The Marketing & Branding project, which has been underway with a $50,000 grant from the Baker Administration since July, got its first big reveal at City Council Wednesday night, with AJ Rebecchi going through an explanation of his approach to branding, his take on Franklin’s branding challenge and his concepts and specific visual proposals, all of which met with mixed reactions from councillors.
According to a memo from the city council:
This project will provide the city with usable Town Seal images, a logo with a catchphrase or tagline, templates and a toolkit and brand guidelines for departments to use. The new visual material will be used on the website, social media, marketing material etc. and will be the catalyst for the next phase of marketing and wayfinding.
It is important to note that we are NOT getting rid of the city seal – this project will provide the city with usable images of the city seal, as the current seal is not visually sharp. The official city seal will still be used for official documents and formal use.
This process has worked its way through EDC. The selection committee, which consists of
Deputy City Administrator Amy Frigulietti, Director of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Cory Shea, Director of Planning and Community Development Bryan Taberner and EDC Chair Melanie Hamblen issued a call for proposals on Monday, July 29, 2024. Proposals were due Monday, August 26 2024 and we received five proposals. The selection committee held interviews with all five designers/firms and selected AJ Rebecchi to lead the city’s branding project.
AJ Rebecchi is self-employed in Franklin as a fire builder. According to his Linked-In posting, he previously spent more than four years at Wayfair, the online retailer that has cut staff in recent years, as Head of Corporate and Talent Branding, focusing on building the company’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP) . He also has previous experience at J. Sherman Studio, a woman-owned creative services firm, and as Manager & Lead Technician at Apple’s flagship store in San Francisco.
According to city documents, the purpose of the branding initiative is to:
● Help to streamline systems and create efficiency – save time, money and duplication!
● Create coherence and organizational unity between departmental communications
● Improve professionalism, create fairness and help the city communicate effectively
● Drive economic development and boost tourism and investment
● Differentiate Franklin from other communities
● Show community life and promote community pride
The document further notes that the city’s brand is currently inconsistent and we do not have brand guidelines that departments must adhere to when creating official marketing and communications materials. This project will provide the city with usable Town Seal images, a logo with a tagline or tagline, templates and a toolkit and brand guidelines for departments to use. The new visual material will be used on the website, social media, marketing material etc. and will be the catalyst for the next phase of marketing and wayfinding.
Frigulietti, Rebecchi and City Administrator Jamie Hellen repeatedly emphasized that the process will not replace the formal city seal approved by the Commonwealth.
Rebecchi said the city is in transition between old and new, and in particular, that “no one comes to the city because of Ben Franklin.” The display of images and design elements shared by Rebecchi came in three variants, each including a primary logo and variations for different purposes.
CONCEPT A
CONCEPT B
CONCEPT C
Council reaction was mixed, with a number of members complimenting the effort and picking a “favourite”, but two councilors in particular taking a more cautious tone. Brian Chandler questioned what the program would cost when fully rolled out.
Councilor Debbie Pellegri was even more outspoken, complimenting Rebecchi on his hard work and creativity but embracing the whole concept. “I don’t think it’s necessary. I think we spend too much time or things like this where we have a hell of a lot to do in the city and it’s going to cost us a lot of money once we approve it or if we approve it. . It’s more money and we don’t have more money to spend. We really don’t,” she said.
Hellen emphasized that the program would be phased in over time, but did not have an estimate of the total net cost. He said a branding effort has been on the Council’s agenda for several years and promised that feedback would be taken from the Council and others in the city in the coming months.