Rustic look for new North Bend logo

By Allison Espiritu • March 2, 2010 4:58 pm
A committee of volunteers created the city of North Bend’s new logo. The North Bend brand touts city’s role as recreation gateway.
A committee of volunteers created the city of North Bend’s new logo. The North Bend brand touts city’s role as recreation gateway.

North Bend’s efforts to brand itself as a recreation destination continue with the launch of a new city logo.

The new yellow and green logo is part of a push to connect with outdoor enthusiasts, drive up tourism and increase visitor spending.

“The challenge of the project was that there was no budget,” said Gina Estep, North Bend’s Community and Economic Development director.

With no funding to hire a consulting firm, the city contacted local citizens with extensive branding and marketing experience, forming the volunteer North Bend Branding and Marketing Team.

Led by Estep and facilitated by Geoff Doy, former chief executive officer of sales and marketing for Marconi Wireless, the team weighed the city’s assets and aspirations and created a brand statement and tag line.

North Bend’s brand statement is, “We are the small town that is creating the premiere outdoor adventure destination in the Puget Sound region.”

The city’s tag line became, “North Bend: easy to reach, hard to leave.”

With a brand approved by the city council, the team worked to implement it. Plans call for a Web site, creation of a downtown North Bend plaza, signature outdoor recreation events such as an Outdoor Recreation Industry Conference, North Bend Downtown Block Party or Mount Si Challenge, as well as the city logo.

The new logo incorporates graphics of Mount Si and the Snoqualmie River. Both are scenic icons of North Bend.

“North Bend is the gateway to all of the outdoor recreational activities in the Central Cascades, within easy reach of Seattle and the Eastside,” said Mayor Ken Hearing. “Our new logo symbolizes the rugged outdoor beauty that is the hallmark of North Bend.”

City officials said the volunteer efforts by the branding team have saved the city as much as $100,000, comparable to private enterprise efforts made by other regional cities.

“I believe a great brand is more than just a product, it is something people want to be part of,” Estep said. “North Bend’s outdoor recreation is definitely something to be part of, and the best part about it is… it’s ‘Easy to reach, hard to leave.’”