Council is rebranding at "no additional cost"

Jamie MacDonald • Published 24 Mar 2010 10:37 25 Comments

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Angela Leitch insists the new council logo comes at no additional cost.

CLACKMANNANSHIRE Council's chief executive has defended its new look logo after concerns were raised over the cost of its rebranding.

In recent week's the Advertiser's website has received an increasing amount of posts from readers concerned the local authority may be spending money that could be better used elsewhere.

However, the council's chief exec, Angela Leitch, has revealed that the logo was redesigned for no additional cost.

She said, "All design work was carried out in house and the updated logo will only be used on new materials and all existing publicity, signage, vehicle livery etc will continue to be used until it reaches its end of use.

"The continuity of the shield means the updated and previous logos can be used consecutively until gradually all material is updated."

Following a recommendation from the Local Governemnt Association (LGA) the logo change was made after a review was put forward in the council's 2008 Communications Strategy.

Ms Leitch continued, "The results of focus groups and a questionnaire showed that the shield is well recognised but the font and motto were difficult to read and perceived as outdated.

"The text and detail of the image could not be reproduced legibly on screen, meaning that the council could not use it for the growing amount of online communication.

"As a result, the logo has been updated to keep the shield and have a clearer font and more flexible layout."

SNP councillor Mark English has raised concerns over what he feels is the "gradual erosion of Clackmannanshire's unique identity".

He told the Advertiser, "Recent publication on council literature has shown an amended council logo with the Clacks unique motto of 'Look Aboot Ye' removed. This has a historical significance which lends Clackmannanshire its own unique identity.

"It's a motto which I think lends itself well to the modern era as well as retaining important historical links with the past.

"I am concerned that there has been a clandestine move amongst council officers to slowly erode the Clacks identity. We have already seen Alloa Academy lose their logo 'Circumspice' and now it seems to be the council's turn."

Focus groups were carried out in May and June 2008 with local press, partners and local authority designers and an online questionnaire took place in January 2009.

The results of this work concluded that the shield should be kept but the font needed updating and the image should be made clearer for legibility. The in-house design team updated the logo accordingly and Ms Leitch approved a pilot roll-out to limited services in August 2009.

Mr English added, "I am particularly annoyed that there once again been no communication with councillors on this matter. Just a bunch of officers who think they know best and rush headlong into issues with no thought of consultation."

Ms Leitch said that research had showed 'Look Aboot Ye' was still strongly associated with Clackmannanshire, but opinion was divided as to whether the motto was outdated or inspiring.

She went on, "A majority of staff felt that the motto was not visible and was not businesslike. Focus groups felt strongly that the writing was not legible and that a clearer, cleaner image would have more impact.

"Taking all of this into account, it was decided to remove 'Look Aboot Ye' from the logo, though it remains the county's motto. It will continue to be used as appropriate."

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

council worker
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Mar 24, 16:00
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If you are a council worker who's wages are getting slashed in 3 yrs time the motto should be "Look aboot Ye" alright for another job, i just do not know what planet they are on up there in their ivory towers!

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Maryg
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Mar 25, 08:21
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I think this Mark English chap needs to get a life!

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Angry Bystander
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Mar 25, 14:07
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Of course it costs! Who is the Leitch trying to kid. Changing printing information, changing software, signs outside Lime Tree House where previously there were none! And all for a new logo that looks like amateur hour!

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Mark English
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Mar 25, 15:45
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The primary focus of my concern was cost, lack of councillor consultation, needless effort and time wasted.

Additionally I would imagine at these difficult times that a re branding exercise should be furthest from occupying the time of officers in the council.

Why do the administration put up with this nonsense at a time when council morale is at rock bottom.

I believe they need to re-focus their efforts.

Cllr English

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Aonghas Og
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Mar 25, 16:53
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Don't know about an erosion of Clackmannanshire's unique identity. I wasn't aware the logo represented all that is the Wee County, I thought it was a corporate logo. It is the people of the county that give it it's identity. I

Bru isn't any less now than it was 2 or 3 logos ago. **** analogy but same difference.

What this is, is yet another example of The Council *****ing cash away on something which has absolutely no benefit to the people. It would do the councillors well to remember that they work for us and that we put them there.

Perhaps the logo comes at "no additional cost". That doesn't mean it was free either. Money has been spent on man hours and resources regardless if it was done in-house or not.

Great effort Clackmannanshire Council. Not.

