Branding a city is somewhat similar to branding a company – the goal of which is to build the business by bringing in more clients and therefore more money, which equals more employees, etc. But a CITY. A place where people live, recreate, start families, love, play fetch with their dogs.
Usually the primary goal is to uplift the community by bringing in more people, more businesses and therefore more jobs. More people means more money coming in that can be used for city improvements such as general mobility, public services, even simple things like planting more trees along roads. Elevate the quality of life.
Below is my condensed version of this important process:
In order to get people interested in living in or visiting a community, you must start with the individuals involved and/or living in the community already. The city should host a series of focus groups, by invitation only, with the intention of creating specific goals for different areas of commerce, government, etc. The city should also host open forums, where the public has a chance to voice opinions, be it good or bad, regarding general goings-on in the city. A consultant hired specifically for focus groups or the like is a typical path to take and will have a set list of questions and goals directly related to this project.
The firm or company hired for the branding work should be given ALL opinions from forums, the list of goals from prominent members of the community and any other documents, thoughts or ideas pertaining to the community at large. The firm and city must also establish the decision-makers for the span of the project(s). This is very important to clarify, especially when on a tight or restricted timeline. Decide who is involved and stick to that decision.
Beyond the initial gathering of information, the branding process is basically the same. Research, research, research. Logo development and testing. Presentation (to the selected decision-makers) and so forth. Once the logo and tagline have been chosen any and all material associated with the city must be changed or redesigned to accommodate and support the new style. During this time the Branding Guideline is created and distributed.
If the firm is also building the marketing strategy for the new brand, the work would begin at the same time as the branding. This may require a different focus group for a new set of goals.
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To me, bringing out the best of a city by highlighting recreational activities, livability, citizenship, neighborhoods and more, is one of the best creative challenges I could ask for. Also, helping a community become stronger is a great thing.