A ‘good thing growing’: Leesburg pushes forward on city rebrand

LEESBURG — Efforts to establish a unified identity for the city of Leesburg are once again gaining momentum, as local leaders move closer to adopting a formal branding campaign designed to reflect the community’s history, growth and future direction.

During a recent Downtown Development Authority meeting, officials outlined the multi-year process behind the initiative, which began with a group of community leaders participating in a development institute program in 2024. That experience sparked interest in creating a cohesive brand for the city — something leaders said Leesburg has long lacked.

“So just to give you a little background on it, it was a group of community leaders that went down to Valdosta for the World Development Institute class back in the summer of ’24, and from that class, there was interest  in doing a branding campaign for Lee, because we need one right?” Amanda White, vice chairperson of the Leesburg Downtown Development Authority, said.

The project later evolved into a formal collaboration with Valdosta State University, where a student team led by Associate Professor of Marketing Amy Watson conducted extensive research on Leesburg’s assets, comparable communities and resident feedback.

“They did research on Leesburg, they did research on similar markets … and what everybody wanted here,” White said, noting that community input played a central role in shaping the campaign. “There were some hiccups along the way, so it kind of got kicked down the road, and we picked back up in July 2025.”

However, the initial concept, presented late last year, received mixed reactions from stakeholders, prompting revisions and additional refinement.

“We weren’t overly excited about it. We thought it was good, but not quite — maybe missed the mark a little bit,” White said. “So they went back to the drawing table and kind of redid it.”

The updated branding package, presented to the DDA board Wednesday for feedback, incorporates design elements intended to balance Leesburg’s agricultural roots with its evolving identity. Leaders emphasized a deliberate move away from more common color palettes in favor of something more distinctive.

“We didn’t want it to be the green and blue like everybody has now; we wanted something a little bit different, a little more traditional,” White said. “We incorporated a brown color … a little homage to the dirt and the farming and the different aspects of Leesburg.”

At the same time, designers sought to reflect natural assets like the Flint River, which officials described as a regional draw, while creating a flexible system that could be used across signage, marketing materials and digital platforms.

Central to the campaign is the proposed tagline, “We’ve got a good thing growing,” which board members said captures both the city’s agricultural heritage and its current trajectory.

“That’s just to show that we do have a good thing growing,” White said. “This is all new territory for Leesburg, but we like where we’re going.”

Board members generally expressed support for the direction of the campaign, though some discussion highlighted differing opinions on specific design elements and imagery. Chairperson Jim Quinn voiced concern about incorporating creek-related imagery into a city-focused logo.

“I don’t really like it,” Quinn said. “We’re not advertising the county — we’re advertising Leesburg. So I don’t like a creek being the reference, but that’s just me. It is modern, and I would want it to look modern, but I’d want the train depot or the courthouse, something like that.”

Still, there was broad agreement that establishing a cohesive brand is a necessary step toward larger goals, including downtown revitalization, tourism and economic development.

“We have talked and talked about doing welcome signs and doing whatever else is needed — so this is a step toward that one way or the other,” Quinn said.

The branding effort is also closely tied to a series of broader initiatives underway in Leesburg, including new downtown events, long-term planning around growth and community engagement, expanded DDA activity and recent approval by the city  to expand the DDA’s jurisdiction to include future annexations of the city limits.

Officials said the branding package is intended to serve as a foundation for those efforts, providing a consistent visual identity and messaging framework as the city continues to evolve.

The proposed design will move forward for consideration by the Leesburg City Commission at its next scheduled meeting in April.