Community invited to help shape Oklahoma City’s brand story

Oklahoma City residents, workers and visitors are being invited to help shape how the city is represented locally and nationally through a new community branding initiative currently underway.

The initiative, led by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and a coalition of civic organizations, is currently in the community engagement and research phase of the brand development process. The effort is designed to create a shared story that reflects Oklahoma City’s identity, strengths and aspirations while helping position the city competitively for tourism, talent attraction, business recruitment and long-term growth.

The project is being led by MMGY, a Kansas City-based agency with experience leading civic branding efforts for communities including Cleveland, Detroit, Tucson, Chicago and Vancouver. Supporting the initiative locally are , Konjo Concepts and Tango PR, which are leading community engagement efforts throughout Oklahoma City. Gooden Group brings experience managing local public engagement campaigns tied to MAPS 4, the Metropolitan Library System and the City of Oklahoma City’s GO Bond campaign. The agencies were selected earlier this year through a competitive RFQ process that generated 32 proposals from local, national and international brand agencies.

Community members are encouraged to participate in a variety of engagement opportunities throughout June to help shape the next chapter of Oklahoma City's story.

Throughout June, agency partners are conducting one-on-one listening sessions with community stakeholders, along with focus groups, small-group discussions and pop-up engagement opportunities at high-traffic locations and events across the city. Organizers say the goal is to gather a broad range of perspectives about how people experience the city and what they believe should define Oklahoma City’s identity moving forward.

A public survey is also open through June 30, giving residents and community members an opportunity to directly contribute to the process. The survey is open to anyone who lives or works in Oklahoma City, as well as those who regularly visit the city for school, work or entertainment.

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and all responses are confidential. The feedback gathered during this phase will help inform the eventual brand identity and messaging strategy for Oklahoma City.

“Every strong civic brand starts with listening. We know Oklahoma City is complex and diverse, so to reveal a community brand that reflects this will take deep listening and community input,” said Jenny Love Meyer, chief culture officer at Love’s Travel Stops and chair of the Chamber’s OKC Brand Task Force. “Our hope is for local residents and businesses to engage in this process since we are all ambassadors for OKC.”

Project leaders have emphasized that the initiative is not centered on creating a logo or slogan alone but rather developing a long-term platform for telling Oklahoma City’s story in a consistent and authentic way.

The research and community engagement phase is expected to continue through July, with brand development planned for later this year and a full brand launch anticipated in spring 2027.

The survey is available through June 30 at visitokc.com/survey.