Marketing: Milwaukee, San Diego

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett publicly shared Port Milwaukee’s new logo Friday morning, May 5, with the presentation of signs outside the port’s offices. The new name, logo, and tag line are intended to project a contemporary image that highlights the port’s role in domestic and international transportation.

"Port Milwaukee adds efficiency, reliability, and flexibility to the transportation system, and we connect businesses throughout our region to markets across North America and around the world," Mayor Barrett said. "With our new name and logo, we are reinforcing the importance of Port Milwaukee to our hometown."

In the new logo, the streamlined name "Port Milwaukee" is presented in a modern typeface in the colors of green and blue. A stylized globe and the tagline "Connecting to the World" complete the logo.

Tina Klose, a designer and marketing professional with the City of Milwaukee, worked with port staff and the board of harbor commissioners to complete the new logo. It will be used on signs and in marketing materials in the coming weeks.

Port of San Diego Launches Brand to Communicate Promise to Multiple Audiences

The Port of San Diego is introducing a new brand as part of a comprehensive marketing strategy designed to unify and clarify its diverse functions, and attract more people and businesses to the waterfront. The brand – comprising a new logo and five sub-brands – debuted May 1 in conjunction with Maritime Month.

"The ongoing, monumental transformation of the San Diego Bay tidelands signals that it’s a new day for the Port of San Diego," said Robert "Dukie" Valderrama, chair of the board of port commissioners. "We are doing more to benefit the region than ever before. At the same time, we are increasingly more outward-facing and publicly engaged. The new brand captures all this to clearly communicate our promise of opportunity for residents and visitors, businesses and other stakeholders."

The brand identity comprises five elements representing the five port cities and the port’s five sub-brands – Maritime, Waterfront Development, Public Safety, Experiences and Environment. The brand identity combined with key messages and a comprehensive engagement strategy are designed to signal that Port tidelands comprise a uniquely desirable place to visit and do business.

Over the past year, port staff crafted a comprehensive marketing strategy to increase awareness, understanding and support among its various stakeholders. The strategy is directly tied to the port’s financial sustainability and its ability to fund vital public services and amenities.

"Rebranding the port was a thoughtful and deliberate business decision," said Randa Coniglio, the port’s president and CEO. "To the extent our brand enhances understanding of what the port does and contributes to the region’s prosperity and quality of life, it will directly benefit multiple audiences."

"Residents and visitors will understand the opportunities they have to enjoy recreation, dining, shopping, public parks and open spaces, and more," she noted. "Tenants will thrive as more people come to the waterfront. And port staff will benefit from a brand that is a rallying point and source of pride in the organization to which they contribute each and every day."

Watch the brand video here.