Vilnius logic: what makes Vilnius "Vilnius"

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Foreword by Mayor Arturas Zuokas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Analysis of opportunities The Vilnius story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Vilnius Logic and logo: vision and goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Local Support Group involvement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Local Stakeholder involvement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Tourism, culture, NGO and youth stakeholders. . . . . . . . . . 17
Business stakeholders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Hospitality services and convention stakeholders . . . . . 23
AirLituanica stakeholders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Filmfriendly Vilnius. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Smart Vilnus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Eco-friendly Vilnius. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
City breaks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Added value of Urbact CityLogo Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Contents

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INTRODUCTION
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania and the geographic center of Europe. It is a unique
blend of old and new, traditional and cutting edge. With a population of just over half a
million, its scale is refreshingly human.
The vibrant and diverse city of Vilnius stands at a juncture of three cultures: Central,
Northern, and Eastern Europe. It is a city unlike any other in its magical charm. It also has
an element of quirkiness that makes it an unusual and fun destination. That particular
quirkiness does, however, have a certain and unique logic that can be felt throughout.
Vilnius has a proud history, a sound economy and a vibrant cultural life. Few other
European capitals combine urban sophistication with tradition as charmingly and
seamlessly as Vilnius. It has one of the fastest internet speeds in the world and ranks
third in Wi-Fi accessibility in public spaces. Little wonder, then, that Vilnius is attracting
more and more tourists, especially eco and gastronomic, business travelers and
conference attendees every year.
Lying at the crossroads of East and West, Vilnius is never more than three hours away
from any destination by air. Its airport is less than 15 minutes away from the city
center. The railway and bus stations are centrally located with fast and efficient public
transportation or taxi connections to the main areas of the city and hotels.
A recent study showed that tourists appreciate Vilnius as a green, clean, and tidy
city, especially the beautiful Old Town and cultural heritage. They have identified the
main advantages of Vilnius as the city’s cultural heritage, environment, people, good
emotional city atmosphere, and a developed infrastructure for accommodation and
food establishments, and most of them were satisfied with their visits. There are a large
variety of cultural performances and events and enough activities for a city break or
weekend excursion.
Vilnius is like an open book with vivid illustrations of the history of Europe through
its varied architecture. The Old Town of Vilnius is among the largest in Eastern and
Central Europe and is a UNESCO world heritage site. The Lithuanian capital is the largest
baroque city in Northern and Eastern Europe. The labyrinthine streets of Old Town, its
sleek business district and elegant center all stand side by side in harmony. There are
many large open squares and parks as well as suburban areas with historical wooden
houses.
Almost half of Vilnius is covered in open green spaces. The city boasts some of the
cleanest air and the purest drinking water in Europe. There is a well-developed system
of cycle lanes that is complemented by a network of bright orange bicycle rental stands
found at many locations throughout the city. Vilnius’ parks and gardens provide a
pleasant respite from the pace of the city and are a perfect destination for eco-tourists.
Everyone appreciates the good quality of life in Vilnius. Most residents rate Vilnius
positively and introduce their city to foreign guests as a green and cozy city with an
authentic Old Town. It could therefore be concluded that Vilnius is uniquely green,
clean, tidy, comfortable, modern, lively and active. Vilnius is a city of friendly people
with a good atmosphere. A recent study showed that the natural resources and events
in Vilnius mean it’s a green and active city with sports-oriented residents.
The Lithuanian capital is well known for its wide variety of high quality events. The
most popular are Casimir’s Fair, the Street Music Fair, the Vilnius Festival series, New
Baltic Dance, Baltic Contemporary Art Triennial, the international Skamba Skamba
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Kankliai folklore festival, the international Sirenos theatre festival, Vilnius Jazz, other
international professional art and folklore festivals, Capital Days, the international
ArtVilnius contemporary art fair, the Kristupas Summer Festival, and the Piano.lt
Summer Festival. These events need to be integrated into the new city logo program.
There are many opportunities for Vilnius to succeed in attracting more visitors. It has
a very highly developed IT axis on which to position itself for attractiveness as a Smart
City to not only the business traveler, but also to the short term tourist.
There are conference venues in Vilnius for over a thousand participants and the annual
CONVENE exhibition that attracts buyers from around Europe has become a popular
venue that can be utilized in further strengthening Vilnius’ image and new logo.
Another type of tourist that Vilnius is interested in is the foreign filmmaker. Lithuania
introduced a 20% rebate in 2013 in order to specifically attract foreign filmmakers. With
a highly professional film industry, albeit even lacking a strong infrastructure, Vilnius is
now positioned as a cinema-friendly city.
Vilnius also continues to strongly attract through its variety of cultural venues and
events. The Bohemian Užupis Republic, the Frank Zappa monument, the “I LOVE YOU”
note made of annual flowers on the Neris embankment, etc. all show creativity and
once again stress the quirky “logic” of Vilnius that has been identified as its strong point.
This cultural sector of stakeholders in particular needs to be brought on board.
Further, gastronomic tourism is fast becoming a new trend worldwide. Vilnius has
started to develop in this particular direction and sees a great potential in moving
forward via great food, interesting desserts, food tasting weeks, etc.
Vilnius and Lithuania have received exceptional attention lately as a top tourist
destination. Among the most recent have been ranked number 3 in Lonely Planet’s
Best in Travel 2015. CNN’s report: Small but Lively Lithuania has Taken the Plunge
and Adopted the Euro noted that, “Now the country is a vibrant mix of east and west
Europe”, Forbes also included Lithuania as one of the Top 3 Top Travel Destinations for
2015. The Telegraph included Vilnius as among the best Christmas markets in Europe.
The New York Times included Vilnius in its list of Top Ten “Hip Cities that Think about
How They Work…The city attracts young professionals who see in Vilnius a rising star
in business and appreciate all that the extensive cultural scene in the little capital has
to offer.”
It is the intention of this particular Local Action Plan to pull all of these various elements
together and steer them in the direction of a united message for Vilnius through its new
city logo.
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Foreword by Mayor
Arturas Zuokas
Thanks to CityLogo and URBACT, we have this wonderful opportunity to share with
you our strategy and actions on how to best promote Vilnius. We can only achieve
this by working together. All of us are a part of the process and we are depending on
your enthusiasm, support and active involvement. Everyone is important: each person,
institution, association, business and stakeholder.
Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is a green city with an area that is four times larger than
Paris and is twice the size of Milan. Its Old Town exudes a baroque style and has been
designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Lennon has replaced Lenin here, we have the
best quality tap water in Europe and CNN says that Vilnius is one of the next generation
smart cities. And those are only a few highlights.
Our aim is to strengthen Vilnius’ identity and to make the city more attractive by
drawing people’s attention to our unique, distinctive and interesting features – the type
of things that make Vilnius cool, you might say. Those are the things make up Vilnius
Logic. Vilnius Logic is what makes Vilnius Vilnius. Vilnius Logic defines Vilnius itself –
its history, its people, its culture, its geography, its customs, its art and architecture, its
nightlife, food, everything, the totality of the city.
CityLogo was a superb platform to share ideas, work together and to position our cities
better on the world’s map. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other
and to plan our future actions. The main aim of this plan was to identify what is most
positive about Vilnius and to make it stronger, louder, brighter, better. And, I am very
thankful that my team from Vilnius with Ms. Irma Juskenaite as its head was able to
contribute towards our joint success.
You will find here not only the strategy, but also the actions we need to undertake in
order to understand and appreciate Vilnius better. Utilizing the knowledge that we have
gained through the CitiLogo program, we have been able to choose those programs
that have already been started and to integrate Vilnius Logic into them (Gastronomic
Vilnius, Conference Vilnius, Vilnius Events, Business Vilnius, etc.) and we are ready to
implement many more. We couldn‘t have done it without your help.
Arturas Zuokas
Vilnius Mayor
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Numerous attempts have been made through the years to develop a coherent and
innovative national marketing policy for Lithuania as well as a city branding policy for
the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius. All approaches were done separately with no strong
and vibrant message. Since Vilnius is the primary point of interest for visitors both from
abroad and from Lithuania itself, it has become critical that Vilnius would have a clear
message, a strong brand and a memorable logo that is identified not only with the
capital of Lithuania and can be used locally, but that can be further used nationally and
internationally. One of the most important elements in developing a clear plan has to
be a city logo for Vilnius that can be a unifying symbol for all.
As of 2014, none of the plans presented by the national government and the
municipality of Vilnius had been deemed to have been successful. In 2014, Vilnius
held an international competition with the goal of once again trying to address the
issue and to have a new branding policy as well as a fresh logo. The winner of the
competition presented an analysis of the current situation and through focus groups
and polling as well as subjective and objective input presented a strategy that seemed
to be acceptable.
To date, the new Vilnius city logo has not yet been widely presented. It was first
introduced by Mayor Zuokas at a press conference in 2014 together with winners of the
Eurovision contest from Lithuania. Since the main message during the press conference
was about the winner from Lithuania who would be performing at Eurovision in 2014,
the new logo itself was just a part of the message. This particular soft-sell tactic has
continued with the logo being introduced quite slowly at various venues in Vilnius.

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However, this plan surely needs to be stepped up. A further hindrance is that the strategy
suggested did not have a implementation tactics clearly set out. There were suggested
guidelines, but they were extremely general in nature and there were a number of
missing components, the most notable among them being the involvement of local
stakeholders without whom any type of positive movement forward and spreading a
cohesive message that would exemplify the essence of Vilnius is simply not possible.
There was no doubt that Vilnius needed a new city logo as well as branding and
marketing program. However, Vilnius needed an image that reflected the city while
meeting the needs of different target groups and stakeholders: residents, leisure
tourists, eco-tourists, business tourists, conference attendees, foreign filmmakers and
investors.
This particular element was identified most clearly in meetings with CityLogo experts
and colleagues from other cities involved in the CityLogo project. The need for local
stakeholder involvement in Vilnius became a top priority. Their involvement would
allow the inclusion of those local as well as national Lithuanian institutions, groups and
non-profit organizations that would help to solidify and carry through the new Vilnius
logo into wider public consciousness both at home and abroad.
During the course of the competition for a new city logo and branding policy, four
analyses were conducted:
(1) A situational analysis of the city’s image (quantitative and qualitative) to determine the
views and attitudes of different target and stakeholder groups (residents, entrepreneurs,
tourists, and investors) and markets (city, state, and foreign markets).
(2) An analysis of research and studies previously conducted in Lithuania and abroad that
related to the image of Lithuania and Vilnius
(3) An opportunity analysis for the positioning of Vilnius (conference tourism city, cinema-
friendly city, smart city, and creative city)
(4) An analysis including all target consumer groups that was required for the situational
analysis.
In total, these four analyses revealed the existing image in 2014 of Vilnius for residents,
tourists, entrepreneurs, and investors and recommended that Vilnius move ahead
utilizing the idea of Vilnius Logik as the pivotal axis on which to base its communication,
marketing and branding policy. A specific logo was developed for the city of Vilnius
heralding its historic past combined with a new and sleek interpretation.
However, as noted earlier, there were no extensive specific tactics mentioned, nor any
type of budget projected for the implementation of the new branding and logo policies.
The Local Action Plan developed by Vilnius after participating in the CityLogo project
has enabled Vilnius to engage a wide spectrum of local and national stakeholders with
the express purpose of making the new city logo not only acceptable to all, but to create
enthusiasm for using it to place Vilnius on the world’s map of exciting, clearly interesting
and bright new destinations.

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ANALYSIS OF OPPORTUNITIES
THE VILNIUS STORY
When most visitors to the capital think Vilnius they’re really just thinking about the
Old Town. Why not? Old Town’s got it all: history/culture, greenery galore, interesting
modern stuff, and delicious local food and drinks. The Local Action Plan discusses the
entire city, of course, but a perfect summary of the greatness of the capital is but a ten
minute walk. A stroll through Old Town.
The stroll doesn’t have to take ten minutes—it would only be so brief if you didn’t look
at anything at all, but you do, don’t you? The walk could take ten hours or more before
you ran out of things to see and hear about. If you wanted make history/culture the
backbone of your stroll nothing could be easier.
Let’s begin at the highest point of elevation, a spot with a vantage point of the entire
capital, Gediminas castle. An hour or more could be spent here alone without even

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entering the castle, just looking around, 360°: the brick castle built by Grand Duke
Vytautas, the Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports, the TV Tower, the Hill of Three
Crosses, King Mindaugas Bridge, the Cathedral and Palace of the Grand Dukes of
Lithuania, endless churches, and more. Moving downward and southward though the
city we pass by St. Anne’s church, possibly the most interesting and certainly the cutest,
with its Napoleonic and other stories.
Passing through Užupis you get a look at the angel on your way back across the Vilnelė
River before moving back upward, though still southward. Let’s end at another historic
spot that offers an outstanding view, the Vilnius Barbican. From this defensive wall the
view is almost as picturesque as that from the upper castle where we began.
Speaking of picturesque, I don’t suppose you could guess how many trees we saw along
the way? The answer is nearly two million. Vilnius is a huge city and forests cover 40%
of its territory. But what’s really surprising for tourists is that the forest pervades the
city center, even the Old Town. Yes, most of the millions of trees are seen from the start
and end of our walk, atop Gediminas Castle and the old Vilnius defensive wall, but there
are plenty in between.
Immediately upon descending the Gediminas hill you enter the Youth Park, not only full
of trees but with great benches made of thick fallen tree trunks masterfully carved for
your comfort. Before stopping at St. Anne’s church you can walk through the Bernardinai
Garden. After a quick pop out to the street you’re back to nature in Užupis, then up to
the defensive wall to overlook the rest of the trees numbering millions in Vilnius. That’s
greenery galore.
Užupis is a great stop, a prime example of the interesting modern things that make
Vilnius such an interesting capital city. Upon entering you see a sign designating this
micro-urban area as its own republic. Indeed, they declared independence from
Lithuania in 1997 and now have their own flag, currency, president, cabinet of ministers,
constitution, anthem, and an army of about 11 men.
A minute’s walk will take you into another secluded forest grove in Tibet square with
only one building in site, the Marius Abramavičius Neboisia Gallery, a place known for
accommodating your artists who would rather follow their hearts, and their arts, than
get a job—they band together in Užupis doing their thing and making this part of the
city beautiful and strange. All you can ever expect there is the unexpected.
The deliciousness of Vilnius comes down to one question: what do you want? On
your way from the castle to the defensive wall, meandering through Užupis and the
area around the old Town Hall, you probably walked by it. You walked by dozens of
restaurants, including traditional cuisine, steak houses, gourmet burger joints, raw food,
French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, German, Ukrainian, and others, as well as several
craft beer shops, an industry whose quantity and quality have exploded in recent years.
The variety of fantastic food and beer is immense, so you would have to be pretty picky
to be left hungry.