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Angry Bystander
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Mar 25, 17:05
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Ref Cllr English' comments - it isn't just councillor consultation, although of course that is absolutely vital, but also the people of Clackmannanshire, who haven't been consulted on a restructure that will impact negatively on services and were, so I believe, consulted on image, with their views being ignored. Clearly this demonstrates the worth of consultation under the Leitch - do it and we'll ignore the results; don't do it and we'll carry on regardless

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Maryg
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Mar 25, 23:12
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Mr English - if you "imagine at these difficult times that a re branding exercise should be furthest from occupying the time of officers in the council", what are you getting your knickers in a twist about? Unemployment, pollution, recession, strikes,budget, vulnerable people etc etc and your only interested in petty political point scoring. Pathetic. Focus your attention on something meaningful. Now I know what it means when people say that politicians would sell their grannies ...

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alvaDannyboy
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Mar 25, 23:20
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Whit dae we pay this Cooncillor English Snp person fur again? Think ah must'uve missed the point somewhere. Has he got nothing better tae dae? Suppose this is what you're reduced tae when yur in opposition. Bitter or whit, LOL?

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alvaDannyboy
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Mar 25, 23:25
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Oh and by the way, Mr cooncillor Mark - whit were cooncillors going tae add by being consulted on this? Yuv a big hit fur yersel!

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Angry Bystander
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Mar 26, 12:24
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Whilst not with regard to the issue of councillor consultation, I have to stick up for Cllr English here! We can forget all that flannel about it costing nothing. When services are being cut, staff are seeing cuts in their salaries and jobs are going, some people are being asked to sort out this re-branding nonsense, meaning that it is costing something! Perhaps Cllr English has 'nothing better tae dae' but has the Leitch nothing beter to do than to get people wasting time on this frivolous thing which does nothing to improve services?

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OmG
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Mar 26, 19:05
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"Re-branding"??? According to some research I carried out, the Chief Executive (in her last job) wanted to "Re-brand" Library assistants as 'Audience Participation Assistants' ... what friggin planet do we get these people from??

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lookabootye
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Mar 27, 11:32
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Councillor English - if you look aboot ye you'll see folk laughing at you. You're spoilt for choice for all the targets you could pick to have a go at. And this is all you can come up with. Think you definitely need to look more aboot ye.

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Alistair
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Mar 30, 17:26
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Mark English is one of the few councillors in the council who has any integrity and backbone. While the labour lot are letting officers away with a wholesale rout of jobs and people at least he and others can see what a waste of precious resource is being deployed in arty farty projects such as a re-branding of what was/is a perfectly adequate image.

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Angry Bystander
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Mar 30, 17:33
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Thank you Alistair! I have no political axe to grind, although it is the Labour Group only which seems to ask 'how high' when Leitch asks them to jump, but Cllr English is right to question why time (and despite what the Leitch says) money is being spent on something of no benefit whatsoever to the community and the Council, when jobs and services are under the cosh from the mad axe woman in charge!

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Craig Hutchinson
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Mar 30, 19:40
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Isn't it amazing that a Councillor raises the issue of saving tax payers money by querying a rebranding exercise and people find some abstract way to attack this? It is the job of the opposition to ask questions like this and hold the administration to account, I for one am glad that this was raised as this Council is clearly expert on wasting money - our money! (Now is that really petty?)

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Angry Bystander
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Mar 31, 11:13
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On a slightly different subject, I know, but in case anyone wants to submit a Freedom of Information request on one of the many irritants involving the Leitch, here's a subject which may be of interest. Staff have been told that the current re-structuring 'is about improving the service we give our customers'. It would be good for someone to submit an FOI asking for the evidence (research, consultation, best practice elsewhere) that enables the Chief Executive to come up with such a statement. Would be interesting to see the result!

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William Whyte
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Apr 3, 17:16
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There would be no result. The simple fact is this county has a new Chief Executive who has come from a monolithic authority. She cannot grasp the concept that Clackmannanshire is 'Unique' in terms of local government i.e. the smallest mainland authority, the demographic/geographic position it is in, the mildly insular nature of its citizens (no insults intended!). She cannot grasp these, preferring to steer the council down a road of ideals that do not suit the make-up of this county.

As a consequence of the above, I would bet a weeks wages that no proper analysis has been conducted.

Here is a question: 10 years ago, I could phone directly to any service in the council (Bins, Building Control, Housing, Council tax etc) and get my call answered pretty much at my point of calling and within a very reasonable timeframe. Now, with its flagship 'call centre', I have to wait on average 2 - 3 minutes to get my call answered, I am asked a load of questions before finally being told I will be transferred to the person I used to be able to phone direct!! And they have got the cheek to call this an "Improvement" in service?????

Janet Cadenhead, Derek Stewart, Eddie Carrick, Bobby McGill, Sam Ovens, George Matchett, Kenny Earle should all be ashamed of the way they have presided over the Council. The opposition group should be equally ashamed at their abject failure to mount a meaningful opposition to the Labour Louts!

