Yes, at the Library: A Transformative Rebrand
Richmond Hill Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
The Richmond Hill Public Library's rebranding campaign challenges preconceptions and invites the community to rethink what a library means in today's world. Our new tagline “Yes, at the Library”, showcases our evolution to meet modern expectations, offering the latest technology and innovative ways to connect with information and the community.
Our new visual identity, rooted in the city’s history, reflects on the natural flora of the land and our diverse community. It has replaced a stagnant logo with a dynamic design system that engages customers across a range of marketing channels. This fresh rebrand has resulted in a 32 point increase in Net Promoter Score in one year.
Challenge/Opportunity
Our rebranding journey was rooted in a deep understanding of the evolving needs and perceptions surrounding libraries in contemporary society. Data from a previous Brand Perception Survey revealed a severe disconnect between the library’s values and the way the Library was perceived by community members. For instance, while 33% of community members agreed the Library’s values align with their own, this number jumped to 70% when adjusted for active library users. The same deviation was present when asked about the Library’s relevance; where 53% of community members viewed RHPL’s programs and services as relevant, but 81% of active users viewed library offerings as relevant.
Recognizing the limitations of the brand, which failed to convey our values and struggled to translate effectively across digital channels, we identified the need for a transformation. To address these shortcomings, we set out to redefine the role of our library, embracing innovation while preserving our core values
Key Elements of Innovation
We started by developing a criteria. The new brand had to:
Tell our story of transformation
Reflect the diversity of our community
Consist of a scalable design system
After extensive brand strategy development, we started work on the visual identity with Studio Underline. The final creative was based on 2 simple motifs. A flower to represent the native flora of Richmond Hill, and a person to represent our diverse community. The shapes of these motifs could be deconstructed and reconstructed to build entire worlds and landscapes.
Drawing from the compelling narrative of our rebrand, we developed a campaign that told our story and demonstrated our value. Leveraging survey data on patron interests from our Strategic Plan, we ran a geo-targeted Out Of Home & digital campaigns throughout the regional transit system promoting innovative library experiences such as cooking classes, magic shows, and video games. Each ad led to a landing page featuring curated content on core patron interests
Achieved Outcomes
The Out of Home and digital campaigns to launch the brand showed early signs of success, driving 5,400 visitors to our new food and beverage landing page and increased page views to our videogames landing page by 348% in the first month.
To measure the rebrands impact on customer perception, we conducted a brand perception survey before the rebranding initiative, which revealed the old brand lacked recognition, emotional resonance, and a clear narrative.This survey, serving as a baseline for assessing the rebrand’s impact showed a Net Promoter Score 48. However, a customer satisfaction survey conducted a year after the rebrand revealed an increased Net Promoter score of 80. We attribute a large part of this 32 point increase in loyalty and perception to our rebrand
Additional digital metrics to support the success of the rebrand include:
Website visits +40%
Pageviews +25%
Social media engagement +23%
Newsletter subscribers +28%
Additional Materials:
