Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
THE new brand identity for the Borough:—"I am in"
New brand identity strategy for Haringey
"I am in"
Discuss.
CDC
Haringey Councillor
Liberal Democrat Party
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update to mark the 'soft launch' (click to enlarge):—
The £20,000 film, The Haringey Story
Tags for Forum Posts: I am in, Local Government, brand strategy, folly, identity, nonsense, vanity, waste of money
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Shem Law on
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I don't think so either Clive. When you're running the council, what would be your 4 values? And how could I be sure you would deliver on them? I would be interested to know. Would you reinstate the council grants for university undergraduates? I do hope so. Between then, Labour and Conservative have ripped the heart out of arts degrees.
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OK, Alan you'd like something thoughtful, interesting, constructive, and well informed. Here goes:
The new Haringey logo, is fine, that's all. It's not great, it's not puerile or childish, it's fine. It's different from every other council logo, which was, I assume, the brief. It might well be a monumental waste of money, money that might well have been better spent on services in the borough for old people or paying social workers properly. But it's fine. Everyone I've asked round here also thinks it's OK, it'll date really quickly and cost even more to replace, bu right here right nowt it's fine. Now Alan, I now know you can't admit that. But trust me, as a piece of design outside of all the other arguements, it's fine.
So here's the 64 thousand dollar question... I and everyone else on this website who feels the same as me, would have so much more respect for you Alan if you could actually be honest about the reasons you have for hating it. Put aside the fact you hate the Labour run council, because you used to be a part of it and then for whatever reasons you weren't, and the fact that has left you very bitter about that.. (Pardon me for not knowing the ins and outs of local politics, but like the vast majority of people in Harringay, we find it pretty parochial and fairly boring, sorry, but that's how we feel).
So come on, Alan just tell us what you really think about the logo without that chip on your shoulder dictating how you feel. I would be genuinely interested.
All the jokey digs and bad Photoshop-ed images aside, I don't care that you have a burning hatred for Joe Goldberg (I've no idea who he is or whether he's any good as a councillor, maybe he was one of the people who ousted you, maybe he ran over your cat, i don't care). Just tell me why you don't like the logo, in a thoughtful, well informed, interesting and above all constructive way.
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Permalink Reply by Norah Borough on
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I'm pretty sure that Alan can and will speak for himself although I really hope he doesn't rise to your bullying. Shem, your nasty and personal comments are excruciating to read. Contrary to what you imply, Alan has a lot of respect and is a charming, funny and creative HOL contributor. ' most people' I know ...my kids, my neighbours and friends also hate the Logo, it's shite, it's old fashioned, it's a waste of money and we all feel that it doesn't represent us in any way a all. You could have saved me a lot of money in pop corn if you had simply said 'I'm in'
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As you say Norah, I'm sure Alan can speak for himself, he does on many subjects most days. But, good to hear that you've canvassed opinion and have decided that you don't like the logo, and have good reasons for that opinion. The fact that you feel that it's old fashioned, and unrepresentative, is fine, you're probably right. And you've come to that conclusion all on your own, based on what you actually believe. It is an honest and reasoned answer.
Also, It's good to hear that you find Alan funny and creative, I would say that was a fairly subjective thing, but if that is how you feel, good on you. I wish Alan was as honest as you. As to whether my tone is a bullying one, I'd have to disagree. Alan puts his opinions up on HoL, and courts controversy and debate. He is an ex-councillor who is happy to ridicule and belittle those that run the borough, and as such we/I have a right to question that stance. Like most councillors he is unfortunately not very interested in opposite opinions to his own, so sometimes you have to 'get his attention' so that he engages with the debate. He is Norah, big enough to fight his own battles, but it does you credit that want to stick up for him. If you dislike the new council logo as much as you say you do, you should write to them and explain why, as a council tax payer, they are obliged to listen, and if enough people do that they might even change it. You never know. Good luck. -
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Thanks, Norah. But there's no point in replying to people who see online discussion as an opportunity for amusing themselves by insulting other people. DFTT
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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SINCE the 'soft launch' last Monday, staff are beginning to be seen wearing the Council's new brightly branded red lanyard. When seen close-up, it's printed with selected words of exhortation. They are:
- Human
- Ambitious
- Accountable
- Professional
The four words are repeated (like a chorus) around the lanyard.
In my original post (see topmost with link to the "new brand identity strategy for Haringey"), the related part is
6 The relationship with values
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6.2 The council is launching four new values, as set out below:
Human: We make it easy to deal with us. We ask our customers what they think and listen to what they say. We are aware if our impact on others. We build trusting relationships. We are honest and supportive.
Ambitious: We push boundaries. We compare our performance with the best. We continually improve. We are curious and innovative. We look for different ways to do things. We are brave. We embrace change.
Accountable: We take responsibility. We deal with things without being told. We keep our promises. We give credit where credit is due. We spend taxpayer money as carefully as we would our own. We solve problems. We all do our fair share.
Professional: We are Haringey’s ambassadors. We resolve matters first time. We serve others as we wish to be served. We have the right skills. We take pride in what we do. We care about reputation. We are business focused.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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All sounds good stuff. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
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Thanks, Clive, I haven't yet seen the new red lanyard. But I'd welcome the idea of councillors having to wear some emblem telling us which ones are human and which Progress Party holograms.
For staff, there's something very dubious about this so-called motivational stuff. Haringey (the council not the place) started doing it a while ago with framed posters in the toilets.
It seems a recent fashion. Anyone know when and why it took hold? I suppose it's seen as a cheap substitute for redesigning systems to improve services. And it places responsibility on individual staff and deflects attention away from incompetence in senior management and "leading" councillors.
It goes with other drivel like Mission Statements and straplines; more straplines; and even more straplines.
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Many thanks Alan for the links to the Strapline-O-matic. If knowledge of its existence became widespread, it could de-skill and undercut some branding professionals.
Just as a lawyer of integrity might advise a client not to pursue a weak case, a public relations company might advise a Council not to embark on a re-branding strategy at the present time, due to the likely poor public relations, reaction and perception. But then, as another contributor has remarked, branding is lucrative.
There's no truth in the suggestion that the launching [of] four new values, is a response to the cabinet belief that Council Officers are lazy, lawless, amateur aliens.
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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but they are replacing humans with virtual servants - Do It All Online is the new mantra. (Well, if you can find a library with computers to spare, if home broadband is out of reach.)
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Good point Pam. The attributes listed :
We ask our customers what they think and listen to what they say. We are aware if our impact on others. We build trusting relationships. We are honest and supportive.
– are indeed, human and not electronic.
However, there may be fewer humans employed, whether or not they have these attributes.
As for do-it-all-online: not everything can be done online. Everything that can be done online is not always accessible to the poor, elderly or disabled (no one matching these descriptions featured in the Council's £20K video. Apparently, those folk aren't "in" and aren't part of the Haringey Story).
The explanation for the airbrushing that was offered to the Ham&High, was:
A council spokesman said: “The Haringey Story is a celebration of the huge variety of people, locations and businesses that help to make Haringey the fantastic place that it is and features people from across the borough who are rightly proud to be a part of Haringey.”
Presumably this official statement was issued by a human. However, the PR function often does a fine line in bland, anodyne, even robotic replies. It may be a step towards the fulfilment of the famous Turing test, but in reverse: when human responses become indistinguishable from artificial intelligence.
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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on
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How long is this fabricated outpouring of the outcast going to go on?
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