This is the fourth article in a series about neighborhood branding, which explores the perceptions of your neighborhood before determining what to change and setting goals. We will now continue with making your neighborhood’s brand come to life.
Successful brands are always defined by logos—the combination of a stylized name and image that represents a concept much larger than the sum of its parts.
Yet, our modern world is full of too many poorly created, or even unbranded, brands. If you think people have the wrong perception of your neighborhood, it’s not because your neighborhood lacks its own unique identity, but rather, because your neighborhood lacks a cohesive brand identity.
The simplest, most easily understandable and recognizable part of your neighborhood’s brand should be a visual identity—your logo—followed by the physical implementation of that logo on street light banners, decals and other signage.
Establishing a logo is the first step to making your brand come to life.
So, if you’ve done the hard work, which includes taking the time to understand your neighbors and local businesses, as well as your audience, and set realistic, measurable goals, it’s time for some action.
Creating Your Neighborhood’s Logo
Be forewarned, choosing an agreed-upon logo that the community feels is representative of itself is no easy hurdle to overcome. But it’s important to remember that a well-designed, thought out logo is an ideal way to invigorate an intangible idea, the qualities of your community.
Local logo experts Dee Heffernan of Sol Identity, a brand strategist and designer who is currently leading the branding effort of the St. Johns Main Street Coalition (SJMSC); graphic designer Jeff Fisher of LogoMotives; and Brooke Preston, a communications consultant and the owner and founder of The Word Brewery, offer the following tips on designing your neighborhood’s logo:
- Great ways to initiate the process include “hiring a local designer, approaching the art department of a neighborhood school, or partnering with a design school,” Fisher says. “I always discourage the use of a ‘contest’ as a way of creating a new logo for any group or organization.”
- Create very targeted work that embodies your community. Find concepts that everyone can rally around, such as your neighborhood’s history, and physically define yourself with imagery and typography that represents this.
- Be sure to consider longevity, or the shelf life of your brand, Heffernan says. Your “branding is going to, hopefully, last a very long time so it has to take a very intelligent, very strategic approach to make it unique but also classic," she says.
- Make your new physical presence highly visible, Fisher says. Employing a consistent message across “logos, banners, bumper stickers, T-shirts, signage, neighborhood business or walking maps, and other graphic elements may be very effective in introducing and informing the public about the location, history and attributes of a neighborhood,” Fisher explains.
- “Many individuals have never even heard of some neighborhoods in which residents have enormous personal pride,” Fisher continues. But, increased visibility and effective branding tools can not only educate others but may also “help bolster a neighborhood’s identity and sense of civic pride,” Preston adds.
- And, as if it can’t be said enough, Preston stresses that logos and branding “should always be clean, contemporary and consistent.”
Creating A Style Guide For Your Logo
.jpg)
Once you’ve settled on a logo, it’s important to establish clear guidelines that make it easy for others to use your new brand—that means blatantly spelling out how to use it.
SJMSC is currently in the process of developing its own branding packet, which will be available for download on its website. According to the site, “It will give suggestions about where and how to use the logo as well as provide sample templates for posters and other materials.”
Templates are a great way to encourage consistency as well as the use of your new brand, especially for those less design-oriented neighbors and businesses.
Even if you provide everything, it’s no easy task to universally implement your brand. One of the biggest challenges you’ll face is “getting the business owners to weave this identity into their business," Heffernan says. "I think that it's going to be hugely beneficial to the businesses in St. Johns, but there's definitely going to be a need for education."
If there are many voices telling the same story and spreading the same message around your neighborhood, it will increase the likelihood of more people hearing your message, recognizing it, and glomming on to it.
And if you can get your community work together, you can “create [a] big impact,” Preston says. “One business holding an event or posting positive sentiments about the neighborhood on Facebook isn’t likely to make widespread impact.”
“If a dozen neighborhood businesses band together and coordinate a district-wide event, or create consistent messages to be shared through content marketing channels like blogs, e-newsletters and social media channels, the impact will be exponentially greater,” Preston explains.
Launching Your Logo
With your result in hand, it’s time to unveil your logo to the world with a physical presence at events like street fairs, farmers’ markets and other community gatherings, as well as exposure through online outlets like social media, blogging and neighborhood newsletters. How to publically and digitally launch your new neighborhood brand will the subject of the next article in this series.
Think about the most recognizable neighborhoods or business districts around town. Why do they stand out to you? What makes them memorable? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
