COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– The City of Columbia has revealed its new brand logo. Prior to this month, the city has been using the city seal which was first created in 1912.

City officials say last year they recognized the need to better showcase Soda City.

The recognition ended up with them working for nine months on how to define the city in a more significant way.

Officials say South Carolina is one of the fastest growing states in the nation, thanks to its warm weather and hot economic climate.

Employment is projected to grow 12% with a gain of 263,000 new jobs by 2030 according to the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.

“We want to ensure Columbia continues to attract businesses and talent, while maintaining its rich sense of character, culture and quality of life. This means thinking about the city not just as a place, but as a brand worth building and promoting,” says Mayor Daniel J. Rickenmann.

The city engaged S.C. based marketing and communications agency Crawford to evaluate the brand through a series of workshops and audits.

This helped inform the refreshed strategic direction and tagline Together, We Are Columbia. , logo redesign and brand guidelines to create a more consistent and identifiable brand, say city officials.

The new logo pays homage to Columbia’s rich heritage and draws inspiration from the South Carolina State Flag and the prominent letter “C.

Additionally, the logo has a depiction of the three rivers—Broad River, Saluda River, and Congaree River.

The roll-out of the City’s new look will begin this month and will be implemented across all departments, communication materials, signage, properties, and merchandise.