Putting It In Words

'Place Branding' or slogans are used by a lot of communities to attract people.

TaglineGuru named these the top 10 city slogans in the US:

    What Happens Here, Stays Here. - Las Vegas, NV
    So Very Virginia. - Charlottesville, VA
    Always Turned On. - Atlantic City, NJ
    Cleveland Rocks! - Cleveland, OH
    The Sweetest Place on Earth. - Hershey, PA
    Rare. Well Done. - Omaha, NE
    The City Different. - Santa Fe, NM
    Where Yee-Ha Meets Olé. - Eagle Pass, TX
    City with Sol. - San Diego, CA
    Where the Odds Are With You. - Peculiar, MO
Click here for the full list and methodology.

Image is definitely important - check out Place Branding's Anholt-GMI City Brands Index, which analyzes how people see different cities.

The question is, can cities effectively craft their image with words?  And if they can, will it lead to more people moving and/or visiting the city?

Here are a few articles/studies for your consideration:

A recent op-ed by Corey Johnson, a doctoral candidate at the University of Oregon, on Eugene’s new slogan.

A study of European City Branding: An Effective Assertion Of Identity Or a Transitory Marketing Trick?

And this study on community slogans in Wisconsin by Professor David Muench. He points out that slogans may in fact be more important for current residents, giving them a connect to local history and each other.

And one more, on branding countries.

What do you think? Has a community’s slogan ever affected your decision to move or visit? Is your community’s slogan helping people connect to each other and/or the soul of their city? What makes a slogan work?

Posted by Amanda. Have thoughts, questions or examples on/of community development strategies? Post them here or write  Amanda@CreativeClass.org. 

Comments

[Sandy]

I sense that slogans can very often lead to sloganeering, rather than careful reflection and dialogue among its citizens about what their region/city is and where they want to be going. Not unlike other attempts at rote replication of a given economic development strategy, many places feel they need to have a cool, hip slogan because city x did this, and look at their growth. I've heard several ED people state that many places attempt to "brand" their region before the brand is actually established and/or recognized- a version of "wannabe" syndrome.

On a personal note, I've never been compelled to visit or move to a place because of their slogan. Well, Austin's "Keep Austin Weird" makes me smile- but I'd go to Austin regardless. Then again, there is probably some legitimacy to the "Don't take yourself so seriously" slogan. Please have a sense of humor.

[John Whiteside]

Most slogans are, unfortunately, not very honest, and usually the locals are the ones who know that best.

Here in Houston, they keep churning out these dreadful, horrible slogans (like "Space City: A City of Infinite Possibilities") that mostly serve as the butt of jokes for actual Houstonians.

A local ad shop launched an unofficial slogan & campaign called "Houston: It's Worth It." It's funny and most of all HONEST. The web site (houstonitsworthit.com) is filled with actual Houstonians talking about the paradox of this town: we all know the things wrong with it but it's got an dynamic spirit that makes it a great place to live.

The CVB folks HATED it and whined to the press about it. People love it and you can buy t-shirts with the slogans at my neighborhood hardware store.

Does it make someone move here? I doubt it. But it does explain why some of us did move here.

[A Baltimorean]

There is one slogan that certainly keeps me from every taking the city seriously: Baltimore. A city that has hemorrhaged population for 40+ years, has an ever declining (non-narcotic related) economy, awful violence and crime, and one of the worst GDPs per capita in the nation.

The slogan?

Baltimore: The Greatest City in America.

Read that again. Not "A Great City" or any of the similar platitudes that all city slogans strive for, but an outright grandiose fabrication.

A debate on the actual greatest city in (North) America could go on for days and end only in compromise, not finality. But I can't imagine any sane observer actually contemplating modern Baltimore.

The effect? Seeing this message posted on every park bench (a large number of which are, of course, in run-down parts of time) just makes me cynical about a future for Baltimore. It's the equivalent of a dying corporation salvaging morale with a corporate "Motivational Song" instead of real, visionary leadership.

[A Baltimorean]

Also, continuing with Baltimore. I had forgotten that the city actually has two (and in some ways a third, more normal "Get in on it!)" slogans.

The first is outlandishly inaccurate, but the second is unsettling. It provides a Orwellian color to the streets and hardly reassures. Everywhere you go, on police stations, fire stations, trashcans, and just random, civic-minded buildings. In bold, stark white on black, sans serif font:

BELIEVE

[shamless plug]
A photo can be seen here: http://baltiless.blogspot.com/2007/01/hey-dude-you-know-youre-bleeding-asked.html

Unfortunately, the trashcan photo doesn't accurately capture the creepy feeling from seeing a banner with BELIEVE in 5' high letters strewn across police stations and surveillance cameras. Yes, its on the blue-flashing light street cameras at various intersections. Is it still the Greatest City on Earth? It'll be caught on film if it is.

Other photos and rants about the city can be found at http://baltiless.blogspot.com
[/shamless plug]

[Julie]

"Keep Austin Weird" is so ingrained here that we've sort of used it as a jumping off point for our neighborhood tagline--"Downtown: As Austin As It Gets." It's also used in a television program that we produce in partnership with the local PBS affiliate. And like one of the notes above, this is geared toward current residents, getting them to rediscover downtown if it's outside their normal routines. But we do use the show (and brand) as a recruitment tool as well.
And this is from the property owners on 6th Street because they realize the street is best known for its bar scene, but it's also a great collection of historic buildings--"6th: Keeping Austin Weird Since 1839."

[Wendy]

I recently ran across what I thought was a really awkward slogan:

Seattle: MetroNatural

Huh?

If you think about it for an hour, perhaps it makes sense. But slogans need to be catchy and fun the first time you read them.

Here's an article:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003314843_webslogan20.html