1995년 지방자치제가 시행된 이후 도시 차별화와 지역경제 활성화방안의 하나로 도시 브랜드(city brand)를 도입한 지역개발전략이 전개되고, 대내적으로는 도시 정체성 확립과 지역민 삶의 질 향상, 대외적으로는 지역홍보 및 마케팅을 목적으로 도시에 적합한 상징물(CI)을 개발하여 사용하고 있다. 기업 아이덴티티(corporate identity)에서 시작된 도시 아이덴티티(city identity)는 역사와 전통을 기반으로 지역 특성과 비전에 부합하는 도시 이미지 통일화 개념으로 지방자치 시대의 경쟁력 강화와 장소성을 부각시켜 지역의 이미지를 새롭게 구현하는데 목적을 두고 있다. 자연환경, 인문환경, 역사·문화자원, 행정서비스 등 다른 도시와 차별화된 도시 브랜드는 도시가 지향하는 이미지나 상징성을 시각물로 형상화하는 상징물(CI)로 심볼마크, 슬로건, 마스코트, 캐릭터 등 다양하게 나타난다. 현재 전남도와 22개 지자체는 타도시와 차별화된 도시 브랜드로 지자체의 이미지를 상징적, 함축적으로 표현한 상징물(CI)을 개발하여 사용하고 있다. 또한 ‘전라남도 방문의 해 2022~2023년’을 맞이하여 세계인이 찾아오는 전남을 각인하기 위한 지자체별로 다양한 브랜드 개발이 절실히 요구되는 실정에 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 전라남도와 22개 지자체의 심볼마크를 대상으로 형태성, 상징성, 색채 및 IRI 이미지 스케일 등 시각적 특징을 분석하였다.

Urban brand, which represents an integrated image of a city, is a way to establish an identity that matches local characteristics and future visions based on local traditions and history. Jeollanam-do and 22 local governments have developed and used symbols(CI) that symbolically and implicitly represent the image of the city. This study analyzed the visual characteristics of symbol marks of Jeollanam-do and 22 local governments. The main results are as follows. First, as a result of the shape analysis of the symbol mark, it was divided into specific form, abstract form, and lettering form, of which the specific form was the highest at 47.9%. It expresses the identity of the region by directly expressing objects representing the region, such as topographic elements, historical sites, and specialties. The abstract form was 13.0%, which emphasized indirect and intuitive meanings such as hope, harmony, and phase, and expressed ideal values. The lettering form was 39.1%, which was imaged using the local government’s place names directly for symbols, and it was expressed in 4 Korean, 4 English, and 1 Korean + English mixture. Second, as a result of the analysis of the symbol factor expressed in a specific form, natural objects accounted for a high proportion of 39 (73.6%), which is believed to be due to geographical characteristics that are particularly dependent on the natural environment such as the sea, river, mountain, and sun and the belief that the sun is sacred from ancient times. Artificial objects were found to be 14 (26.4%) and they were analyzed as representative symbols of the region, such as cities, sailboats, and fortresses, or artificial elements such as specialties. Third, as a result of the analysis of the applied color of the symbol mark, more than 74% of the total was used in 3 degrees to 2 degrees, and more than 57.2% of blue and green were applied. It is believed that the symbol mark implicitly expresses the topographical features surrounded by the sea (blue) and the image that symbolizing clean nature (green). Overall, the cold color series (blue, green) was higher than the warm color series (red, yellow). Fourth, as a result of the color IRI image scale analysis, 23 sites formed similar color images and formed innovative and future-oriented urban images distributed on the dynamic image axis. These results are judged to be the result of symbolically giving the vision, identity, and image of local governments to symbol marks in similar natural environments and geographical conditions.