TITLE: Title
Carrboro Branding and Marketing
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is to present the findings of the Branding study to the Board of Aldermen.
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DEPARTMENT: Economic and Community Development
CONTACT INFORMATION: Annette D. Stone, AICP Economic and Community Development Director 919 918 7319
INFORMATION: Cities, Towns and Counties across the State and Country are recognizing the value of branding a community. Branding is the art of aligning what you want people to think about your community with what people actually do think about your community. Branding is communicating through visuals and words that tell the unique story, in Carrboro's case, about this special place.
The Board of Aldermen recognized the need to re-brand the Town (there is an existing visual that is used throughout Town signage) in several planning documents. First, in the 2006 RTS report, "Creating Carrboro's Economic Future," the study points out the need to brand the community in order to communicate to new and re-locating businesses why Carrboro is an attractive place to start a business. In the 2008 Local Living Economy Task Force Recommendations, the Task Force recommended developing a brand, stating "The consistent use and promotion of a Town graphic and tagline provides a visual hook to uniquely identify those businesses, programs, events, products, people and the physical environment that define our community. Properly developed, this graphic and tagline could embody the unique traits and characteristics of the community (i.e. quality, successful, unique, healthy, committed, beautiful, funky, leading edge, fun, historic, active.)".
The Town officially began this process of branding last year with the selection of The Splinter Group to guide a community conversation and develop a process for stakeholder engagement. In the past year, staff and the consultant have meet with Town advisory boards, attended community events, held public input sessions, and collected information. The information collected was about people's feelings and thoughts about Carrboro. What makes Carrboro, Carrboro?, was asked in surveys, interviews, and in meetings. The results were reported to the Board of Aldermen at the June 2013 Retreat (attached).
That information was used by the creative team at Splinter to develop ideas for visuals and phrases that describe Carrboro, in the proverbial "nutshell." The attached report is an accounting of the process, community feedback, results of the focus groups and input from advisory boards to develop what has emerged as the preferred brand.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: If adopted by the Board of Aldermen, the initial "launch" of the brand will be through the Town's new website, which is waiting on the branding process for the "look and feel" to launch. Also, already included in the FY 13-14 budget for launching the new brand is $6,500 for banners to be used throughout the Downtown and the Community Resource and Visitor Guide which will be used to introduce the brand to the Community. Town staff is working with the newly formed Carrboro Tourism Development Authority to develop a walking map for Downtown and other marketing materials that will use the new brand to promote Carrboro. Upcoming marketing opportunities are Carrboro Chill being planned by Downtown businesses for December 14th, immediately after the Holiday Parade, and in February as there is continued interest in the now annual "For the Love of Carrboro" campaign.
Town staff is working on estimates for cost of replacement of Town signs which will be considered in next year's budget. Other opportunities to promote the brand will be sought out and budgeted for accordingly.
RECOMMENDATION:r Staff recommends the Board consider adopting the new brand and directing staff to move forward with implementation.