Today Southland District Council launches its new brand.
With a slogan of leading the way, Council is setting some aspirational aims in its story of what it wants to be known as.
“We are very proud of our new brand and what it represents,” Mayor Gary Tong said. “We are very proud of our history and what we have achieved, so this new brand is about celebrating the past, and looking to the future.”
“We want our ratepayers and residents to know we are standing on behalf of them at all levels and we will partner with them in working to make Southland better. We know that a brand is how people see us, not just what we say we are, so everyone from elected members to staff are on board to make the changes necessary for this.”
Council has had some challenges in recent times and the world is changing rapidly so it is
important for Council to look carefully at the future and where it wants to go, Mr Tong said. Chief executive Steve Ruru said he is very proud of the new brand and how it has been developed in-house.
“We have saved thousands of dollars by our staff doing this work, but more importantly we have got an amazing brand because our staff are passionate about it, they are invested in it and they know the story of Southland District. You don’t get that same passion from a consultant,” he said.
Council has also held off replacing signage and stationery because of the brand, so the costs incurred in replacing signs and stationery would have happened anyway.
“We hope the logo and the story behind it become well-known and encapsulate who we are to everyone.
“This launch is just the beginning – our promise to our ratepayers and residents is to lead the way in working together for a better Southland.”