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VILNIUS LOGIC AND LOGO:
VISION AND GOALS
A new Vilnius city branding program and logo were approved by the Vilnius City Council
in 2014 and centered around the concept and words Vilnius Logic.
The Lukrecija BBDO firm prepared the concept and new logo. They stated that:
 “The Vilnius Logic concept asserts that Vilnius has its own specific logic of life and
existence: different, unexpected and even opposing elements are attributes of Vilnius. It
has a balanced equilibrium (for example, urban and nature, historical and contemporary,
business and culture, wine and beer in the same bar). Vilnius is unexpected and there are
many paradoxes that are difficult to reconcile at times: things can be illogical. However,
these different expressions create the charm and distinction of the city, drawing people
to visit and return again and again.
 A new Vilnius brand was also created: a logo and visual style. The basis of the Vilnius
brand (logo) is an outline of the tower of Gediminas Castle. It is well-known to
Lithuanian residents as the symbol of the founding of the capital; it is easily visible and
is a recognizable structure. Historically, the castle was the residence of and Vilnius the
city of the rulers of Lithuania. Castle branding is popular throughout Europe because
they symbolize power. If you have a castle it means you run things, nobody can tell
you what to do. Vilnius is not only the capital of Lithuania but the national center of
political, economic, and intellectual power. Red is the color of the old, powerful Vilnius
of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and white is the color of lightheartedness, simplicity,
and precision.
Source: Lukrecija BBDO

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The fundamental target groups are
foreign tourists, businessmen, and
residents. They all have their own needs
and expectation, but they do all have
one thing in common that they want in
Vilnius: a Fresh City Experience.
Foreign tourists are in for a number of
surprises, from a city exploding with history
to a modern and romantic scenario around
everycorner,andwesternEuropeanquality
for Eastern European prices. And…forests
in the middle of the city. Where the West
Begins: Vilnius Logic
Businessmen are also in for a number of
surprises, including classy offices and hotels, quick public and private transportation,
and an endless choice of relaxation activities and formal edifying events. And…forests
in the middle of the city. Complex Simplicity: Vilnius Logic.
Residents also can’t know what to expect either, because the city is continually evolving.
If Vilnius is the best city in Lithuania to get a job and to start a business, it safe to say it’s
the best city to live. And…forests in the middle of the city. Work & Life: Vilnius Logic.”
There were different elements of branding attached to each element of the new logo i.e.
colors, size, etc. It was and continues to be the goal of the City of Vilnius to have the logo
applied and used as widely as possible and to become a symbol of the city used by the
people who live in Vilnius, but, more importantly, to be identified with Vilnius by tourists
and visitors.
The suggested branding and logo program had elements of the Fluxus art movement
in it because it focused on the creativity of everyday activities that invited people to
expect the unexpected. The proposal also had the underlying message that anyone and
everyone can participate in Fluxus and share their own type of Logic. One example of
art meeting life and capturing the attention not only of the people who live in Vilnius,
but a greater mass of tourists was a massive sculpture made out of sand of the Beatles’
John Lennon that was placed onto the exact spot in a central square that had been
occupied in Soviet times by a statue of communist Lenin. It was unexpected, it was art,
anyone could participate simply by going to the park and enjoying the play on names.
Since the branding and new city logo program does not yet have a clear implementation
plan, it needs to be refined and its parameters defined as well. The Vilnius City working
group invited a wide range of stakeholders to contribute their critical remarks and input
as to how to achieve the best results. Also, participants were asked to identify which
parts of the programs are the most important ones and have the greatest chance of
being widely accepted by the people, businesses, institutions and organizations of
Vilnius themselves. The entire branding program for Vilnius is scheduled to be used
and implemented through July 6, 2016.

