Statement by the City’s Executive Mayor,
Patricia de Lille
Mayor De Lille outlines City’s proposed new corporate
identity
Over the last few days there has been a great deal of misguided
speculation and ill-informed comment as it relates to the processes
associated with the development of a proposal to Council on a new
corporate identity and pay-off line for the City of Cape Town.
This culminated in one title publishing an incorrect version of the
proposed new identity which has been sent to Council for consideration.
The net result of this reliance on leaks, anonymous comments, and gossip
has done a great disservice to the people of Cape Town and to a robust
and professional process. It has also served to undermine the legal and
other processes of Council.
In light of this situation, it has become necessary to set the record
straight before Council considers this matter.
Firstly, let me state at the outset that this process will not be at the
expense of service delivery. No new budget has been allocated to the
development or implementation phase.
Every effort has been made in the development of the proposal for
Council to reduce cost.
The process has not cost millions as it has been reported by some, but
rather R313 720 has been spent on the design of the proposed new
corporate identity, a new visual language and brand architecture
development.
The agencies used to develop the above were selected after following a
robust, open and transparent tender process. The fact that no appeals
were received subsequent to this process indicates that it was beyond
reproach.
A number of assertions have been made relating to cost of
implementation of this proposal.
Again, it must be stressed that as a City which received a clean audit, we
will not allow this to undermine service delivery.
We are not proposing the approach of a big corporate which would spend
hundreds of millions of rands on a ‘big bang’ approach to implementation.
Far from it.
We will rather, if approved by Council, implement the new identity in a
phased and responsible manner. This means that, apart from selected
high impact items, all other branding requirements will only be phased in
on a needs basis – for example, when uniforms, stationery and vehicles
are replaced, as they are on an almost daily basis. This point must be
stressed.
The City currently allocates substantial budget to maintaining and
communicating our current corporate identity. This will now be redirected
to implementing the new identity.
The past approach of the City was extremely costly and disjointed, and
therefore as a result of the substantial brand architecture revision,
significant cost savings will be created, as we implement a targeted and
value-for-money approach.
The proposed new corporate identity was developed in terms of a brand
framework developed internally, based on the values and vision contained
in the Integrated Development Plan (IDP). A number of mechanisms were
put in place, such as communication and brand architecture forums to
guide the organisation through the implications of the proposed change.
Every effort has been made to consult with the administrative and
political leadership of the City to develop this new identity. The basis of
this visual shift, the IDP and supporting policy documents, were
developed with extensive public participation. What we have proposed to
Council is to ensure that our visual identity matches this strategic
direction. The proposed change is aimed at improving service delivery
through more effective communication with stakeholders.
Now, on a far more positive note, let me explain why this is an important
and exciting process that the City has considered.
The City of Cape Town’s current corporate identity and pay-off line is
approximately ten years old. As a result it has become outdated and
misaligned with the values, strategy and vision of the City as contained in
the IDP and supporting polices such as the Economic Growth and
Development Strategy and Social Development Strategy.
The existing logo also has a number of technical limitations, such as its
lack of distinctive colour use; its fragile nature which makes it unable to
reduce in a legible way; and its lack of scope to stretch on a brand
architecture continuum. This makes navigating the various City services
and offerings complicated and unclear.
The City has worked hard to build a reputation as the ‘City that works for
you’ by being acknowledged as the best-run local government in South
Africa and the leading provider of services. However, as contained in the
vision of the IDP, the City now wants to build on this legacy and build a
city of opportunity.
Furthermore, the positioning of the ‘City that works for you’ is the
antithesis of what this administration stands for, in that it implies a
passive government-citizen relationship. We want to shape a future of
dynamic collaboration where, through partnership and shared
responsibility, we work for mutual success.
It is only through government, citizens, civil society and business working
together that we can build on our past successes and ensure that we
create a city characterised by opportunity for all.
The proposed new corporate identity and pay-off line has been developed
to express this strategic shift of the City from passive service delivery to
shared responsibility for mutual success. The gap between passive service
delivery versus shared responsibility is significant and required a
revolutionary change in visual expression to communicate this change
effectively and with impact.
The refreshed identity and pay-off line speaks to a City that is working
towards empowering its diverse citizens to make the most of the
opportunities and help that we provide – to enable them to take control of
their lives.
We are building a city where everyone has a stake, is engaged, and is
working towards a better future. Together.
The criteria used in developing the identity were derived from our brand
essence (strategic criteria) and our brand principles – personality and
values – (design criteria).
This is in effect the visual expression of the strategic intent of the City as
contained in the IDP and a range of supporting documents.
In order to deliver on our refreshed brand strategy, the logo needed to
explicitly express what we want to be known for, and needed to address
the challenges of the existing identity.
The end result is an identity that is filled with layered meaning and depth
that directly addresses the vision of this organisation and builds towards
our strategic pillars.
Making Progress Possible. Together.
We have proposed a fundamental shift from continuing to instil a culture
of dependency, i.e. ‘This City Works For You’, which is misaligned to our
strategic intent, to a new pay-off line that captures the essence of what
we do, what you need to do (the resident, business, employee or partner)
and the collective benefit of working together for progress.
Every word has been chosen to reflect the required meaning and to
communicate the intent of our strategy as contained in the IDP.
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Making: It’s active. A doing word. Building towards progress and
opportunity.
Progress: A universal desire. For things to be better, to grow, to
move forward and upward.
Possible: Shared responsibility – we make it possible, you need to
make it happen. The benefit of both is realising opportunities.
Together: Everyone has a role to play. Inclusivity.
It’s a promise that can be made both externally as well as internally, as
every day we are working towards making progress possible.
Our commitment to Make Progress Possible, Together, means more
opportunities to find work, access to infrastructure that enables you to
travel to find work, and being part of a well-run city that creates
opportunities for everyone.
Progress is the sum of citizens and government working together towards
a common goal. Movement without progress is simply change. Progress
speaks to always moving forward, always doing more, doing better, for
everyone.
Progress means improved coherence between private and public sectors,
so that everyone’s investment realises a bigger return, economically and
socially. Progress means foundations are put in place for business to
flourish – to attract more business and talent to create a competitive
landscape.
Progress is creating a better performing environment. Progress means
that business is not in this alone. It’s a partnership with government. We
are all part of the plan. All part of the solution. Progress is the certainty
that foundations for growth are in place.
Progress means increasing faith in local government from our
stakeholders. Progress means creating a better city for all, and doing it
better than anyone else – a distinction of excellence.
Progress means that we are in this together. We can realise opportunities
by taking the steps towards real change and accountability.
Progress is possible, if we work together.