New logo worth every penny - council chief

A £50,000 new logo and brand strategy for Plymouth was “extraordinary value for money’ according to Plymouth’s economic development chief.

- By ALISON STEPHENSON

David Draffan, service director for economic development for Plymouth City Council, was responding to a councillor’s concerns that the new logo - featuring an arrow pointing at a “bright horizon” - had not gone down well with the public.

The city will still be known as Britain’s Ocean City but has anew image and new set of narratives designed to build confidence in its identity and attract people to live, work and study in Plymouth.

Cllr Steve Ricketts (Ind, Drake), chair of the council’s infrastructure and growth scrutiny panel, told councillors and officers at a meeting last week that there had been some negative comments on social media about the logo and he thought it was worse than the old one, which consisted of words only.

“People are confused about where the money has gone,’ he said.

But Mr Draffan said that apart from the odd comment, he had not heard any negativity about it.

On the contrary, he said there was positivity and optimism because what was being said about Plymouth in the new brand strategy was true - the city was charting an exciting future.