Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Request for Proposals
“Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Rebranding”
Proposal Due Date: November 6, 2014
Proposal Submission
Five (5) paper copies in a sealed envelope/package and one (1) electronic copy of the proposal, including all required forms, must be submitted to the attention of Krystel Green, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Library Administration Center, 510 Stitt Road, Charlotte, NC 28213 by 2:00pm on November 6, 2024.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (the “Library” or “CML”) is seeking a strategic partner to develop a new brand for the only public library system in Mecklenburg County. Each proposal submitted shall be expected to respond to each consideration set forth in this Request for Proposal (the “RFP”).
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is ushering in a new era of improving lives and building a stronger community. The objective of the rebranding of the library system is to provide a fresh, new brand that speaks to CML’s commitment to being a welcoming space for engagement and learning in all 21 of our locations.
The new brand will bolster our support of access, intellectual freedom, and cultural and civic growth in our community. The rebranding work will encompass an audit, brand identity development, and a strategy to introduce and sustain the brand to the public. The successful firm will be a big thinker that balances creativity and strategy to help the Library achieve its rebranding goals.
CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY
About
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is one of America’s leading urban public libraries. Located in Mecklenburg County, the library system serves a diverse community of over one million citizens through 21 branches and on-line services. Since our founding in 1891, and as an original Carnegie Library in 1903, our role as a provider of lifelong education and learning in this community has never been more relevant.
The Library is beloved by many, with 70% of Mecklenburg County residents stating that they had visited a Library location in the last 12 months.1 There were well over 2.2 million visitors to the various Library locations in Fiscal Year 2024.
The Library has 458 full and part-time employees, along with an extensive volunteer network that engages more than 1000 people throughout the year. For FY2024, operating expenditures totaled $53.8 million.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is currently going through a transition period with the rebuilding of the Main Library. The iconic new Main Library will be the flagship of the Library system; a free, open, and accessible information hub for all.
1 2024 Mecklenburg County Community Survey
Mission, Vision, Values & More
Our mission is to improve lives and build a stronger community. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library envisions itself as the essential connector of a thriving community of readers, leaders and learners. We value learning, openness, respect, inclusion and leadership. Our brand promise is to be accessible and welcoming to all while celebrating and supporting the joy of reading and learning, fostering exploration and personal growth, and connecting individuals to each other, the community and the world.
We believe wholeheartedly in intellectual freedom. The Library is committed to protecting the First Amendment’s guarantee of free and open access to information and ideas–a principle vital to our democracy and to each individual’s search for knowledge. We seek to provide our diverse community with a comprehensive collection of materials and programs providing a wide range of knowledge and perspectives.
Market & Industry
The American Library Association reported that “2023 was a tumultuous year for libraries. Book bans dominated headlines as well as city council and school board meetings, threatening the access of information to readers of all ages and the livelihoods and safety of library workers across the country. Despite these upheavals, libraries soldiered on to provide critical services to their communities—and developed truly innovative programs along the way.”2 Charlotte Mecklenburg Library remains a leading library in North Carolina. Of the 2.26 million visitors to our branches in FY2024, many participated in the 20,666 programs for children, teens, and adults. Additionally, the Library circulated nearly nine million items, including 3.9 million digital materials, ensuring that the public has a diverse print and digital collection to explore.
BRAND CHALLENGES
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has had a few different logos over the past 20 years; however, we developed a strong brand within the past 10. The Library created a new brand around 2013.
It consisted of logos, a mosaic color scheme, and overall celebratory feel regarding the Library and the individuals it serves. As stated in CML’s brand guide:
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library brand is vibrant and exciting. The shape of the “i” embodies the columns of the first Carnegie libraries, and the colors in the “i” represent the
diversity of the people who use the Library every day. The brand mark celebrates the potential of the individual, as represented by the “i,”and the Library as a place of possibilities where everybody can say, “i can.” The “i can” graphic serves as a campaign to support the library brand.
With CML and the Mecklenburg community changing over the past decade, it is time for something fresh that symbolizes the organization’s progression into a new era with a new Main Library, intellectual freedom, and a new strategic direction. Although the brand has served the Library well, we are experiencing the following challenges:
CHALLENGE 1:Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will open its new flagship library in late 2026 and would like to introduce a new look and feel for the entire system during this celebratory time.
