Nearly a year in the making, Santee last week unveiled its new logo and tagline, “Santee, Do More, Due East.”
The logo shows two green mountains with some gray and yellow highlights and an “S” curve running in-between over a stylized typeface of the word “Santee.” The S curve could be construed as part of either Mission Gorge Road or state Route 52 as both winds their way in-between Mission Trails Regional Park, or as part of the San Diego River that runs through the city.
The tagline has a triangular arrow pointing from the words “DO MORE” to “DUE EAST,” which the city hopes will craft a positive image and send the message that there are myriad opportunities for activities in Santee, and throughout East County.
The City Council overwhelmingly approved the logo and tagline, which come as part of a contract approved in February that cost the city $80,000 to bring in Tennessee-based NorthStar Destination Strategies. NorthStar is a consulting group that uses a “branding process” to help jurisdictions develop a clear identity that separates it from others in their regions.
NorthStar, which has branded hundreds of cities around the United States, worked since March alongside the city’s “Envision Santee” committee, residents, businesses and other stakehoulders to develop the new brand and a preliminary marketing plan.
Mayor John Minto said he appreciated that the logo was much easier on the eyes than the nearly 40-year-old city seal, which has a tree, shurbs, mountains and a water feature with “Incorporated 1980″ written on it. He said the city continues to work to erase some of its less-than-flattering nicknames, such as “Klantee” and “Santucky,” and that this is a good way to start.
“I think, overall, I’ve got good vibrations from it,” Minto said. “When your city has a bad moniker that is racially charged and people don’t know what you have to offer, why wouldn’t you want to rebrand your image and create a positive image for your community? We don’t want to be without a welcome mat at the door so people don’t visit.”
Minto said he received one email critical about the logo, and the city has been taking some heat on social media for the logo and tagline. On several Facebook pages where the logo has been shared, both Santee residents and outsiders have taken some potshots.
While there are some who say they like the logo, color scheme and meaning, others said they don’t feel the tagline represents Santee, they don’t understand the concept of “do more due east,” and expressed concern that “east” could mean Alpine, Jacumba, Clairemont or Tierrasanta.
Still others contend that the city should have asked students at Santee’s elementary schools or high schools to weigh in. Several people took shots at the city’s well-known street and freeway congestion issues and suggested “Stuck East” as part of the tagline; others changed the “S” curve in the graphic, adding cars stuck in traffic.
City Manager Marlene Best, who spearheaded the branding effort, said she didn’t want to weigh in until more time had passed and more formal artwork would be considered. Kathy Valverde, assistant to the city manager and part of the “Envision” group, said the city wasn’t yet ready to respond to critics.
Councilman Rob McNelis said he likes the logo’s modern look. McNelis said he had heard and seen some of the pushback from residents and he found it interesting that people in Santee were unhappy with the branding. He said people should remember that the $80,000 the city spent on NorthStar also includes hours of research and collections of “raw data” that the city will use in different ways for other projects.
“We try to be cognizant of what the city thinks of our community,” McNelis said. “If this is what people are so upset about, they’re really trying hard to find something to be upset about. It’s not just for this little picture.”
NorthStar also shared renderings of how the logo and graphic might look on the city’s website, city vehicles, banners around town, coffee mugs, t-shirts, hats and more.
