COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, June 09, 2025
QUESTION NO. 9
QUESTION: Councillor R. McMahon
Following on from the recently launched re-branding of South Dublin County Council, which I think is very refreshing, professional and will help bring the Council to the next level. I would like to ask the Chief Executive how much did the re-branding exercise cost?
REPLY:
Following a competitive tender process, Image Now Consultants Ltd. were awarded a contract to provide brand strategy services for SDCC. The value of that contract is €151,475.00 excluding VAT.
It would be important to place this spend in its context. The council's identity was repeatedly raised in many guises through the stakeholder engagement on the corporate plan and a parallel review of the council’s brand identity and reputation amongst citizens and other stakeholders last year. Over 1,000 people were consulted through many interviews, workshops and surveys. The people we engaged with included citizens, councillors, council staff and management, local businesses and community groups, the PPN, and national bodies such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and members of the Project Ireland 2040 Delivery Board. The findings of this research included:
- Residents in South Dublin County do not know what local authority area they live in and they find the name confusing.
- While people were very positive about the communities they live in, they were not familiar with the services we deliver, and were surprised on hearing of the range of community and business focused services such as the libraries, parks and business supports
- The existing brand had become fractured and diluted to the point where its resonance and impact was questionable and its usability in the digital world had become problematic
- The brand colours orange and grey held no connection with either the county or the organisation
- Both the county and council have changed considerably in recent years and the identity and reputation did not reflect that or help drive home the message that South Dublin is changing
The result of the investment in the brand is that SDCC now has a robust brand strategy, system and architecture that reflects the identity of the organisation and county that is grounded in that research and reflects the needs and ambitions of the people who live and work here. Because we took a parallel approach to its development, the brand strategy is closely aligned with the seven strategic goals set out in the Corporate Plan including the focus on people first and the need for us to deliver greater opportunity for all. It will also support our ability to attract and retain talented employees because it is so grounded in engagement with our employees and gives clarity to our purpose and values.
The brand architecture means every project will be aligned with the master brand, thereby removing the disparate individual project brands that have grown over time. This will mean a reduced spend on graphic design and website creation, and serves the public by being clearer and more accountable because everyone will know it is a project delivered or supported by SDCC. The brand is our commitment to quality in everything we do.
With an annual revenue budget of over €390 million and a capital investment programme of €1.7 billion, this spend is a tiny fraction of SDCC’s budget and is essential to ensure the public are aware of everything we do alongside see an improvement in the quality of our services and how we interact with them.
REPLY:
Following a competitive tender process, Image Now Consultants Ltd. were awarded a contract to provide brand strategy services for SDCC. The value of that contract is €151,475.00 excluding VAT.