Consultants paid £19k to visit Wolves matches and ride in taxis to come up with new 'brand' for city
Consultants were paid £19,000 to design a new ‘brand’ for Wolverhampton, which saw them attend Wolves matches and take taxi rides to ‘get a feel for the essence of the city’.
The logo appears to be four overlapping Ws followed by ‘City of Wolverhampton’ in capital letters, and was launched as part of Wolverhampton Business Week. Labour-run Wolverhampton council, who used taxpayers’ money to fund the work, said the brand will be used by organisations to represent the city.
But it does not feature on the 25 new ‘Welcome to Wolverhampton’ signs installed this year around the city at a cost of £23,000.
The council says the brand has not been formally rolled out yet.
The authority says consultants ‘undertook very thorough research over a number of months’ speaking to residents, ‘partners, stakeholders, investors and businesses’.
The disclosures were made in response to a Freedom of Information request.
Wolverhampton Lib Dem campaigner Rob Quarmby, said: “It’s disgusting for the council to waste money on branding at a time when it’s cutting vital services for vulnerable people.
“I cannot believe the council has forked out to allow some ‘consultants’ to go to the football and be chauffeured around the city in taxis.
“The council spent thousands of pounds for new signs around the city yet don’t even use this brand. It’s scandalous.”
Wolverhampton economy boss, Councillor John Reynolds, said: “Partners from across the City of Wolverhampton – including the university and prominent local businesses – were united in wanting to develop a new positive, strong and consistent brand to enhance the reputation of the city.
“The city council, acting on the wishes of partners, commissioned consultants to carry out extensive research to look at what makes the city unique and special.
“They attended matches at Wolverhampton Wanderers to speak to fans and went on taxi rides speaking with the drivers to really get a feel for the essence of the city. The overall cost of this research was £19,000 and part of the project involved using the research findings to develop a logo.”
Wolverhampton Economic Growth Board chairman John Wood said: “If this piece of work helps put the city of Wolverhampton on the map, bringing in further investment and jobs for local people, then it is money well spent.”
