Keyline Transit Rebranding CommitteeMasterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: City Council Members for Rebranding Committee
DATE: July 14, 2010
East Central Intergovernmental Association Executive Director Kelley Deutmeyer is
requesting that at least one City Council member volunteer to participate on the
Rebranding Committee for Keyline and attend a public meeting on July 29 at 2:30 p.m.
at the Prescott Neighborhood Resource Center.
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Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Kelley Deutmeyer, ECIA Executive Director aeI C
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MEMO
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Kelley Deutmeyer, Executive Director
RE: City Council members for Rebranding Committee
DATE: July 12, 2010
Purpose
We are beginning the rebranding process for Keyline and I am requesting that at least one City
Council member be a member of the rebranding committee.
Background
The City Council approved the rebranding process for Keyline during their July 6, 2010 City
Council meeting. A copy of the memo is attached. An important part of the rebranding
campaign is the rebranding committee. The committee will participate in the public
brainstorming session and will assist in narrowing down the public input and branding concepts
for the transit system.
Our process for the rebranding involves an appointed committee representing all
aspects of the community; a public brainstorming session where the committee and
interested citizens brainstorm ideas /concepts and then narrow them down to the top ten
concepts for the new brand; using our committee to narrow down the top ten to five
through an email voting process; and finally, a public campaign and voting process to
vote for the final selection from the top five concepts; and a presentation to the City
Council in November to approve the recommended selection from the voting process.
The only face to face meeting we will have is the first initial 2 hour public brainstorming
session where ideas are shared from those who see the public notice and the people
we have invited to participate in the committee. We want the new brand to reflect the
current spirit and vibrancy of Dubuque so we need input from the entire community.
We have identified that at least one City Council member participate on the rebranding
committee.
Recommendation /Action
am requesting your assistance in getting at least one City Council member to volunteer their
time to participate on the rebranding committee. Our public meeting has been scheduled for
July 29 from 2:30 to 4:30 at the Prescott Neighborhood Resource Center. We would
appreciate a commitment from a member of the Council prior to the public meeting.
cc: Dave Heiar, Economic Development Director
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
David Heiar, Economic Development Director
FROM: Kelley Deutmeyer, ECIA Executive Director
RE: Marketing and rebranding plan for Keyline
DATE: June 25, 2010
BACKGROUND
Dubuque is a community that prides itself on its sustainability initiatives and acknowledges the
importance of a viable and successful transit system to its continued success and leadership in the
sustainability arena. Dubuque's public transit system provides opportunities for citizens to travel within
the city limits regardless for their reason for utilizing the service. Developing a system and a
corresponding marketing strategy and brand to encourage the greatest number of citizens to utilize the
service is essential.
The existing Keyline Transit name and persona does not adequately reflect the existing spirit of the
community. It is important for the transit system to reflect the leadership, success and vibrancy of the
Dubuque community. According to transit trainers from the Community Transit Association of America
(CTAA), ridership can be increased with the simplest of changes like the name, color of the logo and
specifically, the color of the buses. Several transit entities experienced a 30% increase in ridership by
changing nothing but the color of the buses. Moving away from the institutional white and gray, was a
critical component to their success along with changing their name to less government related names.
In the past several months, City and ECIA staff have applied for several federal grants to replace the
entire City of Dubuque transit fleet. We are also investigating several options to lease a new fleet
should those grant opportunities be unsuccessful. Prior to the City obtaining the new fleet, it would be
appropriate to engage community members in a rebranding process for the City transit services to
ensure an inclusive identity is selected that appeals to a broad demographic. Below is our
recommended rebranding approach.
RECOMMENDATION AND APPROACH
Press release to Telegraph Herald and follow -up call to the Editor inviting citizens to volunteer for two -
hour brainstorming session to rename Keyline and outlining rebrand timeline and collaborating with the
TH for press coverage promoting and reporting on the event.
