When Bossier City unveiled its new logo and tagline last month, city leaders were quick to highlight that they mean more than a visual identity for the community; they reflect the city’s growth, momentum and vision.

“Let’s give Bossier residents something to be proud of, which is a brand and a logo,” said Riley Burns, Bossier City public relations liaison. “They want people to have something familiar that they can piece with Bossier, and they want people to remember it in the long run.”

The new brand, centered around the tagline “A City on the Move,” was developed following a yearlong process of research, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning. 

One of the earliest conversations behind the new branding focused on a familiar challenge: the pronunciation of “Bossier.” That conversation ultimately led to one of the logo’s most distinctive features: the accent mark over the “o,” designed to guide pronunciation while creating a unique visual element subtly. At the same time, the design team leaned into another idea that city leaders found compelling.

“People have been saying Bossier wrong for years,” Burns explained. “The city wanted to give a bolder look to Bossier City, have people see us as the ‘BOSS city.'”

In developing the new brand, city leaders worked with KSM Marketing to create something that was both visually modern and representative of the city’s identity. The initiative wasn’t driven by a single individual. Instead, it emerged through collaboration between the mayor’s office, city administration, and the city council.

That vision aligns closely with the city’s official messaging. During the July unveiling, city leaders emphasized that the brand is intended to guide messaging, decision-making, and future development efforts while highlighting four core pillars: safety and stability, service with integrity, disciplined growth, and community connection.  

“Bossier is more than just a place where people live; it’s a place to be for business,” Burns said.

The city’s new messaging framework reinforces that approach. Alongside “A City on the Move,” leaders introduced phrases such as “Bossier Moves For” and “Bossier Moves With,” highlighting both the community causes the city supports and the partnerships that help drive progress. 

“We move for Barksdale Air Force Base, small business, public safety, education, community growth,” Burns said. “We represent everyone — we hear them, and we want them to be proud of what our new brand means.”

Because the rollout is still in its early stages, city leaders are taking a long view of what success will look like. For Burns, the ultimate measure won’t be likes, comments, or impressions on social media. Instead, it will be whether the brand becomes part of the community’s shared identity.

“Success will be determined over several years,” she clarified. “Ultimately, that success will be civic pride. It will be having that familiarity tied with Bossier.”

Residents will see new banners, signs, promotional materials, and digital communications like a city-run podcast featuring the logo. City leaders have similarly stated that the branding will continue appearing across communications platforms, signage, and marketing materials in the months ahead. 

The strategy is rooted in consistency. The more often residents encounter the logo and message, the stronger the association becomes between the brand and the city itself.

“I know this is a lot of little things, but over time they will build with saturation.”

Although Burns is new to her role, arriving only weeks before the public unveiling, she quickly recognized the significance of the project.

“My second day was the city meeting to make sure we were all on the same page with this new branding,” she said. “And it was, ‘Oh, this is branding. This is a new logo. This is a new identifier, a new tagline. This is so cool!'”

Whether residents embrace the logo immediately or warm to it over time, city leaders hope the brand becomes a lasting symbol of a community that continues to grow, invest, and move forward together.

And for Burns, that’s the bigger picture.

“It’s been quite an honor to be part of something historic,” she said. “I hope I’m able to look back one day and say, ‘Hey, I was there for that.'”