Options a Bad Idea

Date:

screen-shot-2015-07-21-at-5-16-02-pm-2126364-7082234
From the City of Reno’s agenda packet draft brand guidelines: “BUILDING SIGNAGE: Building signs and other forms of architectural signage should be considered permanent and are not to be angled at 5º. The octagonal R should be a prominent display as shown (above), both with and without the accompaniment of ‘City of Reno’ text.”

Opinions are varied, but the overwhelming bulk of comments to ThisisReno — hardly scientific — say that the City of Reno’s proposal to change its logo, with a $234,000 price tag to replace current printed materials, is a bad idea.

Comments on the original article and the ThisisReno Facebook page show a distaste for changing the city’s logo and its price tag to replace city materials.

Some sample comments:

  • Option 7: continue to attract high tech industry and get written about in national publications for it.
  • I’ve done numerous public and private sector rebrandings and well understand the desire for change and the complexities of change and the resistance to change even when people say they want it. I simply don’t like the logo for a couple of reasons. 1) it doesn’t say “Reno.” I know the thought behind that is that others, primarily products, just use a symbol without a name. It took many years for those memes to be connected with the product. Reno is not there yet. R could refer to any city anywhere. 2) the look of the what I call a “brand brand” is retro and cowboyish. I don’t think that’s the image the city is trying to convey as a progressive, innovative, dynamic city.
  • Nothing wrong with current logo. Option #1 looks like an ad for a construction company. Rather, spend the money on infrastructure repair and maintenance, or schools, or taking care of the population that needsassistance.
  • The proposed logo doesn’t represent Reno at all. It doesn’t say anything and is unattractive. Keep the current one. This logo has stood the test of time.
  • Selling/licensing the intellectual assets seems counter-productive to a volunteer effort in the name of civic pride. I guess you can have it both ways.
  • No, cost is too high. Transition the logos over time. A less costly honorarium to BLC group would be acceptable.
  • An R in a stop sign does NOT convey how fabulous Reno is. It’s too generic. It could be anything that starts with R: ramen, roadblock, Redding, The current logo has the river, the skyline and our motto. Much better! Keep it the same.
  • Nothing wrong with current logo. Fix more roads instead.
  • No, let (the city) use it without paying.
  • The staff report says the BLC vetted this with 30-plus businesses. More than 1,000 folks voted for the last logo in ’99. There are 27,000-plus businesses in Reno, according to Manta. A possible disconnect may be occurring here.

One person likes the logo:

  • I kind of like the simple ‘R.’

Whatever the City Council decides tomorrow, it will be interesting. Tune in here, or let your council member know your thoughts.

Read the City’s staff report for complete details about the logo options. It starts on page 613 in the pdf.

 

 

Bob Conrad
Bob Conradhttp://thisisreno.com
Bob Conrad is publisher, editor and co-founder of This Is Reno. He has served in communications positions for various state agencies and earned a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2011. He is also a part time instructor at UNR and sits on the boards of the Nevada Press Association and Nevada Open Government Coalition.

TRENDING

RENO EVENTS

MORE RENO NEWS