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City spending $8,000 to create logo and story for West Branch
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · April 28, 2016


The West Branch City Council put up $8,000 on April 4 to hire Jonny Stax Presents Inc. to create a brand for the city and to clarify the story behind that brand.


The goal is not only to increase tourism, but to boost local spending and attract new residents and businesses.

President Jonathan Stacks will oversee the process that will end with a logo, tagline, story with talking points, promotions strategy and outreach to media outlets.

“There is so much marketable” about West Branch, he said.

But he calls his opinions about what those things are “irrelevant” — he wants to know what is important to the community.

“I want to connect the story to the people,” he said.

Jonny Stax Presents employs “a graphic designer for branding, a communications expert to guide promotions strategy and story-building, and myself to facilitate brainstorming sessions, conduct interviews, and manage the process,” according to information the company provided to the city.

For those brainstorming sessions, Stacks needs volunteers that represent the city, schools, business owners, the Hoover Complex, churches and more to “identify where we are, clarify where we want to be and actions” to take to get to those goals, he said.

Those who wish to get involved may contact him at westbranchisgreat@gmail.com.

And Stacks wants participants to do “homework” before participating, by considering the following questions when traveling outside the city:

• Where do you see spaces (billboards, community listings, web sites, etc.) where West Branch should be visible?

• What cities are doing interesting promotions?

• What images and words do you like in those promotions?

Stacks sees a stretch of Interstate 80 and the corridor communities – everything within a 60-mile radius — as prime places to pitch West Branch to visitors interested in history, antiquing, hiking trails and possibly relocating their homes and/or businesses.

Stacks, who said he will go by Jonny Stax in this branding effort, said he does not have formal training in promotions. However, he has a degree in social work, a background in entertainment and about 10 years of experience in promotions, with the last six years in his own company. Most of his work has been around sexual health education for kindergarten-through-12th grade and encouraging HIV-positive men to seek health care.

Plus, he has a personal stake as one of the city’s residents: He and his husband moved to town last May and rent a house on the north side.

“We want (this process) to be open and transparent,” he said.