photo by: City of Lawrence

A new logo design for the city was created as part of an ongoing "brand refresh" process.

The City of Lawrence has revealed its new logo as part of an ongoing update to the city’s brand and marketing strategies.

The logo continues to use a symbol that represents both a flame and a phoenix, a reference to the city’s abolitionist roots and struggles against pro-slavery factions leading up to the Civil War, but with some updates. City spokesperson Maureen Brady said that public input sessions showed that the community had a strong connection to the flame and phoenix logo, so the design was refreshed rather than created anew.

“We chose to stay with that icon as a connection to the City’s important history, but we also see it as a reflection of hope, progress and moving forward in a positive direction,” Brady said in an email. “We gave the Flame and Phoenix design a refresh with a bold font and change in color scheme.”

photo by: City of Lawrence

The city’s current logo, pictured above, was created in 2007.

The city’s current logo and style guide dates to 2007, and the city selected Guide Studio earlier this year as part of a request for proposals process and allocated $100,000 toward the effort. That includes $81,535 toward a contract with Guide Studio, with the remainder used for implementing the consultant’s recommendations.

Brady said the implementation would be phased so that the city did not have to change everything all at once. For example, she said that when the city orders new trucks or equipment that have the city’s logo, it will use the new one instead of the previous version so that any cost fits in with those already estimated for the project. She said the city was working with Guide Studio now to get a final version of the brand guidelines and would begin creating an implementation plan once that was complete.

Guide Studio representatives shared the new logo and messaging with the Lawrence City Commission at a recent meeting. The presentation states that the brand refresh will provide a consistent written and visual representation of the city; support economic development initiatives; elevate community pride and foster collaboration; and manage the city’s reputation.

The process looked at perceptions of Lawrence, advantages the city has, and created a positioning statement and brand narrative. The brand narrative speaks to the city’s neighborhoods, downtown, parks and trails, and educational opportunities, as well as its overall atmosphere. The brand narrative ends with the statement: “Whether you’re here for the weekend, for college, or to make it your home, you’ll love Lawrence, a community where you’ll be accepted and appreciated. In Lawrence, you’re free to be you.” The full presentation about the brand update is available as part of the commission’s most recent agenda on the city’s website, lawrenceks.org.

As part of the update process, the city conducted online surveys and meetings to gather public input, and also set up a steering committee. The most recent survey, which asked residents their opinions on the new logo and messaging, was completed earlier this month. Brady said if the survey showed changes to the brand identity and platform were needed, then the city would work on those with Guide Studio.