Republished with permission from The Riverton Ranger
Wyoming PBS will spend the next eight months asking residents what they already know about the statewide public television network, what they want from it and what it should be called.
On September 15, the Central Wyoming College Board of Trustees approved a $135,000 contract with Kinetic Marketing & Creative of Billings, Mont., for statewide research, brand strategy, naming and visual identity work. The project is expected to run from approximately Sept. 21 through May 31, 2027.
Wyoming PBS, which is licensed to CWC, received 10 proposals after issuing a request for marketing communications and brand strategy firms. The proposals ranged from $60,882 to $300,000, Wyoming PBS General Manager and CEO Joanna Kail told trustees.
Three Wyoming firms submitted proposals, according to Kail. She said Kinetic stood out because of the research it had already conducted into Wyoming PBS, its history and the questions surrounding its identity.
“When we read through this proposal, to be honest, it kind of gave us chills,” Kail said. “They really understood the concerns that we have.”
Kail said the firm was also competitively priced and offered appealing complementary services.
The contract will be funded through Wyoming PBS and Wyoming PBS Foundation resources without affecting CWC’s general fund. Kail said she had spoken with foundation members who were interested in participating in the initiative, although the foundation had not yet determined the extent of its participation.
The station announced in June that it planned to remove “PBS” from its name while remaining a PBS member station and continuing to offer national programming and member benefits such as PBS Passport. At the time, Wyoming PBS said the change would emphasize its role as “Wyoming’s storyteller” and provide greater flexibility to distribute local productions through organizations beyond PBS.
“We are Wyoming’s storyteller first and a member station second,” Kail said in announcing the effort. “Our loyalty belongs to the 307.”
At the Sept. 15 meeting, however, Kail said the forthcoming research could show that audiences prefer Wyoming PBS to retain its current name.
“If we go around the state of Wyoming and find that the majority of our audience members feel that Wyoming PBS is where we need to stay, there might not be much of a change that we would need to do,” she said. “That’s the whole purpose of the analysis.”
No replacement name has been selected, Kail emphasized. Wyoming PBS and Kinetic plan to hold engagement meetings across the state and on the Wind River Reservation, asking residents what they believe the station should be called.
“We’re going to let Wyoming help us name it,” Kail said.
The engagement process will temporarily replace some of the station’s usual programming and public outreach. Wyoming PBS has recently held two or three screenings or other community events per month, Kail said, but staff will scale those back while participating in the rebranding meetings.
“These will be our community engagement events for that time frame,” she said.
The $135,000 contract covers the research, strategy, naming and visual identity initiative, but not necessarily the full implementation of a new brand. Kail said the scope and expense of that work cannot be determined until the research is complete and the station knows how substantial the changes will be.
Any implementation will occur gradually rather than through an immediate replacement of every logo, sign and other branded asset, she added. Wyoming PBS may also seek foundation support for that second phase.
“It’s going to be a slow rollout,” Kail said. “We’re not going to change everything over right away.”
CWC President Brad Tyndall formally recommended approving the contract, and trustees passed the motion without opposition.
