After months of research and planning, the Convention & Visitors Bureau has a new logo and communications strategy for marketing the city as a travel destination.

The logo features an outline of the state’s boundaries with the word “Springfield” superimposed across it in a cursive font. It replaces a rectangular logo that featured an oak leaf and the words “Springfield, Missouri” in capital letters using a traditional serif font.

“People who see the new logo will immediately know it’s the Springfield in Missouri, not another state” said Laura Whisler, marketing director at the CVB. “It also has a more modern look and will be more compatible with social media sites that often require a square image.”

The new logo is just one part of the new marketing efforts the CVB will conduct in the coming year.

The communications strategy will guide the CVB and its advertising agency, MMGY Global in Kansas City, in development of advertising campaigns designed to create a positive impression of Springfield as a travel destination and inspire people to visit. The new campaign will be launched this spring.

To see a theme of the communications strategy, view the anthem video at http://sgfmo.co/sgfanthem. The video is not part of the advertising campaign but instead is designed to give a feel of the direction the campaign will go.

Development of the logo and communications strategy were guided by interviews with more than 50 business and community leaders in Springfield, a quantitative survey of current and prospective visitors and Springfield residents and focus groups in St. Louis and Kansas City.

The logo and communications strategy were presented Feb. 19 at the CVB’s annual meeting and awards banquet.

Missy Handyside, general manager at the Ramada Plaza Hotel & Oasis Convention Center, said she’s impressed with the effort that went into the project and is looking forward to it's implementation this spring.

“In the hotel industry, we rely very heavily on our CVB to create awareness of our city and entice visitors to see what we have to offer,” Handyside said. “It has been very exciting to see what steps the CVB along with MMGY Global have taken to set us apart from the many other “Springfields.” The new brand imaging demonstrates a true look at the wonderful attractions, history, nature, arts and retail that Springfield, Missouri, has to offer our visitors. I am certain that with the efforts of the CVB’s marketing department, Springfield Missouri will become the most recognizable Springfield in the U.S.”

The primary purpose of this effort was to craft a new identity for the city of Springfield that establishes a distinctive and relevant brand personality, articulates a compelling and sustainable value proposition for visitors, and serves as a powerful filter for all investment, operational and marketing decisions for the CVB for years to come.

“While our previous campaigns have been successful, we needed to get to an emotional core that effectively communicates to our visitors what we already know about Springfield,” Whisler said. “This process is all about communicating the many reasons we love living, working and playing in Springfield in a compelling way that gets a potential visitor, meeting planner or tournament director to consider Springfield. We feel this process has accomplished that goal and are excited to see the full execution of the advertising campaign later this year.”

Each year, the CVB spends about $1 million to place advertising that encourages travel to Springfield.

The CVB is a nonprofit marketing agency with the goal of boosting the local economy through growth in travel and tourism.