New City logo: Who is it really supposed to serve, anyway?

Perhaps the most one-sided issue in Menifee these days is public opinion about the City of Menifee’s new logo, which is displayed all around town on signs, on city vehicles and in city literature.

Menifee. New. Better. Best.

Those four simple words, in blue and gold text next to some sort of swirling capital M, was produced by a company paid by the City to re-brand itself. It’s simple, all right. So simple that many critics on social media are saying they could’ve done better in 10 minutes on Microsoft Word.

“Where’s the character in that logo?” they ask. “What happened to the oak tree? Why fix something that isn’t broken?”

FYI, the City seal – you know, the one with a hawk soaring over a giant tree in front of a mountain and river -- still exists. It’s just been shoved to the back of the shelf during the hoopla of the “New. Better. Best” campaign.

Personally, I don’t like the new logo any better than any of the folks I’ve talked to. But you all must remember one thing. This is all about marketing, not pleasing the general populace.

The City’s Economic Development Department is going all-out to attract more business to our community. Whether you like it or not, that’s the march of progress that takes place in growing cities like ours. In order to sustain the increasing population, city officials are constantly looking to recruit new business. That generates tax revenue, which helps pay for roads and city services.

That logo is designed to project a “new and on the move” image to developers. It isn’t for the average resident, nor is it meant to offend them.

That’s just the way it is. Might as well accept it and move on. There are far greater issues in Menifee than the look of the city logo.