The new Main Library will be destination for the public. CML needs a new brand identity that represents excitement and forward thinking while remaining welcoming.
CHALLENGE 2:Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – along with other public libraries across the country – is still struggling with stigmas/stereotypes from the past: primarily for children, mainly a book lender, and very antiquated.
CML is a vibrant place where adults, as well as children, are welcome. The Library seeks to help the public with individual growth, from learning a new language to getting resume advice to attending a concert. CML’s programming is engaging and impactful! There are also hundreds of thousands of books on myriad topics. CML has technology that can assist a customer with everything from running a business to completing homework. And, there is top-notch staff that will guide a person through it all.
CHALLENGE 3:The brand identity needs to grow as CML has grown and evolved. The current CML brand identity has been in place since 2013. It is recognizable and has served the organization well. However, it represents a library that was trying to regain its footing after an unkind recession that led to major budget cuts and a reorganization. The “rainbow” of colors is also used by many libraries in the industry.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Our target audience is the general public in Mecklenburg County. People from all walks of life use Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, and we welcome them!
2020 Census Data for Mecklenburg County
• 1.15 million population
• 35.5 median age
• $80,365 median income
• Nearly half of the population has a bachelor’s degree or higher
• 69.2% are employed
DELIVERABLES
1. Current Brand Audit – With turnover in leadership, a mixture of new and old facilities, and employees creating materials on their own, the Library needs to know where the brand is showing up and how
2. New Brand Identity with Accompaniments – To reach a finished product, the vendor should strategize brand creation and test concepts before developing the final brand.
a. Logo
i. full color, black, white
ii. in different formats that can be used in print, digitally, and animated
b. Style guide – Outline every aspect of the brand from fonts to voice.
c. Identity templates
i. Print – letterhead, business cards, signage
ii. Digital – email signatures, business cards
d. Vehicle Wraps – Adaptable design that can be used on Library fleet of vehicles
i. Mid-size sedans and SUVs
ii. Delivery trucks (“bread truck”)
iii. “Mobile” trucks: 33’ mobile library, 25’ mobile internet lab
3. Brand Strategy – The vendor should provide a clear path to rolling out the brand internally and externally. This can be done in phases if the vendor feels that would be efficient and cost-effective.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library seeks bids from qualified vendors to conduct a current brand audit; deliver a rebrand that includes a logo, style guide, and other supporting items; and a brand delivery strategy. The rebrand should reflect a growing, forward-thinking library system that supports an individual’s growth and is complementary to Mecklenburg County’s diverse, vibrant community. Specifically, the scope of work entails:
• Current Brand Audit – Review of all branding within the system from sub-brands to various collateral. This includes interior and exterior branding at all 22 Library branches and locations, signage, etc. This may also include the use of focus groups to assess current brand sentiment. Vendors may also use public and employee research regarding what the Library means and how people feel about CML that was previously conducted by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library during the first half of 2024.
• New Brand Identity Package – Use brand audit and research to create a comprehensive, executable brand package that aligns with the CML’s mission, vision, and values.
Deliverables must include:
o Primary system-wide logo design and sub-brand logos. All logos should be full color but translate well into one color, including black and white.
o Tagline(s)
o Color palate
o Typography and Fonts
o Photography examples that align with brand
o The style guide should be comprehensive and include logo usage guidelines, fonts, etc. Outline every aspect of the brand and how it should/should not be used.
o Print and digital identity templates will be used for presentations, letterhead, business cards, signage, email signatures, etc.
• Brand Strategy – The vendor should provide a clear path for implementing the new brand with internal and external audiences. This should include a timeline and an assessment instrument to help measure the success of the rebrand.
• Effective account management services to ensure that the rebranding effort progresses smoothly, achieves its objectives, and delivers value to the Library. This includes:
o Addressing any challenges or issues that arise during the rebranding process, such as budget constraints, creative disagreements, and/or unforeseen obstacles.
o Managing the budget so that no overages are incurred unless they are explicitly agreed upon and approved by the Library beforehand.
Manage the timeline so the project is completed by the end date. This includes scheduling, conducting and documenting decisions made at meetings with CML staff; ensuring that milestones are met; and deliverables are produced within the agreed-upon parameters.
A successful partnership between the vendor and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will lead to:
• Improved visibility and recognition of the Library by the community;
• A strong brand of which staff, stakeholders and the community are proud.