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LOCAL SUPPORT GROUP
INVOLVEMENT
It has been clear from the beginning of the CityLogo project that one of the weakest links
in introducing and communicating the new Vilnius city logo has been the lack of direct
interaction and input from various local stakeholders. It is only with their participation
that the logo can begin to make a difference in how the city is perceived, how it is
marketed as a whole, and who is involved. It is especially important for the continuity
and presence of story-telling both visually and sub-consciously.
There were nine programs altogether to which the new logo could be applied with different
elementsofbrandingattachedtoeachonei.e.colors,size,etc. IthasbeenthegoaloftheCity
of Vilnius to have the logo applied and used as widely as possible and to become a symbol of
the city used by the people who live in Vilnius as well as easily recognizable by visitors.
The Vilnius City Logo working group was successful in calling together and positively
engaging a wide range and number of local as well as national stakeholders who need
to be involved in the process for their professional input in order for the new logo
to succeed. Separate as well as combined discussions were held with organizations,
institutions, agencies at all levels.
Since the branding program does not yet have a clear implementation plan, it needed
to be refined and its parameters defined as well. Since there was very little knowledge
about the new logo or new branding program, each group of stakeholders was presented
with the Vilnius Logic proposal as well as the new logo itself.
A well known and highly respected economist in Lithuania, Ms. Ruta Vainiene, was
invited to moderate the discussions with the goal of finding points of interaction that
Vilnius could have with both local and national stakeholders in order to further introduce
and strenghthen the brand among these various sectors.
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The groups were asked for their critical remarks and input as to how to achieve the
best results. Also, participants were asked to identify which parts of the programs are
the more important ones and have the greatest chance of being widely accepted by
the people, businesses, institutions and organizations of Vilnius with a possible positive
transference to the national level. The entire branding and logo program for Vilnius is
scheduled to be used and implemented through July 6, 2016.
Input was solicited and received from the following stakeholders:
Tourism
Vilnius City Department of Tourism
National Department of Tourism
Vilnius Tourism Information Center
Independent Guides
Mayor’s Advisor on Tourism
Mayor’s Advisor on Public Relations
Mayor’s Advisor on Foreign Relations
Business
International Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania
Association of Lithuanian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts
Lithuanian Restaurant and Hotel Association
Invest Lithuania
Vilnius City Urban Planning Department
Vilnius Investment Department
Investors Forum
Enterprise Lithuania
Air Lituanica
Vilnius Conference Center
Culture and NGOs
Vilnius City Department of Culture
Mayor’s Advisor on Culture
Vilnius Volunteers for Cultural Night
Global Lithuanian Leaders
Lithuanian Youth Organizations Council
Arts Printing House
Vilnius Parks
Culture Night
Street Music Day
Film
Vilnius Film Office
Mayor’s Advisor on Film
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LOCAL STAKEHOLDER
INVOLVEMENT
It is useful in the context of the development of the Local Action Plan to review what
the various segments and involved stakeholders had to contribute in a general sense
towards making the new Vilnius city logo be accepted and work on all levels throughout.
There was a natural synergy between some groups e.g. tourism and culture, but less
among others. However, all without exception stated that they are ready, willing
of and able to not only embrace the new logo, but to use it to help the city of Vilnius
present a unified message.
Each group was shown a comprehensive presentation the new logo and the new
branding of Vilnius Logic and asked for input.
Ms. Vainiene prefaced each discussion by noting that although a logo had been created,
it needs to be utilized in order for it to achieve recognition and success in associating it
with a particular place i.e. Vilnius. Just having a logo or symbol is not enough.
The logo needs to be instilled with brightness, energy and life. Ms. Vainiene made the
comparison of the new logo to a refrigerator. It may be big and impressive, but if there
is no light on inside, you won’t be able to identify the food it contains in order to make a
great meal. There may be better trademarks and city logos out there, however, this one
created for Vilnius seems to be on point and its application needs to begin.
Discussions called together among four groups of major local and national stakeholders
involving a broad and all-encompassing cross-section of all sectors moderated by Ms.
Vainiene took place in a series of discussions in order to identify what each group could
contribute towards making the new Vilnius logo a landmark one.
TOURISM, CULTURE, NGO ND YOUTH STAKEHOLDERS
The first group of high powered influence makers consisted of leaders in the tourism,
culture, NGO and youth sectors. These groups have a natural synergy based on the new
branding policy currently being further developed by the City of Vilnius. The second
group consisted of leaders and representatives of the business community together
with conference specialists and investment consultants. The third encompassed
members of the working group and the fourth focused on the tourism, business, leisure
and transportation sectors combined.
Leaders in the tourism sector noted that a “green” Vilnius and a “gastronomically”
attractive city were factors that helped to attract tourists. Vilnius is one of the greenest
cities in Europe and the city of Vilnius itself consists of 36% of forests which can be clearly
seen when approaching Vilnius by plane, but is not as distinct once on the ground. Since
there are so many green places in the city, stressing its “greenness” would be useful. The
idea of “greenness” together with “health” and “clean” should be combined for a logical
all-around presentation of the new branding idea when incorporating the new logo.
Vilnius has water that is exceptionally pure and that could be used as a marketing tool
together with the new trend towards gastronomic tourism. It is yet another quirky and
interesting fact that the water in the fountains of Vilnius is actually drinking water and

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could be used to stress the cleaness and greenness of the city. The stakeholders in this
particular sector would be willing to stress this factor.
Polls conducted by the tourism sector showed that “green” is also associated with
relaxation, lack of stress and an environment that is comfortable to be in. Rio de Janeiro
is marketed as a “green” city, however, when the amount of green areas are compared,
Vilnius comes out ahead and this should be stressed. It was agreed that the notion of
“green” should be expanded on and used more widely in marketing the city.
The participants then focused on places where tourists visiting the city of Vilnius could go
to experience the true “green” feeling of the city. The Lukiskiu Square where the Lennon/
Lenin sand sculpture had been erected was named as a primary spot to experience the
total meaning of “green” within the boundaries of a living, breathing city.
Stakeholders of the cultural sector were also highly supportive of the new logo and
volunteered to include it as the underlying branding concept of “Being in Vilnius is Like
Living in a Forest” in a major annual cultural event, i.e. Culture Night when Vilnius’
streets are flooded with people and museums, galleries and other cultural venues stay
open through the entire night. Also, the newly renovated Bernardine Gardens in the
center of Old Town have become a highly popular place to go to and could feature
cultural events as well. There are two rivers in Vilnius (the Neris and the Vilnele) where
one can commune with nature and they could be used by artists and performers as
unexpected spaces for exhibitions and performances. There are also parks that have
been abandoned and other areas within the city that could be utilized as well for
proponing the new branding and logo concept.
Youth and global Lithuanian leaders were particularly enthusiastic of the new logo
and Logic branding concept. They noted that there is now a foundation on which
to build the city’s narrative and story line. They would be willing to contribute to
those areas that postivitely juxtapose with the new message, particularly in the
cultural sector.
Although Vilnius is architecturally an old city, it is young in its thinking and its
wealth of young people – 45% of the residents of Vilnius are younger than 30. It is
also a new city in that it has not yet been discovered. It is also a bastion of young
democracy that could be further expressed, building upon the Lennon/Lenin idea. It
was noted by the stakeholders that even in the 13th
Century, King Gediminas wrote
letters to countries around the world inviting them to come to Lithuania and settle
there. It is an open city and that needs to be stressed as well. The new logo with a
castle would send a strong message and it would resonate with their target group.
An idea/slogan that could be expanded upon would be that Vilnius is “Young With
a Past”. Also, that Vilnius is innovative in its intellectual capabilities and is clearly
different from any other city.
Youth leaders also stressed the importance of having a city that is “representative”
i.e. that puts its best foot forward in showing off the entire country. Vilnius should
highlight that which the city has that is unique and unavailable elsewhere. Examples
raised were the Jewish heritage of Vilnius that has not yet been explored to its full
extent. It was known as the “Jerusalem of the North” and was home to the world
renowned Talmudic scholar known as “The Great Gaon”. The roots of artists such as
Marc Chagall can be traced to historic Jewish Lithuania. Since the weather in Lithuania
outside is attractive only 5 months during the year, focus would need to be on indoor
activities and events.
The conclusions made by these groups made it clear that the branding and logo project
needs to be strengthened – both through information to the various stakeholders

