By Lindsay Peyton

Corporations and companies are not the only ones rebranding these days. Sometimes, a city needs to freshen up its identity, too.

The City of Burien has been at work livening up its brand for the past couple of years.

“The Burien of 1993 is not the same Burien of 2017,” communications officer Emily Inlow-Hood said. “We’ve changed as a city; so it’s time to change our look.”

City Council approved a new logo during its Feb. 27 meeting – selecting a refreshed, more contemporary version of the existing one.

Chris Craig, economic development specialist for the city, presented design options and background for the rebranding effort to the council earlier.

“A brand is not just a logo or a slogan or a color,” he said. “A brand is who you are. It’s the total sum of words, images and associations that form perceptions and can help distinguish one city from another.

”Craig added that Burien’s brand should be “true, meaningful and memorable."

“It should also be aspirational,” he said. “It’s a little about who you are -- and where you’re headed and who you want to be.

”He explained that City Council identified the need to develop a new brand in 2015 to both promote economic development and enhance community pride.

“As we attract more visitors, residents and businesses to our community, our economy will get stronger,” he said. “A brand plays a big role in defining and communicating a community’s success.

”The logo redesign is part of the Burien Branding Initiative, a five-phase project that kicked off with an extensive community outreach effort, which included surveys, focus groups, phone interviews and a brand audit.

After consolidating all of the feedback, the city developed a brand platform of “personality, position and promise.”The personality of the city was described as “neighborly, spirited, unpretentious, whole-hearted and enterprising.” The position of the city was cited as close to Seattle with room to live and start businesses. The “promise” of Burien was its inspirational quality for creativity.

A brand advisory committee was then formed with the goal to develop a logo. Members of the group included experts in economic development, architectural design and graphic design.

Based on the committee’s suggestions two final logos were designed by JayRay Ads & PR.

The City budgeted $149,000 for the first four phases of the project. The final phase, launching the brand, will cost between $100,000 to 140,000. The majority of the cost associated with implementation will be for signs, Inlow-Hood said.

The branding campaign was funded by the business and operation tax increase that was approved in 2014.

Andrew Reay, a member of the brand advisory committee, said the original logo was designed by a student in 1991.

“It was never rendered professionally and does not reproduce well,” she said. “We knew at a minimum the logo needed to be cleaned up and used with consistent style standards so that Burien could take control of the brand identity.

”The new logo retains the triangle from the existing logo – but features a more modern typography and design. Inlow-Hood explained that the more simplified forms will make it easier to reproduce ina range of formats and media.

She said that since the Feb. 27 meeting, the logo has already been used in social media.

The City will implement the new logo in phases, as its budget allows. The design will be used on the website and printed materials, as well as decals on city vehicles, badges on Public Works and Burien Police Department uniforms and signs on streets, parks and buildings.

Inlow-Hood explained that this marketing and branding effort will help build a strong economy in Burien.

“It was just time to create a more professional logo,” she said. “We wanted to better show the promise of Burien. We’re getting everybody on the same page and moving in the same direction.

”Inlow-Hood added that a boosting sales and other tax revenues is how the City pays for police services, infrastructure and other essential city services. “This is a long-term investment,” she said. “Without economic development, you can’t bring in revenue. More revenue means more services.”

Inlow-Hood said that the rebranding campaign will also affect a new project – creating the downtown wayfinding system – the group of signs that guide residents and visitors to destinations in the city.

An open house about the wayfinding system is slated for 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday March 16 at Merrill Gardens, 15020 5th Ave SW.

Members of the public are invited to share ideas and provide input directly to the project consultant. For more information about the open house and the new brand, visit www.burienwa.gov.