Colle McVoy Tapped to Lead Star Tribune Rebrand

“We’re thrilled to partner with Colle McVoy as the Star Tribune embarks on branding work that is foundational to the future of our organisation,” said Steve Grove, publisher and CEO of the Star Tribune. “Our local market is full of exceptional creative talent. The breadth and quality of Colle McVoy’s craft is only matched by its love for Minnesota. That’s what made them a perfect partner for this initiative.”

“Minnesota is our origin story, and we’re fiercely proud of our heritage. This initiative with the Star Tribune is about legacy—cementing the value of local journalism in our community for generations to come,” said Colle McVoy CEO Christine Fruechte, who has served as board chair and member of the Star Tribune’s Board of Directors for the last five years.

The firm’s remit is a complete reimagining of the Star Tribune’s tone of voice and how it visually represents itself. Even the name of the media outlet is up for discussion, as the 157-year-old institution seeks increased relevance with a statewide audience. 

Colle McVoy’s boutique design firm, 10 Thousand Design, will also steward the redesign.

According to Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, there are roughly 6,000 newspapers left in America, down from 8,891 in 2005. About half of all U.S. counties rely on a single remaining news source—and 6.4% of counties have no local outlets.

This is the first brand refresh since 2014 for the publication, which is targeted to launch in Q4 of this year.

“We see massive opportunities to attract and retain new audiences throughout and beyond this next election cycle as people are more tuned in to what’s happening in media,” added Star Tribune VP of communication and brand marketing, Chris Iles. “This rebrand signals significant investments to grow for our current and future readers in an era when news media is shrinking.”

Colle McVoy is joined by fellow Stagwell network agency Code And Theory, which is handling a complementary digital product redesign. 

“To make this happen and get the results we’re looking for we wanted partners who can finish each other’s sentences. We get that in having two agencies under the Stagwell umbrella working in lockstep,” noted Chris.

The refresh is part of a larger transformation happening at the Star Tribune, which is exploring novel content formats, in-person events and the role of AI in operations and reporting.

“Local media has a profound role to play in combating trends of people feeling disconnected and the dwindling of third spaces,” added Chris. “We can be the great convener bringing people together to have the crucial conversations to push society forward.”

The Star Tribune is the Upper Midwest’s largest news organisation, with audience numbers consistently in the top five in the country among regional and national peers. Its journalistic excellence is reflected in seven Pulitzer Prizes and hundreds of other accolades.