California power players met to rebrand San Francisco's image

Mayor Daniel Lurie has led a private effort called SF Identity that has brought together business and design figures to discuss a San Francisco branding campaign; records show meetings in June, September and a December 3 gathering at LoveFrom.

A small group of California business and design figures has been meeting privately to explore ways to improve San Francisco's public image. The effort, known as SF Identity, is reported to be led by Mayor Daniel Lurie and has involved several gatherings over recent months. Records obtained by the San Francisco Standard show a December 3 meeting at the LoveFrom offices and earlier meetings in June and September. Organizers have discussed a possible branding campaign, though full details have not been released. Known details: - The initiative is identified in reporting as SF Identity and is described as a follow-up to earlier gatherings. - Attendees reported in records include Mayor Daniel Lurie, philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, former Apple designer Jony Ive, Gap CEO Richard Dickson, Ned Segal, and LoveFrom designer Chris Wilson, along with ad executives Rich Silverstein and Jim Elliott. - A December 3 meeting took place at LoveFrom, and a memo described it as a meeting to discuss a San Francisco branding campaign. - Some participants have ties to the mayor's nonprofit, Tipping Point Community, and donations to that nonprofit have been reported. - Context cited in reporting includes rising homelessness (more than 8,000 in 2024) and nearly 600 overdose deaths in 2025, and business leaders have said those issues affected downtown foot traffic. - Mayor Lurie has announced related initiatives such as the "Heart of the City" directive, a new arts and culture executive director role, the SF LIVE calendar, a free downtown concert series, and grants to artists and arts organizations. Summary: The meetings form part of Mayor Lurie's broader effort to revitalize downtown San Francisco and to coordinate public and private activity on image and cultural strategy. Reports link the private SF Identity gatherings to past promotional efforts, but the exact campaign steps and public rollout remain unclear. Undetermined at this time.