18
directly involved as well as to the local and national community at large. The logo
needs to become a logo that is desired by all for use during their events, on their
literature, etc. The fact that its use is free needs to be well advertised and made
better known which has not been done to date.
The issue of using two logos side by side was considered and various solutions were
discussed. Also taken into consideration was the fact that once a logo becomes
desirable, it leads to pride. These are emotions that are inspired by the brand as well
as the process of branding if it is to be successful. This needs to be done with the new
Vilnius city logo.
The use of the word “Logic” was then considered in more depth. The word had been
deliberately misspelled by the branding experts (The word for logic in Lithuanian is
“Logica”. To further confuse matters, “Logic” is the word for logic in German and
Swedish). It was recommended that this deliberate misspelling of the word “logic” be
changed in the branding of Vilnius to Vilnius Logic.
Other word play that could ensue in positioning Vilnius would be: Vilnius has an Old
Town that is “alive” and “liveable”; Vilnius is a “big little city”, etc.
Bus and train stations should carry variations of the logo itself, the airport, highways
could have signs “Welcome to the Big Little City.“ A series of t-shirts could be designed
to complement the other signs. Volunteers at cultural events could wear t-shirts with
the new logo on them as well. It was stressed that the logo should signify a high level
of quality.
The tourism stakeholders have already used the logo in their new campaign to attract
visitors to a gastronomic tour of Vilnius. It was suggested that Vilnius could have a
unique dessert that could not only be eaten in Vilnius but taken away as well.
Youth and NGO stakeholders noted that very often you need to show an ideal version
of the city i.e. market a dream. Invest Lithuania has prepared a very good short
video that has successfully portrayed the country as an optimal place for foreign
investments and could be used as a model for others. Invest Lithuania agreed to share
its knowledge and experience in preparing material for the Vilnius logo project.
Currently,thegreatestnumberoftouriststoLithuaniaarefromRussia,Belarus,Poland,
Germany, Latvia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Norway and Finland. The attraction of a
“green” city was stressed yet again with a possible humorous spin that time spent
in Vilnius makes you younger and thinner. The special Vilnius dessert could be the
centerpiece of this marketing aspect.
The Vilnius City Tourism and Events logo will change at the beginning of 2015 and will
be used alongside of the new Vilnius logo.
In identifying what would be of primary importance for a city logo to relay in its various
programs, stakeholders focused on Vilnius as a green, lively and friendly destination
for gourmands, cultural and sports events, innovation, business, architecture. A
beautifully diverse city where “Old Meets New” and that has many pleasant paradoxes
to be discovered. It can be presented as a cosmopolitan city of miracles that is able to
combine the energy, innovation and enthusiasm of youth with its interesting historical
past in a democratic setting.
The new logo that Vilnius has chosen seems to satisfy the criteria raised by all of the
cultural and youth leader stakeholders in all of the various local and national groups.
They have embraced it and will actively promote it within their own particular areas
of interest.
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BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS
The separate group of Vilnius City Logo important stakeholders consisted of leaders of
the business community in Vilnius and Lithuania.
The business community stakeholders immediately noted that the new Vilnius city logo
has not yet been widely introduced in the business and investment community. They do
see a real need for a logo that reflects and is identified with the city. Their reaction to
the project was very positive. They easily saw a role for ambassadors within their sector
who could promote Vilnius’ business interests, partners who could jointly endorse the
city and the need for coordination among all.
Ingeneral,itwasagreedthatVilniushassucceededinachievingtheimageofanadvanced
city as compared to the entire country of Lithuania, which still lacks a coherent, positive
image that would attract investments. The strategy that has been prepared for Vilnius
was defined as a highly professional one.
The national government, the Ministry of the Economy and the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs have all launched separate branding projects and messages. In contrast, business
leaders stated that Vilnius has become a pioneer in this area and the City Logo initiative
is to be commended. It is positive to have Vilnius be the “pilot” that will steer the “plane
of Lithuania.
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The positive image of Vilnius will become the means by which the rest of Lithuania
will become better known and positively recognized. It is difficult to promote an entire
country in all of its diversity, therefore, focusing on Vilnius seems to be the correct
direction to be taking. This is particularly important right now since Lithuania’s exports
have diminished and the markets are oversaturated. Defining and selling its own brands,
including those of a city, are more critically important than ever. Synergy is required
between the various sectors and in promoting the brand in order to move the city and
the country forward. The business community is ready, willing and able to assist.
Lithuania’s closest neighboring country to the north, Latvia, has chosen a similar
strategy by choosing to successfully promote the country through its capital city of Riga.
The business community would support Vilnius‘ efforts to do same.
It was noted that a new approach had been sorely needed and that going back to
traditional logos and methods was to be avoided. In particular, the image and marketing
should not portray Vilnius and/or Lithuania as humble, orderly etc. More daring and an
aggressive campaign is needed, as the city has much to offer and the city‘s story needs to
be told. Maximum effort should be expended in reaching the widest audience possible.
In addressing the issue of a distinct and separate logo for Vilnius, it was noted that
business organizations in other cities in Lithuania have come to the realization that it is
more useful to have a united approach. Business Boards have been founded that meet
monthly to discuss issues with city municipalities. Cities with which Lithuanian cities
have Sister City agreements could also be engaged to help with the image building of
Lithuania through Vilnius.
The Vilnius Club is an organization whose members have international connections that
could also be pulled on board. Business to business relationships are a natural venue
to disseminate the main message of Vilnius’ logo and story. There are many events,
conferences, informal coffees and meetings where it would be possible to do so. It
would be good to have coordination of these efforts and businesses would be positively
inclined to join together and get behind a unified message.
This group of stakeholders stressed the importance of having a totally developed logo
and message before wide release. The launch is very important. Dissemination of the
main message is of utmost importance, but should not be started until all is fully ready.
Also, attention should be paid to an analysis of Vilnius’ main competitors to see what
should be the main focus of the message.
Members of the business community could readily be approached to become informal
ambassadors who could carry the logo and main message forward. An idea was to call
them “Patriots of Vilnius” and to provide them with five main points that they could
enumerate and elaborate upon as being positives for Vilnius.
An issue was raised about the fact that Lithuania has been hard to reach over the past
few years. However, the founding of a new airline in 2013 by the City of Vilnius called
Air Lituanica has helped to rectify the situation.
The City of Vilnius founded a Vilnius Film Office in 2013. Its main goal is to attract
commercial filmmakers to film in the city. Since the introduction of national tax
incentives in 2013, Vilnius has become competitive and is building on the image of
a highly productive and qualified city for foreign filmmakers. Business stakeholders
recently participated in high level meetings at Warner Bros. in Los Angeles, California
with the Prime Minister of Lithuania and note the potential of this sector’s expansion in
Lithuania. Having a strong city of Vilnius brand and logo will help to support the mission
of the Vilnius Film Office.
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The importance of external and internal communications was stressed throughout the
discussion. The business stakeholders are open to providing opportunities for the logo
to be presented and used in all types of settings – real or virtual, digital formats such as
Twitter to investors both in the country as well as internationally.
After discussing the idea of positive paradoxes being the basis of the new logo and
brand, the business leadership quickly approved an idea raised during the discussion to
describe doing business in Vilnius as “Sophisticated Simplicity”.
The business and investment segment stakeholders very often have opportunities to
travel with high level government delegations to other countries and would welcome
the opportunity to bring items/souvenirs with the new logo on them to advertise Vilnius
as a good place to do business.
Many delegations and groups from foreign companies come to Vilnius. During meetings,
the new logo and information packets could be presented to them by their Lithuanian
counterparts. Currently, there is an extensive program called Invest in Lithuania. A part
of this program could be named Invest Vilnius with appropriate materials available to
investors and businessmen from other countries.
Foreign businessmen who have had positive experiences in Vilnius doing business could
be called upon to publicly speak about them. Including their quotes in the publications
would serve to give weight to the material distributed with the new logo.
The business community could recommend people successfully living in Vilnius who
have had great success as well as others who do business from overseas with Lithuania
and have positive recommendations about the country and its capital city of Vilnius.
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A list of 30 high profile ex-pats doing business in Vilnius could be provided by the
business stakeholders and outreach made to include them in the mission of spreading
the message about Vilnius with the new logo.
There are new City Alumni Clubs in Lithuania that would be able to further disseminate
information about the new logo and assist with Vilnius’ city image branding efforts.
Also, a review of the overseas markets currently important for Lithuania or potentially
profitable for the country could be reviewed and targeted individually. For instance,
Japan could become better acquainted with Lithuania through Vilnius since there is a
strong connection through the late Consul General Sugihara of Japan who is a national
hero in both countries. Japanese tourists have very specific requirements and the logo
and material that is targeted for them can take this into account when preparing and
presenting a specific program from the new logo project.
Travel agencies in the business sector would be open to working with Vilnius tourism
departments to come up with a unified message. Kazakhstan is another country that
has great potential as a business partner for Lithuania and through the Vilnius logo
project could receive more targeted information.
The logo has the potential to be universally applied and there are many opportunities
to do so. Ecological tourism is a new area that can be explored among others. The new
logo can be applied to this particular type of travel as well.
A strong recognition factor for Vilnius will be beneficial for the entire country of
Lithuania. People arrive through Vilnius and recommendations can be made on where
else to travel for leisure or business.
As a whole, although the business stakeholders had very little information about the new
Vilnius city logo and the CityLogo project coming into the meeting, they were extremely
positive and receptive. They were appreciative of the high level of professionalism in
the preparation of the new logo and expressed great interest in further involvement to
ensure its successful launch and expansion both nationally and internationally.
HOSPITALITY SERVICES AND
CONVENTION STAKEHOLDERS
Further meetings with the Lithuanian Hotel and Restaurant Association together with
local as well as national tourism representatives and Air Lituanica indicated that they
are indeed interested in promoting the new city logo.
In previous years, Lithuania had taken out country marketing ads on CNN, BBC which were
perceived as a very effective means of communication. These venues could once again be
considered if a budget were in place.
The hospitality services stakeholders agreed that the convention and conference sector
wasthestrongestatthecurrenttimeandthus,wouldbethemostlogicalplacetocontinue
strengthening the Vilnius city logo.
CONVENE is a large scale exhibition of services that the tourism sector can offer and held
its successful annual meeting for the third year in a row in February, 2015. Attendees
are able to visit a number of stands that not only include Lithuania, but the entire Baltic,
Nordic region.

