City of Berkley Begins Its Branding Document Initiative & Website Redesign
Media contacts: Torri Mathes, City of Berkley; 248-658-3333; tmathes@berkleymich.net
Berkley, MI – March 24, 2022 – Continuing with the City's Master Plan objectives in developing "Our Roadmap for the Best Path from a Known Present Into an Unknown Future," the City is reaching out to the community to talk about Berkley's brand and community aesthetic.
This initiative is meant to assist with creating a cohesive and coherent branding document and guidelines the administration, city council, and outside entities can utilize to properly market and distinguish Berkley, as well as honor the past and the legacy of the community. City administrators would like to note this is not intended to change or redesign the City seal, but rather expand upon it.
Residents can participate and share their thoughts by following the survey link here: www.berkleymich.org/tellourstory. The survey will take approximately 6-8 minutes to complete. It will be open to the public until Thursday, April 14, 2022, at 11:59 PM.
“Our goal here is to truly showcase who and what Berkley is,” said Torri Mathes, Community Engagement Officer (CEO). “When I first came to the community, I saw so much heritage and a deeply rooted sense of service. From my fellow colleagues and city council to the resident and business owners, there was a distinctive narrative encapsulating Berkley that was different from its surrounding cities.”
Mathes was hired to oversee the marketing and communications for the City. Her beginning projects focused on creating and implementing a documented communications plan to streamline and work with City departments to establish consistent modes of communication, marketing, and community engagement. This work was achieved through conducting internal and external assessments on the current communication process and providing improvements. This undertaking included assistance from the volunteer board, Citizen Engagement Advisory Committee, and other various community partners.
“It’s so great to have such an involved community that wants to participate and help staff like myself with projects like this,” Mathes said. “I heard so many terms, phrases, and concepts. I look forward to hearing from and working with residents and community partners on this next part of our communications plan, and to provide our administration with a brand document that properly illustrates, defines, and describes who Berkley is!”
Project Background:
This project was established based on a marketing and communications assessment done by the CEO and the appeal made by staff, residents, and community stakeholders. This project will include:
- A community branding initiative with stakeholder discussions and research
- Creation and development of a cohesive and distinctive brand document
- Design and development of a website with better accessibility and user flow
The specifications and bid details were assembled in 2020 & reviewed in 2021 during the CEO’s assessment period. The bid was approved by City Council in the Fall of 2021.
The communication and technology departments will be working in partnership with Hadrout Design for Business, a local marketing and web design agency, in order to best represent the story and values of the community, as well as assisting to engage business owners, residents, surrounding communities, and other stakeholders that encompass the area.
To learn more and stay up-to-date with brand implementation and website redesign process, visit www.berkleymich.org/engageberkley.
About Hadrout
Hadrout Design for Business is an award-winning, boutique advertising agency and web design company located in Ferndale, Mich. Founded in 2004 in Ann Arbor, Mich., they specialize in branding, web design/programming, Google SEO, interior/exterior graphics, social media, outdoor advertising, and marketing and PR. A woman-owned and woman-operated business, Hadrout takes pride in spanning industries and client/organization sizes, always combining a deep understanding of consumer psychology, award-winning graphic and web design, goal analysis and newest technology.