1. Contact individuals in our target markets and citizens who submitted letters and /or emails of
interest to encourage them to attend the brainstorming session and to get volunteers for a
rebranding and marketing committee to be developed out of the brainstorming session.
a. Workforce living and commuting within the city limits
b. Workforce commuting to Dubuque
c. Local business leaders and private business and not - for - profits
d. Low income households
e. Senior Citizens
f. Non - English speaking citizens
g. Persons with disabilities
h. Schools
i. College students
j. Transit Drivers
k. Transit Dispatchers
I. City staff
m. Transit Advisory Board members
n. City Council members
o. Visitors
2. Hold the public brainstorming meeting at a downtown location accessible by public transit
3. Proposed date....July 20 for the brainstorming meeting
4. Meet for 2 hours — presentation, brainstorming, and list of ideas
5. Seek volunteers to participate on a marketing committee to narrow the public input ideas and
participate in developing future marketing materials and concepts. Refer to the committee
member list below.
6. Follow -up with online survey to committee members to choose top 5 names
7. Develop logos and color schemes for each of the 5 brands
8. Public voting — online survey, paper ballots at library, city hall, on buses, etc
9. Present alternative to the City Council for approval
10. Unveil winning brand
Through the rebranding process, we will also be taking into consideration the desire for the City to
utilize the transit system for bus wrap advertising. Recently a Request for Proposals was published and
two responses were received. I am proposing that the bus wraps will continue to be a revenue
generator for the transit system however I will be recommending an alternative approach under a
separate memo.
Proposed Marketing and Rebranding committee
Market Segment Organization Position
Schools Dubuque Community School Teacher
District and Holy Family Schools
Colleges Loras, Clarke and U.D. Marketing
Community College NICC Marketing
Keyline Staff Keyline Dispatch
Keyline Staff Keyline Mini Bus Driver
Keyline Staff Keyline Fixed -Route Driver
Community Mystique /DRA
Private Business Dubuque Bank & Trust HR
Private Business Dubuque Bank & Trust Marketing
Private Business McGraw -Hill Companies HR
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•
• ..
TAG /Social Services
TAG /Social Services
ESL Multi- Cultural Family Center Director
ESL St. Pat's
Transit Advisory Board Transit Board Member Chairperson
Private Business Finley Hospital Community
Relations
Community /Environment Green Dubuque Administrator
City Staff City of Dubuque Public Information
City Staff City of Dubuque Public Information
Low Income Getting Ahead Program
City Council Need at least one volunteer
Low Income /Public Community Oriented Policing
Service
College Student student
College Student student
College Student student
Private Business IBM HR
Not - For - Profit Dubuque Chamber of Commerce Director
Not - For - Profit Dubuque Main Street Director
Not - for - Profit Community Foundation of Greater Director
Dubuque
Not-for —Profit Greater Dubuque Development Marketing
Corporation
Not -for- Profit Dubuque 2.0 Director
Not - for - Profit Every Child Every Promise Director
Not - for - Profit Washington Neighborhood Director
Development Corporation
*Note — we will be contacting the individuals indicated above to participate in the rebranding process or
for them to designate someone from their organization. No contacts have been made until formal City
Council approval of the plan.
TIMELINE
July 29 or within the next week — Hold public brainstorming meeting
First week of August — Hold first Rebranding and Steering committee meeting and narrow the top ideas
down to five branding concepts
August — ECIA staff to work on developing branding concepts for the top five ideas including layouts,
colors and logos.
First week of September — Hold second Rebranding and Steering Committee meeting with ECIA staff
presenting layout concepts for top five branding selections including layouts, colors and logos.
Second week of September — publicize the top five branding concepts and hold a public voting forum.
Voting to go until the end of September using public ballot left at the library, on the buses, in public
locations, and online.
First week of October — Third Rebranding and Steering Committee meeting to officially review the
alternative with the most for the rebranding concept.
Mid to late October, 2010— Preferred concept and top 5 alternatives presented to the City Council for
approval. New brand adopted by the City Council then presented to the public.
November and December, 2010 — ECIA staff to get pricing on cost to re- letter and re -logo the Keyline
fleet to include in the FY12 budget. By that time we should also know about the pending grants.
ACTION
I am seeking City Council input and approval in moving forward with the proposed marketing and
rebranding plan. Thank you for the consideration.