23
Launched by Vilnius Convention Bureau, the event every year offers a fully hosted
buyer programme which accommodates 160+ qualified buyers from whole Europe.
Up to 100 exhibitors including convention bureaux, hotels, conference centres, special
venues, DMCs, PCOs, specialist suppliers from Lithuania and seven other countries of
the region (Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Russia Finland, Sweden, Denmark) showcase their
meeting products and services. There are also guest country exhibitors from Ukraine
and Belarus. The event is supported by a major professional education programme and
a series of high quality business networking events.
Although CONVENE is run as a separate project, it is a part of the city’s Convention
and Conference Center’s program. In turn, the Convention and Conference Center is
an integral and strong part of the Tourism Information Center. All three have separate

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branding programs and logos. The uniting factor for all of them is the city of Vilnius.
Even though CONVENE’S graphic design style and colors differ markedly from the
new Vilnius one, the city’s new logo has been incorporated into CONVENE’s various
marketing programs and is displayed at events on hand-our literature, booklets, stands,
backgrounds, etc.
One of the challenges for Vilnius to attract a greater number of large scale conventions
and conferences is the lack of a conference center that could provide the amount
of area necessary to host successful exhibitions and events. However, the national
government has recently announced plans for the renovation of the former Sports
Center and this should provide a well needed opportunity for Vilnius to expand in the
conference sector.
After a period of dormancy, there are now a number of new hotels being constructed in
Vilnius that will add to the city’s attraction for conventions.
The city of Vilnius, along with the Lithuanian Hotel and Restaurant Association as well
as its various members and stakeholders will work to actively promote and expand the
attraction of conferences and conventions to Vilnius. The LHRA noted that this type of
tourist is particularly important for Vilnius. They have money to spend, stay at high-end
hotels, eat at good restaurants and are the most useful for the city.
It was agreed by all of the hospitality and leisure as well as convention stakeholders that
Vilnius acts not only as a municipal or regional center, but also as the most important
national one. Therefore, this is an additional important opportunity for strengthening
the city logo both nationally and internationally. The national government will be asked
to highlight Vilnius as well as its new logo in its public statements, press releases and
information.
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AIR LITUANICA STAKEHOLDER
The importance of having direct flights to Vilnius cannot be over-stressed. After the
collapse of the former national airline carrier FlyLAL, the establishment of Air Lituanica
has been hailed as very welcome. Air Lituanica has positioned itself as a mid-range
regional carrier and has been steadfastly and reliably providing direct flights to Vilnius
from a number of European locations for over a year.
Although Air Lituanica has its own separate logo as well as marketing and branding
programs, it was felt that it would be a positive move to have the new Vilnius logo
integrated into their plans and they have been invited to become a strong stakeholder
in the new city logo. The Air Lituanica magazine has featured an article about the new
Vilnius logo. They would be willing to carry the new city logo on the magazine cover
and even have it painted onto the planes. Air Lituanica is very willing to feature
the new city logo more prominently, especially since the colors and design of both
complement each other.
The Vilnius is under the control of the Ministry of Transportation and would need to
be approached for a separate discussion as to how to best incorporate the Vilnius city
logo into its plans. The airport has undergone a series of changes in leadership and its
marketing program has veered in several different directions. However, this may be
an optimal time for a new discussion with them to see where the new Vilnius city logo
could be used to the advantage of both to strengthen the city brand. Air Lituanica has
agreed to serve as an intermediary with the airport on the issue of introducing the
airport.
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CONCLUSIONS
The Tourism Information Center of the City of Vilnius has already prepared a short
presentation and shown it at Vilnius University to students. It was agreed to share
in developing this presentation further for dissemination and showing it to various
stakeholders.
The business community stakeholders had raised the idea of having individual ambassadors
whowouldalsoassistinspreadingthemessageaboutthenewlogo.Therecommendationof
the working group is to have an Advisory Council to the Mayor consisting of representatives
of various stakeholders. The Advisory Council would interact closely the Mayor’s Advisor.
This Advisory Council should be an exclusive one and its members should be well respected
members of the business, cultural, tourism and youth sectors.
The use of well-established corporate logos together with the new city logo would be
on point and would strengthen the new Vilnius city logo. There would need to be a
balance between the two that could be mutually agreed upon at the Advisory Council
level. This would be a win-win situation for all, transferring a local win to a national one.
The Working Group also recommends that the logo be presented in particular to the
business community with a more definitive explanation. This could readily be done
at International Chamber of Commerce meetings as well as Rotary Clubs, business
association gatherings, etc.
A separate presentation to the airport authorities who are under the auspices of the
Ministry of Transportation should also take place.
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Social media outlets could be a new platform for disseminating information that would
highlight the new city logo as well. The price range for this particular tool could range
from fairly minimal to large depending on the target audience as well as the scope and
breadth of the project. Social media and electronic advertising could incoporate games,
competitions, ads, sales, etc.
Thesportscommunitycouldalsobeapproachedandincorporatedintohelpingtospread
the new city logo. Teams travelling to international competitions could be provided with
t-shirts, caps, etc. that would create an ever growing world-wide group of people who
are aware of the new logo and of Vilnius in general.
Therefore, after an intensive review of all of the meetings, discussions and input from
the major local Vilnius and national Lithuania stakeholders, the Vilnius CityLogo Working
group came to the following conclusions:
 One of the main factors why the new Vilnius city logo has not been widely presented
is the lack of a specific budget for doing so. City budget cuts in general over the past
few years have forced many city agencies to scale back on messaging in all areas.
 One of the solutions to this problem could be the introduction of a “hotel bed tax”.
The proceeds from this “bed tax” could be used for marketing the city of Vilnius in
general and the new city logo would be a part of the campaign.
A change from Vilnius Logik to Vilnius Logic has been recommended in order to make
Vilnius better understood.
It is crucial to have a specific person in authority directly responsible to the Mayor to
supervise not only the broad city marketing plan together with the new Vilnius city
logo, but also the Local Action Plan that would involve local and national stakeholders.
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The rank of that person should be that of an Advisor to the Mayor and be directly
responsible to him. The Advisor should also work in close contact with the City’s Public
