The Town of Newtown’s Economic & Community Development Department is working on a community branding project. After a public request for proposal process, Haven Creative Agency was selected as the community branding agency to complete the first phase of the multifaceted initiative.

A brand is more than a logo or a tagline according to Newtown Deputy Director, Economic and Community Development, Christal Preszler. It is based on stories and perceptions that reside in the hearts and minds of the community.

Because of this, the community’s participation in the survey is vital to capture the essence of what truly makes the Town of Newtown special. While the individual responses of the survey will be confidential, the overall feedback from the survey will be used to develop marketing messaging and visual elements for Newtown’s Economic & Community Development Department.

Haven Creative has eight-plus years of successful community branding experience for towns, counties, and community development projects.

While the branding project began prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Preszler said, “This branding effort is even more important now given the current business environment as a result of COVID-19. This effort will provide us with a unique opportunity to market our town and businesses via a new logo, updated website, and other marketing initiatives as we navigate the effects of the pandemic on our community.”

As a part of the discovery phase of the project, Haven Creative is conducting an online survey. The online survey was developed based on initial survey results and feedback from interviews gathered from Newtown employees, commission members, and other stakeholders.

Preszler believes all residents’ and local business owners’ input is very important, and she asks that everyone take a few moments to complete the survey at http://newtown.org/newtown-community-branding-survey/.

For questions regarding the branding project contact Preszler at 203-270-4282, or via e-mail at christal.preszler@newtown-ct.gov .