courtesy / city of Caribou
The logo for the city of Caribou doesn't include its name.
Updated: February 4, 2021
Caribou considers a new look, but it may not come cheap
COURTESY / CITY OF CARIBOU
City councilors in Caribou have been mulling a proposal to update the city's logo and brand. But the cost has some worried.
By William Hall
Caribou is looking for a new look, but some officials there are sticker-shocked by the potential cost of rebranding the city.
For at least a decade, Caribou signs, police cars, promotional materials, city documents and other things have displayed a familiar logo: a silhouette of the namesake deer species, surrounded by the slogan “the most northeastern city in the United States.”
Problem is, it’s not clear what community holds that distinction. Caribou’s name appears nowhere in the logo.
In a meeting of the Caribou City Council last week, Councilor Mark Goughan voiced frustration with the graphic image.
“I’ve attended two previous logo committee meetings over the last 25 to 30 years and there’s been two attempts to do this,” he said. “And then it came up with this logo and we never put ‘Caribou’ on it.”
There are other concerns, too. Municipal departments in the Aroostook County city of 7,600 are inconsistent about their use of the logo, according to Marketing and Events Coordinator Christina Kane-Gibson.
“Right now, looking at our branding, it’s not strong,” she told the council. “Everyone has a different logo, the rec department has a different logo than the city, and the library is using something different.”
Kane-Gibson has been pushing the city to revamp its logo and the brand in general since she began her job four years ago.
“I think we’re at a point where we need to decide if we want to move forward on it and commit some time, energy and funds to a new logo and rebranding effort,” she said Jan. 25.
But she warned: “It’s not something we can do halfway.”
Kane-Gibson outlined a plan for redrawing the Caribou logo, starting with gathering community input, research and brainstorming. Over the next seven to 11 months, the design would be fine-tuned and ultimately plastered everywhere from city letterhead to city vehicles.
The cost, she estimates, would be $50,000 to $80,000, a price several councilors found too steep.
“We have too many other places the money needs to go, and though I believe in doing [the rebrand], funding it is another beast,” said Councilor Doug Morrell. “I just can’t see spending that money to change logos when we have other desperate needs.”
Councilor Thom Ayer was more blunt. “There’s no way,” he said. “You got to be kidding me, $50,000 to $80,000 to rebrand?
“Have you gone out and counted how many stickers we'd have to change? Because I guarantee you it’s not $50,000 to $80,000.”
Kane-Gibson explained the estimate was a ballpark figure based on her own knowledge of the work involved. She also said much of the expense would be driven by the need to use the logo consistently as part of a city-wide branding campaign.
“Successful branding is all about cohesion,” she said. “You would have to change all of those things to bring everybody to a cohesive look, so that’s where that money comes from … We go big or go home.”
Branding bandwagon
Caribou isn’t the only municipality that has wrestled with the dilemma of whether and how to rebrand. Many communities are stepping up their marketing game in order to attract new businesses, residents and tourism, and a memorable logo, graphic look or slogan is often the first step.
In 2013, to much fanfare, Portland came up with a new slogan and quickly began displaying it on that city’s letterhead, website and vehicles. “Portland, Maine. Yes, life’s good here” even showed up at Portland International Jetport and was adapted for use by businesses including Coffee By Design and the Portland Sea Dogs.
But the tagline, which was developed internally and did not undergo market testing, never really took off. It’s rarely seen these days.
It’s unclear how much the slogan cost the city, but without the use of outside consultants, the expense was probably modest.
Other municipalities — even relatively small ones — are investing amounts similar to what Caribou is considering.
In an attempt to distinguish itself from other rural communities, the town of Petersburg, Alaska, population 3,000, spent $75,000 in 2012 on rebranding itself. In 2019, La Vista, Neb., population 17,000, spent $82,000.
The firm that was hired in both cases was Nashville-based North Star Destination Strategies, which started in 2000 and since then has rebranded more than 200 communities.
Back in Caribou, Kane-Gibson — a 2018 Mainebiz Next List honoree — is still working to give her home town a new look and feel.
First, she’s hoping she can get the name added to the logo, which she called a "baby step." As for the entire rebrand she mapped out, she thinks council members are still open to the idea, even if no action has been taken yet, she told Mainebiz by phone Wednesday.
And she still sees a lot of potential for Caribou to capitalize upon.
“We’re blessed in that we have an iconic name, and there’s also such a sense of community here,” she said. “It’s important that we show that.”
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