Relations Department to ensure on point results.
A Special Advisory Board consisting of a cross section of highly regarded representatives
of the tourism, business, NGO, cultural as well as other areas should be formed to work
closely with the new Advisor to the Mayor. The members of this Advisory Board would
become ambassadors of the new city logo and brand.
Of the 9 areas identified in the branding study, four have been recommended for
particular attention i.e. Film Friendly, Smart Vilnius, Eco Friendly, City Breaks.
RECOMMENDATIONS
FILM FRIENDLY VILNIUS
Since the city of Vilnius has made attracting the film-making industry to Vilnius a
priority, foreign filmmakers have begun returning to Vilnius. Of paramount importance
was the introduction of a 20% rebate on films shot in Lithuania, most of which are made
in Vilnius.
Previously, Hollywood producers and directors such as Edward Zwick, Peter Madek
and Pieter Jan Brugges chose Vilnius and its environs for big budget productions.
International stars such as Daniel Craig, Jeremy Irons, Helen Mirren, Woody Harrelson
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and John Malkovich have all filmed in Vilnius. Vilnius has been able to transform itself
from medieval England to ancient Rome to 1970s Jerusalem and 1980s Amsterdam.
Prices are reasonable, locations are short distances away from each other, the staff is
highly professional and multi-lingual. All of these factors contribute towards making
Vilnius an especially attractive city for filming.
A Vilnius Film Office was founded in 2013 and will be brought into the new city logo
marketing and branding program.
SMART VILNIUS
With one of the fastest high speed internets in the world and the best public area access
to free Wi-Fi, Vilnius is definitely a leisure tourist and business and conference tourist
friendly city.
CNN recently reported that Vilnius is identified as one of Eastern Europe‘s most
upwardly mobile hubs and benefits from one ofhe fastest Internet connections in the
world. CNN also noted that Vilnius recently received an IBM grant as part of the “Smart
Vilnius“ project. This is earmarked for upgrading transport and its management, as well
as the development of data-based infrastructure.
The recently announced construction of a new Vilnius Tech Park will serve to attract
more high tech and innovative technologies to Lithuania. The tech park is slated for
gaming, big data, and cyber security companies and will press Vilnius‘ credentials
further as a highly attractive “Smart City”. Since the location of the new Tech Park is in
a currently rundown 200 year old hospital, the new city logo will be perfect for use in
highlighting the blend of old and new and a unique Vilnius Logic for managing to pick an
unexpected spot for a novel and new venture.
THE NEW ECONOMY web media site recently featured Vilnius as one of Europe’s
smartest cities Numerous institutions have praised the way in which Vilnius is managed.
The smart city‘s technological solutions are some of the most innovative in Europe
The report in The New Economy stated that, “Vilnius is one of the most populous
and satisfied cities in the Baltic region. Its advancements in lighting, engagement and
transport have also made it one of The New Economy’s top smart cities”.
Vilnius is one of the fastest growing cities in Eastern Europe. It is also a hub for political,
economic, social and environmental change in Lithuania and the region as a whole. The
lateststudybyEurostatshows 93percentofinhabitantsaresatisfiedwith theirlifeinVilnius.
The city’s smart and forward-thinking management has been recognised by analysts
and the media. The New York Times named Vilnius one of the world’s 10 best-managed
cities, alongside Berlin, Barcelona, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Montreal, Santiago and
Shanghai. Cities were evaluated not only on their quality of life but also on how wisely
and well they are managed.
CNN recently reported that Vilnius is identified as one of Eastern Europe‘s most
upwardly mobile hubs and benefits from one ofhe fastest Internet connections in the
world. CNN also noted that Vilnius recently received an IBM grant as part of the “Smart
Vilnius“ project. This is earmarked for upgrading transport and its management, as well
as the development of data-based infrastructure.
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The recently announced construction of a new Vilnius Tech Park will serve to attract
more high tech and innovative technologies to Lithuania. The tech park is slated for
gaming, big data, and cyber security companies and will press Vilnius‘ credentials
further as a highly attractive “Smart City”. Since the location of the new Tech Park is in
a currently rundown 200 year old hospital, the new city logo will be perfect for use in
highlighting the blend of old and new and a unique Vilnius Logic for managing to pick an
unexpected spot for a novel and new venture.
All of this leads to the logical conclusion that Vilnius and its Smart City status on many
different levels can be utilized in marketing and branding with the new city logo. The
Vilnius city logo would serve to united these various diverse areas of concern.
ECO FRIENDLY VILNIUS
The capital stands out because of the massive amount of greenery that not only
surrounds the center in residential areas but pervades the center—the center of the
capital actually has forests.
Although Vilnius has a large amount of public green areas, the infrastructure to develop
them is still a work in progress. The highly successful recent renovation of the Bernardinu
Gardens has led to an enthusiastic endorsement of further plans by the current city
administration to renew and rejuvenate Misssionary Gardens, the Neris River area and
Kalnu Park. The new city logo has been incorporated into publicizing these projects and
can be seen on stands around the city:
After an interim of ten years, Vilnius successfully re-launched an orange shared bike and
ride system in 2013. The program has been highly commended by both locals and visitors
and embraced throughout the city. They not only serve a practical purpose in helping the
residents of Vilnius get around, but also serve as a colorful reminder that Vilnius is a city
that cares about the environment, by encouraging public and shared transportation.
A few months ago, world renowned architect Daniel Libeskind unveiled his design plans
for a new Ski and Sports Recreation Center in the city of Vilnius. The artificial hill is located
within the city itself and is readily accessible from the city center via a 10 minute car or
public transportation ride. It’s perfectly located between the historic center, the business
district and the airport, so it will be a great way to connect the two central areas and
create a multi-purpose destination for Europe, and perfectly suited for recreational and
educational entertainment for all. The new leisure center will also incorporate a ride and
share program for bikes and cars. The center is well positioned to become a new symbol
of Vilnius and center of attraction that can feature the new logo very prominently.
The best known instance of focusing on the importance of the environment and being
a super bike friendly city was when Mayor Arturas Zuokas took a tank and rode over an
illegally parked Mercedes in a bicycle lane. This Public Service Announcement filmed
at a low budget and released on YouTube garnered worldwide media attention and
coverage. It captured the imagination as being quirky and having a certain Vilnius Logic
to it. The underlying message of the PSA was: “If You See Something, Do Something.”
Mayor Arturas Zuokas said that ,“Sometimes it‘s the small things that cause the most
irritation for city dwellers and make them feel helpless. If you see something, you have
to say something or do something. I chose to do it with humor and I‘m glad that the
world laughed along. Judging from the global reaction to the video, I can only guess
that Vilnius is not the only city that has been trying to find a way to deal with these

