Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Town of East Hartford is seeking a qualified professional firm to assist the development of a comprehensive community branding and marketing initiative. The goal is to create a unified visual identity that can serve to promote both the Town government and the community as a whole. It should be applicable across all audiences including residents, businesses, visitors, and other area communities. It should enhance a sense of pride and draw upon the unique identity of East Hartford. Research and Community Input: Conduct research to create a deep understanding of the community’s current image, its unique attributes, and its strengths and weaknesses. Hold public meetings, conduct surveys, and gather data by other appropriate means to understand the ways the town is perceived and how that perception can be improved. Gather feedback on concept ideas. Be aware of existing Town images such as the Town Seal, signage, and website. Creation of Branding Image: Work with Town staff to create a comprehensive branding image that includes components such as a logo and slogan that can identify the Town and community across platforms. Provide at least three unique options of the branding image that Town staff can select from and refine in collaboration with the firm. It should be appropriate for applications such as marketing materials, letterhead, websites (including mobile), social media, signage, and apparel. It should work in both full color and in black and white applications and be able to stand alone or along with a slogan. Style Manual and Implementation Plan: Produce a brand standards style manual and an implementation plan, including a proposed rollout schedule, that provides guidelines for where and how to display the logo and other associated imagery. This should cover both print and digital applications, where the new brand imagery should take the place of other Town images such as the Town Seal and where it should not, and other standards as appropriate. Marketing Guidelines: Create guidelines for marketing the community and the new brand image for various audiences including residents, businesses, visitors, and surrounding communities. The brand image should be uniform but flexible enough to be appropriate for these diverse settings. Evaluation and Adjustment: Create standards for evaluating the success of the branding initiative, avenues to adjust the implementation based on community feedback, and guidelines for when the brand image should be revisited in the future.
