Monaghan unveils new Place Brand and CoCo Connect App

Monaghan County Council has officially launched a new Place Brand for County Monaghan alongside the CoCo Connect App, marking an important step in how the county is promoted and how local information is shared with residents.

The new Place Brand captures Monaghan’s distinctive character, ambition and quietly epic spirit. It celebrates a county where remarkable stories, achievements and opportunities emerge from unexpected places.

The Place Brand provides a strong and cohesive message and identity for promoting Monaghan as a place to live, work, visit and invest. The brand will champion the people, stories and opportunities that make Monaghan a place to grow, belong and build something meaningful.

The new brand identity was created by local designer Paula McEntee of Saoi Studio, bringing Monaghan’s story and character to life through a distinctive and flexible visual identity. The design draws on the county’s landscape, creativity and quietly confident character, using a cohesive system of colour, typography and graphic elements to create a recognisable identity that can adapt across different formats and applications.

The Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, Cllr Aidan Campbell remarked: “Our new Place Brand celebrates what makes County Monaghan distinctive and gives us a confident and consistent way to share our story.

It reflects the ambition, resilience and strong sense of belonging found across our county.

“I would like to acknowledge the creativity, commitment and collaboration of the team who worked to bring the brand to fruition. Together with the CoCo Connect App, this launch will help us promote all that Monaghan has to offer while making it easier for people to stay informed and connected with what is happening in their local communities.”

The place brand launch is supported by a new Monaghan brand film, ‘Softly Spoken’, produced by local company Spot On Productions. ‘Softly Spoken’ presents Monaghan as a place that speaks softly but leaves a lasting impression. The film invites viewers to look a little closer and discover the warmth, character and opportunity found across County Monaghan.

Grace Morgan, Head of Brand, Communications and Innovation with Monaghan County Council, said:

“This Place Brand gives us an authentic and compelling way to tell Monaghan’s story. It brings tourism, economic development and county promotion together under one shared identity, helping us communicate clearly and confidently about what Monaghan has to offer.

“Rooted in the people, places and stories that make Monaghan distinctive, the new identity and Softly Spoken brand film invite residents, visitors, businesses and investors to look a little closer and discover more.”

Launching alongside the Place Brand, the new CoCo Connect App offers a simple and convenient way for people to stay connected with what is happening across County Monaghan.

Users can personalise their feed based on their location and interests, access local news and updates, discover offers from nearby businesses, and find information on events, clubs and community activities. The app also allows people to report local issues directly from their phone and provides access to important emergency information even when they are offline. CoCo Connect is free to download and no password is required.

Speaking about the benefits, Carmel O’Hare, Director of Services, said: “CoCo Connect represents a more innovative and responsive approach to how we communicate and engage with communities across County Monaghan. It provides a strong foundation for developing our digital communications, allowing us to connect with people in a way that is more immediate, targeted and centred on their interests and local area.”

Speaking at the launch, Robert Burns, Chief Executive said: “The new Place Brand and CoCo Connect App are central to Monaghan County Council’s strategic focus on clear, consistent and accessible communications.

“Together, they will help us tell Monaghan’s story with greater confidence and connect more effectively with our communities.”

Residents are encouraged to download CoCo Connect and personalise their feed, while community groups and local businesses are encouraged to sign up and share their news, events, activities and offers through the app.