Fenton Council Discusses 'Be Closer'

Fenton’s Be Closer campaign came under some fire at Monday’s city council work session, as council members and the audience discussed a variety of issues.

Councilwoman Pat Lockwood relayed some concerns from the public, saying she has talked with 30 to 35 business owners at both ends of the downtown district. These businesses gave a mix of very positive, and very negative, comments. It’s her job to bring the comments forward, Lockwood said. One concern is, there is some confusion about the logo the city’s marketing consultants developed.

Fenton is undergoing a Renaissance, and a rebirth is happening there, said Kim Rivera, head of in Milford, the city’s public relations consultant. It includes the new Streetscape being planned for the downtown district, the moving into the old fire hall, and other developments.

The fleur de lis in the logo is for rebirth, and the logo has a family crest for Fenton because “you’re a family here,” Rivera said. The logo New Moon Visions created for Fenton doesn’t replace the city’s seal. The logo is used with the Be Closer public relations and is on the Fenton Be Closer website. The city’s seal could be used on the city website, she suggested. The seal isn’t on the www.cityoffenton.org site yet, Rivera said.

Councilman Les Bland said he was in agreement with Lockwood that the Be Closer tagline confused a lot of people, but it makes sense when one looks at it. There have been concerns with the city’s logo, signs, flags and billboards, but people need to be educated about the program, Bland said. It’s not only billboards, it’s a total program to improve the city of Fenton.

Sharman Lamka, of New Moon Visions, said Fenton needs to keep businesses and attract new businesses.

“We need this to work,” Lamka said. “We’re in this for this to work.”

Craig Schmidt, chairman of the Fenton Downtown Development Authority (DDA) board, said the DDA knows the concerns, and it takes time for any brand campaign to catch on. Trying to change Fenton’s brand and going with something else would really confuse people, he said.

Rivera said Be Closer is place branding, the true reputation of a place, its niche and what makes it stand out as a community. Branding is more than a logo and tagline like Be Closer, Rivera said. It’s everything an entity does to deliver the promise of its brand experience.

She discussed Starbucks as providing a brand experience, with the music played in its store, the feeling of comfort, and friendly staff wearing green aprons with the Starbucks mermaid or siren logo. Each time someone goes to Starbucks, they have the same experience, and the drink tastes the same when someone orders it the same way. Branding is maintaining a common thread, Rivera said.

The more connected people become with the entire world, the further they get from the things that really matter, such as family, community, nature and history, she said. But that’s not true in Fenton.

When New Moon Visions staff researched Fenton, they found a tight, close-knit community, she said. During the brand study, people told New Moon Visions that Fenton is a great place to raise kids with great schools, it has a strong sense of community and a lot of community events, and it’s close to lakes, freeways, parks and a thriving downtown. The city is preserving its historical architecture.

Fenton is a little bit hidden off the freeway, but residents like it that way, Rivera said. It’s a community that’s best understood from the inside out. So, New Moon Visions’ tagline for Fenton is Be Closer.

It is being used for marketing in different ways, such as Be Closer to the lakes, each other, family, friends, your full potential, where you want to go, your dream business, and culture.

Councilman Michael Piacentini said he believes New Moon Visions is doing a good job, and he supports the campaign.

Lockwood suggested that the gazebo be included in the campaign somehow.
Resident Bobbie Sweetman said the campaign is to get people to come to Fenton. “When people come here, they love it. We haven’t lost the gazebo.”

Rivera said the jewel at the top of the logo represents the finial on top of the Fenton Gazebo, and New Moon Visions used blue and teal colors for the log to go with the colors for the city’s Wayfinding signs.

In addition, the metal framework on top of Fenton’s large welcome signs represents the Fenton Gazebo, City Manager Lynn Markland said. Mayor Sue Osborn said this was the idea of Mark Hamel, from