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politicalposturing
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Apr 6, 01:13
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"SNP councillor Mark English has raised concerns over what he feels is the gradual erosion of Clackmannanshire's unique identity".

I wonder if Cllr. English would have complained if the new Council logo had been changed to include some Gaelic or Auld Scots writing in it somewhere?

It seems his SNP colleagues in the Scottish Exec. have no problem wasting our tax money on mountains of Gaelic and Auld Scots literature being churned out of Holyrood at the moment and wanting the whole of Scotland completely covered in Gaelic roadsigns.

By the way Councillor English...what's your take on your colleague Keith Brown voting to close Waterwatch down in Alloa then try to tell us that there will be no job losses!?

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politicalposturing
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Apr 6, 01:18
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CLLR. MARK ENGLISH:

"The primary focus of my concern was cost, lack of councillor consultation, needless effort and time wasted."

"Additionally I would imagine at these difficult times that a re branding exercise should be furthest from occupying the time of officers in the council."

Eh? So it was needless effort and time wasted for council officers yet it wouldn't have been needless or time wasted for the councillors to discuss it? No really making sense there are you?

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Angry Bystander
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Apr 6, 17:34
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Bit of a chip there politicalposturing! No particular fan of the SNP group, but the councillors are elected to represent the Council, so should be involved in something such as this, or at least would be in any normal local authority. Secondly, you seem to dismiss Cllr English' reference to 'needless effort and time wasted'! Bearing in mind the cutbacks presently happening at the Council, staff having to waste time on this, at Council tax payers' cost, and the cost of changing software, doing signs etc (because despite what the Leitch says, there is a cost, and to say so is to lie and treat us all as thick) would have been time better spent on actually providing a service.

And with your reference to Brown, setting aside personalities, is it right to lie about cost savings for the sake of single status (and we all know they are lying!), and is it correct to waste time and money on currently frivolous things like logos? And is it right to restructure based upon no consultation and no evidence as to whether the new structures will lead to better services? These are things the Leitch, aided and abetted by Cadenhead has done. And I couldn't care less as to whether elected reps who shout about this are draped in the red of Labour, the orange of the Lib Dems, the blue of the Tories, or in the saltire!

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politicalposturing
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Apr 6, 22:55
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Angry Bystander -

"Secondly, you seem to dismiss Cllr English' reference to 'needless effort and time wasted'"

Sorry Angry Bystander but Cllr English is moaning that the councillors never got an opportunity to discuss rebranding at any meeting. I was merely referring to his own comments about the council officers needless efforts and time wastage. He seems to think that councillors discussing the issue wouldn't have been needless nor time wastage as opposed to the council officials doing so.

Like I said previously the vast majority of these councillors, MPs and MSPs are all dismissive of those people who voted to put them in their roles within the local and national Government. It's party before the people.

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Angry Bystander
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Apr 6, 23:41
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And my point was that whilst consultation with the community would be desirable, to a certain extent I can understand the frustration that the image representing the Council (for which councillors were elected by a simple majority of the local people deciding to vote) was decided upon by a small cabal of council offices, without any discussion with the population or the democratically elected members. Clearly the consultation with the former would be better than consultation with the latter, but no consultation at all ...? This instance is representative of a CE who believes she can get away with anything, having discussed and consulted upon nothing with anyone, including Cadenhead, who has a misplaced faith in anything the Leitch does.

Yes, the whole process is the result of needless efforts, time and cost wastage, but the Leitch will be gone within 12 months, whereas the after effects of her 'efforts' (in terms of , most importantly, damaged services, but also the new el cheapo logo will remain. Any hurdle represented by any level of consultation would be better than no hurdle.

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Jimmy Neebur
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Apr 7, 18:14
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Well done tae yon cooncillor English fur speaking up against this waste of time and effurt. Dinnae listen tae the labour mafia on here neebur. They can stick their new logo where they whid have tae look aboot ye tae find.

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Badge Fan
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Apr 9, 01:47
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rebranding at no additional cost? I guess the council must have secured a great deal for free name badges for customer facing staff then! The council staff seem to have new badges with the new logo on.... I wonder where you can get such badges free - I wouldn't mind finding out as I need to update the staff badges for my own business. Well done to the council's procurement section for seemingly being able to source these badges and other signage etc for absolutely no cost!

With all this money saved, perhaps they could send the relevant staff on a training course to show them how to resize fonts and images on webpages so that we can get the County's motto back to prominence.

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Angry Bystander
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Apr 12, 11:17
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Staff who have no face to face contact with members of the public now having brand new name badges, with the new logo and their name on! Completely pointless, unless they forget who they are! And at no cost? I suspect not!

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