Branding Ideas Aired for Council

The Marketing & Branding Project that has been underway  with a $50,000 grant from the Baker Administration since July, got its first big reveal at the Town Council Wednesday night, with AJ Rebecchi walking through an explanation of his approach to branding, his views on Franklin’s branding challenge, and his concepts and specific visual proposals, all of which met with mixed reaction from Councilors.

According to a memo from the Town Administrator’s Office:

This project will provide the Town with usable Town Seal imagery, a logo with a tagline or slogan, templates and a toolkit, and brand guidelines for departments to utilize. The new imagery will be used on the website, social media, marketing materials, etc. and will be the catalyst for the next phase of marketing and wayfinding.

It is important to note that we are NOT getting rid of the Town Seal - this project will provide the Town with usable Town Seal imagery as the current seal is not visually crisp. The official town seal will still be used for official documents and formal use.

This process has been working its way through the EDC. The Selection Committee, which consists of

Deputy Town Administrator Amy Frigulietti, Director of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Cory Shea, Director of Planning and Community Development Bryan Taberner, and Chair of the EDC Melanie Hamblen, released a Call for Proposals on Monday, July 29, 2024. Proposals were due on Monday, August 26, 2024 and we received five proposals. The Selection Committee held interviews with all five designers/firms and selected AJ Rebecchi to lead the Town’s Branding Project.

AJ Rebecchi is a Franklin resident self-employed as a brand builder. According to his Linked-In posting, he previously spent more than four years at Wayfair, the online retailer that has been downsizing staff in recent years, as Head of Corporate and Talent Branding focusing on building the company’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP). He also has previous experience at J. Sherman Studio, a woman-owned creative services company and as Manager & Lead Technician at Apple’s flagship San Francisco store.

According to the town documents, the purpose of branding initiative is to:

● Help to streamline systems and create efficiencies - saving time, money, and duplication!

● Create consistency and organizational unity among departmental communications

● Enhance professionalism, provide equity and help the Town communicate effectively

● Drive economic development and boost tourism and investment

● Differentiate Franklin from other communities

● Showcase the vibrancy of the community and foster community pride

The document further notes that the town brand is currently inconsistent and we don’t have brand guidelines for departments to adhere to when creating official marketing and communication materials. This project will provide the Town with usable Town Seal imagery, a logo with a tagline or slogan, templates and a toolkit, and brand guidelines for departments to utilize. The new imagery will be used on the website, social media, marketing materials, etc. and will be the catalyst for the next phase of marketing and wayfinding.

Frigulietti, Rebecchi, and Town Administrator Jamie Hellen repeatedly stressed that the process will not replace the formal town seal, which has been approved by the Commonwealth.

Rebecchi said the town is in transition between old and new and, in particular, that "no one comes to town because of Ben Franklin." The showcase of images and design elements shared by Rebecchi,  came in three flavors, each of which included a primary logo and variations for various purposes.

CONCEPT A

CONCEPT B

CONCEPT C

The Council reaction was mixed, a number of members complimented the effort and picked a ‘favorite’ but two councilors in particular took a more cautionary tone. Brian Chandler, for one, questioned what the program would cost when it is fully rolled out.

Councilor Debbie Pellegri was even more outspoken, complimenting Rebecchi for his hard work and creativity but taking issue with the whole concept. “I don't think it's necessary. I think we're spending too much time or things like this, where we have a hell of a lot of things to do in town, and this is going to cost us a lot of money after we approve this, or if we approve it. It’s more money, and we don't have more money to spend. We really don't," she said.

Hellen stressed that the program would be phased in over time but didn’t have any estimates on the overall of net costs. He said a branding effort has been on Council goals for several years and promised that feedback would be taken from the Council and others in town in the coming months.