Neenah refreshes Council Tree logo amid effort to strengthen organizational culture
Question: How much did the city of Neenah spend on its new logo? How much more will it cost to fully implement the logo?
Answer: Neenah's new logo features an updated image of the old Council Tree, a long-gone elm under which Native Americans held council, atop the words "Neenah" and "Wisconsin" in green lettering.
The logo was designed by O'Connor Connective of De Pere in advance of Neenah's sesquicentennial celebration last year. The sesquicentennial logo and the new city logo are the same, except the former includes the phrase "Celebrating 150 years and growing" curved around the foliage of the Council Tree.
The work on the logos cost $2,800 and was part of a larger process to identify and promote a strong, positive organizational culture among city departments and employees in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
"The tightness of our current labor market makes it all the more important to focus on providing our employees with a positive work environment and the opportunity to create a fulfilling and meaningful work experience," Mayor Jane Lang wrote in a 2022 memorandum seeking $38,950 for the effort.
The funding consisted of $18,750 from the mayor's office budget, in part due to a position being unfilled for four months, and $20,200 from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Though the logo was developed more than a year ago, only recently did communications specialist Holly Engelman inform city employees of its rollout date. "Going forward, all new items should be created with the refreshed version," she said in a July 1 email. "Please do not use the old version anymore."
To limit waste, Engelman said legacy items containing the old logo should be used up before making or ordering new items.
Lang downplayed the changes to the logo. There are no immediate plans to replace the old logo with the new one on the city's water towers, refuse trucks or signs.
"It's not like a rebranding," she said. "It's just minor tweaks to the existing logo. We're not changing the theme by any means."
Watchdog Q&A: Duke Behnke answers your local government questions
Neenah has used the Council Tree as its logo since 1997, when it was introduced in conjunction with the start of the 920 area code. Before that, the city's logo consisted of a large "Neenah" and a small "Wisconsin" against a backdrop of seven thin horizontal lines.
The Council Tree stood near Kimberly Point Park, where Lake Winnebago empties into the Fox River. A monument marks the spot today.
The tree was cut down in 1885 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when the river channel was dredged and widened to improve the flow of water through Neenah.
Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Neenah refreshes Council Tree logo for new branding and marketing
