City unveils new branding

     The result of the City's recent branding process was recently debuted, with a new logo, tagline, and positioning statements for use in economic development.
     "Life Outside the Lines" is the City's new tagline, which alludes to the City's placement along the line of 1-70 and outside of the boundary line of areas considered suburbs of Kansas City. The City is emphasizing its status as an exurb, a district straddling suburban and rural areas. 
     "When the strategic plan was set in 2021, dedicating ourselves to discovering what makes Grain Valley unique was a top priority. Grain Valley has grown so fast that we have, in a sense, lost the chance to organically find our identity along the way. candid marketing, our consultant, was amazed at the response received from the community and noted it was the highest return rate they had seen on a project such as this," Deputy City Administrator Theresa Osenbaugh said.
     "Through the responses, they discovered that the community is very passionate about Grain Valley, even if they can’t always put their finger on exactly why. They continually felt a great sense of pride from respondents. From an outside perspective, it became clear that while Grain Valley may seem ordinary, it is actually very different than many communities around us. The way our neighbors take care of each other, the way we have maintained a small town feel while growing exponentially, the ease of life all contribute to that feeling of pride and sense that Grain Valley is a hidden gem. Living here means living life your own way or 'life outside the lines'. This also refers to our geographic location which many said was just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the 'city'."
     While the process resulted in the new logo and tagline, Osenbaugh emphasized the project goes well beyond those deliverables.
     "We expect the new brand to help showcase that the City is stepping into the current times, matching our growth. The most important thing we’ve tried to stress is this is more than a logo or a tagline, our brand position will really guide us as we work to reach out to businesses, new residents, and more. We are finally able to say more than Grain Valley is a great place to live, work, and play. We are ready to manage our reputation through this brand."
     Economic development efforts are top of mind for the City in rolling out the branding position, and Osenbaugh encourages the community to incorporate the brand into the work they do as well. 
     "This brand was born at City Hall but our dream is to see it spread throughout the community."
     "Some of the biggest benefits from the brand can boil down to correcting outdated perceptions about our community. This in turn, partnered with a new sense of civic pride from residents and businesses owners, can lead to economic growth and help us have a mindset when planning for the future. With increased attention lies the possibility for increased business sales and attraction, tax generation from visitors, workforce attraction and more. We are also excited to move towards a consistent look and feel for messages and designs of the city."

The new City logo was just one deliverable in a process recently completed with candid marketing. Image credit: City of Grain Valley