From the NMMS eNewsletter January 2013 By Robyne Beaubien
At the NMMS Fall Quarterly Meeting in Carlsbad, we spent some time talking about place-branding and the MainStreet district. There is a growing sense of creating destination and community in our districts. Striving for a unique – and authentic – place where people can come together to live, work and play.
Branding a MainStreet district is all about identifying assets… people, buildings, history, character, shops and eateries that “tell the story” of your MainStreet district. The good thing about branding is that it is fluid. It can move and adapt to changes that are happening in the buildings and on the streets. Maybe it is time to tweak your MainStreet brand, or maybe it is time to create one. Wherever you are in the process, here are three great resources for brand building:
New Mexico Tourism launched their new initiative New Mexico True this year and created an industry partners website that has information and resources for marketing New Mexico communities. There is an online registration process and once you are signed up, you have access to images, videos, fonts, samples, copy and templates. All of these resources are free and unique to the NMTRUE brand.
The Y Factor, out of Canada, is a marketing firm with a fresh approach and an understanding of MainStreet and economic development. Their website is business based, but they also have a blog with many articles that focus on MainStreet. Here are three favorites, but there are plenty more resources on their website and blog:
• Place Branding Your Downtown
• Your Unique Downtown Brand, Logo and Messaging
• Using Technology to Market Your Downtown
Downtown and Business District Market Analysis Toolbox (collaboration of the University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, National Trust Main Street Center and the Wisconsin Main Street Program) offers a straight forward approach to targeting and marketing a Main Street brand. A great resource for the Economic Positioning team also.
Wherever you are in the branding process, take time to step back and evaluate your progress. A great brand grows out of community input and honest reflection. If you need some help, fill out a NM MainStreet Service Request Form for assistance in branding and product development (Promotions and Marketing) or business district data and analysis (Economic Positioning).