Your questions - our answers
We've had a few questions about our brand since it launched in January 2026.
Fair questions too – so here are some answers to help clear up any misconceptions.
What’s the difference between a brand and a logo?
A brand encompasses the whole identity, values and reputation of an organisation. A logo is a designed visual used for recognition.
The brand work undertaken for Whanganui District Council was about much more than a logo. It provided a clear identity, developed with staff, which reflects our organisation’s culture and values, is clear and efficient to use and can be applied across all our diverse activities over time.
Is the new brand for the council, or the whole of Whanganui?
It represents the council itself as an organisation.
Who decided a rebrand was necessary?
The brand project was initiated by former chief executive David Langford during the development of the council’s Strategy for Whanganui – Rautaki mō Whanganui.
Extensive community engagement contributed to the strategy. Additional research conducted in early 2025 found that, while residents generally viewed the council as approachable, many were unclear about its services and responsibilities and did not relate to the existing brand. Nearly sixty percent of people could not recall the council’s logo, and only 22 percent of respondents viewed the existing crest logo positively.
Did councillors have a say on this?
Councillors were invited to an early workshop for their input and ideas – and then updated with presentations throughout the lifecycle of the project. Mayor Andrew expressed his view from the outset that the Whanganui crest should be retained in some capacity.
As this was an operational project and required no additional budget, it did not need to go to councillors for formal approval.
How did you consult with the community?
A survey, which received 600 responses (94.67 percent said they lived in Whanganui), and a range of community and stakeholder discussion groups were held. These showed that there were gaps in community understanding of the council’s work and responsibilities – and that the council’s brand recognition needed to be strengthened.
Nearly 60 percent of people could not recall the council’s logo, and only 22 percent of respondents viewed the crest positively.
What will happen with the Whanganui crest now?
The Whanganui crest will remain as a heritage feature on the council building at 101 Guyton Street and on the flag in the council chamber. It still plays an important role in the council's identity, but will be reserved for use by the Office of the Mayor and for ceremonial documents, seals etc.
How much did the brand development cost? And what were other costs?
The agency cost for brand strategy, brand story, workshops, engagement, design of an entire branding system, including typography, patterns, colour combinations and comprehensive brand guidelines was $41,800, with further collateral design, including templates for stationery, advertising and presentations costing $20,000. $61,800 (excl GST) in total.
Further costs, for business-as-usual, but brand-related, activities of the communications and marketing team were for:
- Website updates
- Services of a local Toi Māori Arts Advisor
- Services of a brand advisor (over two years)
- Branding for customer services entry doors
The total expenditure (if you include brand business-as-usual costs in addition to the design development and execution) was $112,187.08 (excl GST).
All costs have been met from existing budgets – and this will continue to be the case as it is gradually rolled out.
What is the cost of the rollout expected to be?
The roll out will be gradual – over two to five years. Materials will only be replaced when required, using existing budgets.
Many departments of the council have budget for uniform items, campaign costs, engagement, advertising, signage and these are continual, expected costs to the council to support safety, compliance and community engagement. No additional budget has been allocated for this work. We are very mindful of the need to keep costs down.
Will rates go up as a result of the rebrand?
No, this project will not affect rates as it was funded from existing budgets.
Why didn't you use a Whanganui designer? Or hold a competition?
For this project, we were specifically looking for an agency with a track record in brand strategy and development – in other words, we needed a lot more than a logo.
We conducted an initial online evaluation of existing creative agencies within and outside of Whanganui and then approached a shortlist of three that met our criteria. We followed a Request for Quote process in line with our procurement guidelines, before making a decision based on the proposals received.
The design agency chosen has strong ties to Whanganui, through the former Whanganui School of Design and whānau connections.
Competitions are not considered good practice for a number of reasons: A logo is only one aspect of a brand identity, the result of a competition is unlikely to work strategically or technically, it’s a time-consuming, low-value process, it devalues the work of professional designers, comes with legal risks and often costs more in the long-run.