The City of Menifee is rolling out its new logo, professionally designed and taking elements from the city’s existing seal to capture the core elements of the growing Menifee community.
“Menifee is coming of age, and has changed since incorporation 10 years ago, to a young family-oriented community, one that is youthful, energetic, and vibrant and the new logo needed a clear identity that was energetic and bold to convey that message,” said Economic Development Manager Gina Gonzalez. “The City wanted a mark that would resonate with residents and businesses, but supported City attraction efforts surrounding economic development and job creation—an identified priority for the City and of residents.”
Utilizing a fully funded grant from WRCOG for the comprehensive economic development branding effort, extensive research was conducted to develop a clear, consistent identity which included a comprehensive competitive analysis, communications and media audit, community focus group, targeted stakeholder survey, and a crowd-sourced survey deployed across the entire community, social media platforms, and in neighboring communities and counties.
“If the brand was going to be authentic, meaningful and long-lasting, staff would need to gain a deeper understanding of the community’s aspirations, existing perceptions and vision,” said Gonzalez. “We used community and stakeholder input to understand existing perceptions about how residents and businesses see their City – its strengths, challenges and future opportunities.”
Four compelling themes came to light across all research platforms: (1) Menifee is a community of growing families seeking the best in Southern California living; (2) Menifee is an energetic, smart community on the burgeoning 215 corridor, (3) is Southwest Riverside County’s newest City; and (4) Menifee is a place where deep rooted history and wisdom cultivate opportunities for the future.
These four themes, along with the dense research gathered from the tools listed above, became the foundation for the development of the city’s new brand platform and new logo.
The logo is composed of an abstract M from the city’s first initial “M” from Menifee, with a stylized geometric ribbon symbolizing the representation of “excellence” with providing awareness to making announcements, so viewers can connect the logo to the strapline of New.Better.Best. The logo ribbon and font style was pulled from the City Seal, and emphasizes the strength and stability of the City. The upward motion of the logo’s shape and bars signifies Menifee as a City on the rise, one that emulates Menifee as the fastest growing community in the SW County, 5th in the Riverside County, and 10th in Southern California, and produces a vibrant pattern that can be utilized in creating brand identity. One that makes a statement, is remembered, and bold.
Inspired by Menifee’s youthful energy and beautiful landscapes, the two brightly colored intersecting colors of bright blue and warm orange in the logo, speak to Menifee’s vibrancy, growth, energy and modern aspects of the booming Menifee community. The introduction of a bright blue for the strapline “New.Better.Best.” also ties into the colors of the logo and is bold, setting Menifee as forward thinking, innovative, fun, and fresh, making it emblematic of the Menifee Community.
“Just like our families and businesses, Menifee is growing and developing,” said City Manager Armando Villa. “From our trails and parks, to the city's bustling commercial and incoming entertainment developments, leading educational institutions--- Menifee is getting better and better, and the opportunities here are the endless and the best.”
The logo is the “new face” of the city, and it appears on signage, city vehicles, uniforms, official stationery and the Menifee Matters magazine, which lists city news and recreational opportunities throughout the City.
In crafting the new logo, Menifee is capturing a fresh identity that extends beyond the walls of City Hall and it’s landscape of trees, it is designed to attract and grow businesses. The logo and supporting elements are also designed to enhance the city’s image and define its position in the region. “People are discovering Menifee, and see Menifee as a hidden gem in Southwest Riverside County,” said Villa. “Menifee is a dynamic and innovative community of more than 90,000 residents who enjoy a fantastic quality of life; we are ranked nationally as Top 100 best places to raise a kids, ranked in the state as a top 10% safest community, and ranked regionally as a top place to live.”
The City will begin slowly introducing the logo in March, as events and projects occur. Comprehensive brand identity guidelines were introduced to create consistency across all city departments and branding platforms. Residents, businesses and visitors can expect to see gradual updates throughout the community and at city facilities. The City historically has not undergone a professional branding initiative, and now with Economic Development as a set priority for the City, it was imperative that the City position itself for the community today, and for the community it is setting up to become in the future.
