The city of Lynnwood wants to make sure everyone knows what it has to offer.
Two years ago the city hired a marketing firm to come up with a new logo and brand. Monday night the results were officially unveiled to city council members, who will ultimately decide if they adopt the brand.
Researchers spent several months interviewing hundreds of community members and visitors to get their opinions of Lynnwood, both good and bad. Many people cited the strong retail core, proximity to freeways and affordability as the city’s greatest assets. The firm used that information to develop the brand.
The logo (pictured above) was designed to be straightforward, colorful and welcoming, Tourism Manager Mary Monroe told us.
“The brand will position Lynnwood as a place where there is a marketplace of ideas, commerce and social activity, open to everyone. We were looking for something solid, that distinguished us from our neighbors and represented us as the center,” Monroe said.
The brand credo will help staffers market the city. It says, in part, “an enticement in suburban Seattle for those seeking world-class shopping matched only by world-class deals. But for those who live here, Lynnwood offers a great deal more. It’s an amazing secret that’s just too good not to share. Situated at the northern intersection of I-5 and I-405, Lynnwood is the kind of place people can’t stop talking about. And while everyone knows about our shopping, it’s important to discover all the all other things we have to offer as well.”
It goes on to describe the city’s arts and culture, parks, trails, and higher education. “With our unique location, superior accessibility and vision for the future, we’re perfectly positioned to continue our growth,” the credo said.
The city’s economic development department is working on a plan to roll out the brand. “As you know money is tight, so much of the roll-out will be grassroots,” Monroe said. The logo will be added to city vehicles, signs and literature as money allows.
The $80,000 branding project is part of Lynnwood’s Community Vision designed to attract jobs and economic development, as well as identify weaknesses the community should address.
Um, I would have designed that for $80.00…. or less.
It’s a civil liberty to run red lights? Thank you for taking your illegal driving practices to the Eastside.
W Howard- I mean rmr1581
I thought I just heard that you had been suspended from your job at American Traffic Solutions in Arizona for making phoney statements on local blogs. So you obviously are still on the payroll. Can’t you guys find any local citizens who support these cameras?
Just shopping? No mention of attracting industry and its well-paying jobs? That was one of Lynnwood’s goals a few years ago.
They could have gotten better with a contest, lots of out of work talent in the area. BTW this firm does sloppy work.. the Washington is not properly right aligned on this and it looks sloppy to anyone who knows design.
“As you know money is tight, so much of the roll-out will be grassroots,” Monroe said.
Money is so tight because they foolishly spent 80K on a design a middle schooler could have provided from their laptop. I agree with google, a contest would have been awesome to showcase Lynnwood’s talent. This is the lamest logo I have seen in a long time and the explanation for it makes it even more ridiculous.
Does anyone else find it odd that while “money is tight” and the headline on the city website is “officer staffing approaching ‘critical levels'” the city would be worried about its logo? I’m appalled and tempted to stay out of Lynnwood for as long as I possibly can. The logo could have been designed by a third grader! Please. The city council and mayor need to find something better to do with their time and money.