The Northern Kentucky Health Department (NKY Health) plays a critical role in assessing and surveilling the health of Northern Kentuckians, developing public health policy and implementing vital essential public health services for the residents of Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties. The Health Department partnered with Vehr in 2016 to assess its brand, review communications platforms and initiatives and develop a strategy to better engage the community.

Vehr conducted a comprehensive communications audit to assess existing initiatives, communications platforms and stakeholder perceptions. Research indicated that the Health Department’s logomark was ambiguous and diluted as a symbol representative of the organization, and there was little equity in existing brand assets. A key output of the strategic plan was a brand identity redesign.

Vehr developed a new logo and brand guidelines to re-energize the Health Department’s visual identity and link the organization’s purpose and ideology to its wordmark. As the organization is primarily known simply as NKY Health, the new logotype creates consistency in its branding. The three-pointed shield and stylized plus symbol (the universal symbol for public health) illustrate the three core functions of public health — prevention, promotion and protection. The symbols overlaid on the shield represent a connected community, with four people representing the four counties served by NKY Health, and the color variation implies diversity.

The WIN
NKY Health’s new brand identity has been updated on NKYHealth.org (recently designed by Vehr), integrated into all collateral materials and rolled out to its district office and health centers throughout Northern Kentucky.