SMYRNA, Georgia — The brouhaha over the city’s new branding perfectly illustrates what happens when officials don’t proactively communicate.
That someone was critical of a government action is hardly a surprise. That somebody posted anonymously to Reddit is even less of a surprise.
That government officials are annoyed by the public response shows just how out of touch they are.
People complain about everything, particularly on the dark recesses of the internet and especially about the government. Baseball isn’t as American as apple pie; complaining about the government is.
Don’t believe it? Just ask King George III.
According to a Facebook post from Mayor Derek Norton, the city paid $75,000 for a 12-month comprehensive rebranding effort, not just a logo. The public can debate the price, but many agencies — and sole practitioners — would charge more for that work.
“What people are reacting to is an article posted in Reddit that the author didn’t even put their name to,” the mayor said. “It was anonymous, and clearly someone trying to make people mad and stir things up.”
A casual observer might conclude that the city didn’t properly communicate about the logo. A cynic might say, “If they can’t communicate something as simple as this, what else can’t they communicate?”
Yes, the city discussed it at a public meeting. However, a brief investigation shows the city didn’t even mention it on its social media channels.
A city insider indicated it didn’t do so because the logo and rebranding have not been voted on or announced. It’s an unnecessary misstep, especially for something as simple as a new logo — or a rebranding.
Well, it was effectively announced once city officials discussed it in an open meeting. Additionally, waiting — and hoping — for the public to conform to your timeline is a recipe for anonymous posts from people who are “mad and [want to] stir things up.”
The problem many municipal governments have is they think they are the arbiters of truth. They think the public writ large operates on their timeline and according to the “facts” they disseminate.
On the one hand, it is hard to blame them. The media has largely absolved itself of this responsibility.
On the other hand, public servants should focus on serving the public. Anyone who has ever worked in a public relations or communications role knows it’s all about preparation, not just preparing for how you want the rollout to go but for how it is likely to go once the public catches wind of a new initiative.
People react, and effective communicators make contingency plans. They know to expect the worst-case scenario, and they know to pivot when the inevitable happens.
There are issues cities handle that will upset everyone. Why not build goodwill with something as unifying as a new brand?
Complaining that someone wrote a mean post anonymously on the internet isn’t productive. Proactively communicating with those footing the bill is — and it’s not even an expensive or overbearing request. It’s communications 101.
