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 (see Cape Argus report).

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.

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.

Statement issued by Patricia de Lille, Executive Mayor of the City of Cape Town, February 24 2014

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