Maple Ridge Brand Story

The Corporate Communications and Engagement Strategy completed in 2022 recommended as a key priority the need to reinvigorate the City’s brand voice and refresh the visual identity to convey 'stronger leadership, innovation and pride of service’ as the current brand, developed in 2006, was outdated. 

In January 2023, the City embarked on a Brand Strategy and visual identity update to amplify Maple Ridge’s story and share the City's vision for creating a vibrant, sustainable, connected and prosperous community. 

A revitalized brand identity offers our community many benefits, including an enhanced tourism and investment industry that attracts consumers and sustainably nurtures economic growth. 

Quantifying the value of a brand, especially a place brand, is difficult. There is no immediate economic or monetary figure you can attach to it. It will take time for the new brand to resonate within the community and beyond. But the brand will show its value in how residents, visitors and investors feel, speak and experience the City. 

A revitalized brand identity offers our community many benefits and aims to: 

• Change perceptions and enhance reputation. 
• Fuel civic pride and public engagement. 
• Help build new regional/provincial partnerships. 
• Attract new residents. 
• Support economic development and tourism strategies. 
• Anchor the City’s marketing communications

We are taking a phased approach to implementing the new brand. To date, the consultation and brand creation cost $60,000. The brand creation included an audit of the existing brand, best practices research, competitive review, focus groups, community engagement, concept design, photography, brand launch video, brand book, print and digital asset templates, templates and designs, and the collaboration of an entire team. 

Using a budget conscious approach, facility, park and street signage will be rebranded and replaced in alignment with their natural replacement timelines. This means that the new and current logos will co-exist for a period of time.  

Trapeze Communications, a marketing and design agency, was contracted to develop the Brand Strategy and visual identity. 

To understand the history of the City’s brand as well as critical elements that influence its future direction, Trapeze examined a number of relevant documents and studies that provided context and perspective for the Brand Strategy development including a brand review undertaken in 2016. In addition, Trapeze conducted a series of focus groups with staff, residents, businesses and community groups in March 2023 to identify brand foundations (aspects of the city that make it unique), followed by public engagement to confirm that the foundations resonated with the community. 

The new brand evokes a modern and positive image that aligns with the City’s values and aspirations. 

Specific graphic and colour choices bring the new brand to life: 

• The focal point is the Golden Ears Mountains, identified by residents as the iconic feature of the community. The peaked shapes, which also form the letter M, evoke green forests and bursts of colour as seen at sunset or as the seasons change.
• The Fraser River that defines Maple Ridge’s southern border grounds the bottom of the graphic with a swoosh of teal. 
• A broad colour palette reflects the diversity and vibrancy of the City’s arts, culture, sports and residents of all backgrounds.
• Bold graphic elements reflect the bold vision for the community, while the circular shape and rounded edges convey a friendly, complete community and harken to its past. 
• The M in the Maple Ridge wordmark has a wide mountain-like base and the G’s curved tail represents a winding river. 
• The City’s new font, Source Sans, is a functional, contemporary sans-serif font that supports Indigenous languages.

As with all visuals, logos are subjective. A brand is more than just a logo or tagline; it represents people’s perceptions and feelings toward a community. The cornerstone of any successful city brand is developing a consistent and coherent strategy that is aligned with the city’s strategic vision and the desired perceptions. A city’s brand is fundamental to its identity, shaping how it communicates and markets itself. 

The City’s new Brand Strategy redefines the City brand to create a dynamic and more modern visual identity and to provide staff with refreshed guidelines and templates to work with going forward.  

Public feedback gathered through engagement with residents, staff, business and community leaders, was invaluable in shaping and defining a story that captures the spirit and essence of Maple Ridge and our vision for our future. 

Trapeze conducted a series of focus groups with staff, residents, businesses and community groups in March 2023 to identify brand foundations (aspects of the city that make it unique), followed by public engagement to confirm that the foundations resonated with the community. View the brand strategy.

The City’s logo is copyrighted for use by the City. On a project by project, basis we will grant partners and sponsors permission to use the logo. To request permission to use the City’s logo, email communications@mapleridge.ca