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and similar issues. It’s important for everyone to be involved in creating a good urban
environment in which to live.” This type of thinking and acting fits in completely with
the new city logo and branding program of Vilnius Logic.
CITY BREAKS VILNIUS
The Tourism sector in Vilnius has begun to feature City Breaks as an all-encompassing
marketing tool. These short stints in the city can range from featuring romance to
eco-tourism and especially the gastronomic delights that the city has to offer. With
gastronomic tourism becoming ever more popular around the world, Vilnius feels that
it is ready to feature the highly innovative creations of professional chefs. Although the
national cuisine would not be forgotten, it is the internationally recognized taste treats
that Vilnius has begun to feature and by which it seeks to attract tourists. Both leisure and
business tourists will come away satisfied with the delicious offerings on hand in Vilnius.
In terms of other themed city breaks, Italy’s largest newspaper recently named Vilnius
the capital of happiness. The article described Vilnius as “a city with an area that is
four times larger than Paris and twice the size of the capital of Milan in Lombardy. It
abounds with no less than forty five Orthodox and Catholic churches and there is much
of the unexpected, including a monument to Frank Zappa. There are plenty of bridges
for enjoying the views and walks in the evenings. Since happiness is all-encompassing,
it can be used to feature anything from food to parks. Once again, the necessity for a
logo becomes important for pulling the many diverse areas into one cohesive package
that is associated with all that Vilnius has to offer. The new logo can do that.
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The Tourism Department of the City of Vilnius is in the process a launching a
new e-marketing survey from European Union funds. The results will enable the
department to better identify and target tourists via the internet, social media and
other electronic communication outlets. The new city logo could be incorporated
into the new marketing program geared to this media. As a transitional step, the city
logo could begin appearing earlier in all types of electronic forms of communication
e.g. newsletters, press releases, Facebook pages, etc.
There is already a highly organized and fairly well publicized series of annual cultural
events in Vilnius that serve to attract the individual or group tourist to travel to Vilnius
for a “City Break”.
These breaks could be advertised through a separate program that could also use and
highlight the new city logo. Package deals that would start in Vilnius and continue
on to other cities in Lithuania e.g. highlighting mansions and manors along the river,
could still feature the new Vilnius city logo as a prominent feature since the tours
would kick off in the capital city.
All of the organizers of these events are important stakeholders and will be
encouraged to incorporate the new Vilnius city logo in their advertising literature
and communications. Since the logo is free and readily available for use, the various
groups can just download it, choose whichever style works for them and either use it
side by side with their own logo or in a separate area.
Among the most popular cultural events in Vilnius are the Cultural Night and Capital
Days.
Equally important is the cultural tourism sector that attracts a different type of
visitor with different needs and purposes. Since these might be very diverse, the
all-encompassing “City Breaks” term was used to define this second type of tourist.
There are a number of areas of cultural tourism that serve to attract people to
Vilnius. Among the most important ones: the city’s cultural and historical heritage, its
greenness - both visually and through eco-friendly features such as the orange bike
rental system, clean and pure water, raw food restaurants, etc. The city logo could
appear during events at these locations, launches of new initiatives, etc. Restaurant
owners are important stakeholders from the private sector and would be encouraged
to display the logo on their menus and on their doors.
Also of newly growing importance is gastronomic tourism. Vilnius successfully
launched a Gastronomic Week in November, 2014 that featured set price meals at
almost twenty well known Vilnius restaurants. A “Dessert Night” is being planned for
2015 that could feature a special “Vilnius Dessert” with the new city logo on it. Wine
and liqueur tastings in the manors and mansions of Vilnius e.g. Stikliai, Sekspyras,
Valdovu Rumai, Sapiegos Rumai could also highlight the new Vilnius city logo in its
advertisements.
A gastronomic map was published last year called “Tasty Vilnius” that shows the
locations of various restaurants and describes the types of food it serves. Aprons to
complement that program were also launched. All of them have the new city logo on
them.
As stakeholders, all groups, restaurants, hotels and cultural organizations participating
in or launching cultural and gastronomic events in the city will be encouraged not
only to use the new city logo, but to display it prominently.

34
ADDED VALUE OF URBACT
CityLogo PROGRAM
CityLogoisapartoftheURBACTprogram,aEuropeanexchangeandlearningprogramme
promoting sustainable urban development. It was a very valuable experience for Vilnius
to be a part of CityLogo.
The URBACT network encompasses 500 cities, 29 countries and has 7,000 active
participants. The program is jointly financed by the European Union (European
Regional Development Fund) and the Member States. The URBACT program enables
thematic networks of like minded urban areas to work together to address an identified
issue. In the case of CityLogo, the network consisted of partners in 10 cities across
Europe: Utrecht, Dundee, Warsaw, Vilnius, Aarhus, Oslo, Coimbra, Zaragoza, Alba Iulia
and Genoa.
CityLogo is a transnational learning experience on citybranding and marketing in
modern urban politics. It is about the better positioning of cities in the post-crisis
economic era and reinforcing the communication dimension in urban management.
One of the main lessons that Vilnius learned during the course of the project was that
brandingshouldbeembeddedinbroaderand moreparticipatoryprocessesofrethinking
urban identities. In order to be more effective, greater stakeholder involvement, citizen
participation and management all need to be widely promoted.
CityLogo helped us to look at brand management and communication strategies in
modern urban policies. The main goal was to strengthen the strategic communication
and city branding of Vilnius and the CityLogo project helped to achieve this objective.
The Vilnius City Municipality faces a situation where financial resources are diminishing
but, at the same time, there is an enormous need to boost the local economy, so it
was very useful to visit similar cities and to learn from them e.g. Zaragoza, Dundee,
Utrecht. Our goal was to look for an integrated approach and seek out the cooperation
of relevant stakeholders for a more efficient result. Vilnius succeeded in doing so. The
CityLogo project assisted Vilnius in creating a Local Action Plan with a large range of
local stakeholders that could also serve as a platform for a national branding program.
Vilnius is grateful to CityLogo that we were able to share our own city‘s practice (good
and bad) and learned from others. Based on the best experience of the partners in
the project, Vilnius developed its own communication strategy. Therefore, on behalf of
the Vilnius City Municipality, we would like to thank Utrecht, Dundee, Warsaw, Aarhus,
Oslo, Coimbra, Zaragoza, Alba Iulia and Genoa for this extremely valuable learning and
sharing experience.

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