Downtown Bargersville
DAILY JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
Bargersville city officers are getting ready to disclose the outcomes of an nearly year-long course of to develop the city’s new branding methods and brand.
City leaders labored with Franklin, Tennessee-based advertising and marketing guide Chandlerthinks on a $60,000 rebranding effort, which included neighborhood suggestions from greater than 750 folks, conversations with city officers and quite a lot of designs and ideas relating to not only a brand itself, however distinguished themes for the city to embrace. Members of Chandlerthinks additionally surveyed neighborhood members and labored with city officers to determine a motto for the city: “Bargersville: A Rising Legacy.”
City officers will unveil the brand new brand early subsequent yr as a part of an total model that will probably be included into future promoting of the city, reminiscent of data for vacationers, merchandise and signage on city buildings. The model will embrace the city’s rural heritage, even within the face of recent growth and the completion of Interstate 69, stated Steve Chandler, proprietor of Chandlerthinks.
Chandler’s firm has labored with municipalities in 27 states over the past 12 years, he stated.
“We focus on serving to municipalities with learn how to inform essentially the most compelling story to maneuver financial growth and tourism ahead,” Chandler stated. “Agricultural roots and heritage are tremendous essential to the folks of Bargersville. The small city really feel, realizing change is coming and the way a lot of that we’ll lose, these are tensions of what must be addressed. As growth happens, we’ve got to verify there’s a method to protect that story and never flip it into one thing it’s not.”
The five-member Chandlerthinks branding committee surveyed greater than 400 folks from Bargersville in the course of the first part of the mission, which occurred from February to April. The committee additionally surveyed about 300 individuals who don’t stay within the city to get an out of doors perspective. Respondents have been requested about how they’d price the city and if they’d suggest folks go to or stay there. They have been additionally requested open-ended questions on what they discovered most essential concerning the city, Chandler stated.
“We spent the primary couple of months listening to folks by means of surveys, interviews, and the character of it was a storytelling perspective,” he stated. “We discovered open area and land, the folks, the faculties and getting away, not being in Indianapolis (have been essential).”
The second part of the mission, which occurred in April, concerned conducting analysis to see what different municipalities had carried out to protect their heritage. Throughout a city council assembly in November, Chandler mentioned the Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas, the place metropolis officers included silos into the backdrop of the up-and-coming downtown buying middle.
“They’ve silos and grain bins, and so they function artwork. Not every little thing has to appear to be an excellent large city setting, that’s for Indianapolis. As Bargersville evolves and builds new stuff, it may well nonetheless give a nod to the agricultural heritage. That’s the place we advise them to take a look at that route,” Chandler stated. “In the event you’re constructing a model new downtown, which is mainly what they’re doing, you make choices to make it appear to be a spot that has a rural heritage. It doesn’t must be mirrored steel buildings.”
The branding committee spent about 5 months, from Might to September, on the inventive course of, which included brand design and the city’s motto.
“Municipalities prefer to say ‘it’s an amazing place to stay, work and play.’ It’s secure, however it doesn’t seize something distinctive and attention-grabbing concerning the neighborhood,” Chandler stated. “As an out of doors agency, we wish to make suggestions based mostly on the strongest story for Bargersville.”
The method to resolve a brand and motto for the city went by means of a number of drafts, with members of the committee working with the city council on quite a few concepts. An early thought, for instance, included incorporating the Bargersville grain bin into the emblem, however they determined towards it, Chandler stated.
“The entire municipality being literal with that picture felt just a little too remoted on one little factor, so we went away from that,” he stated. “Lastly, we realized we would have liked to be extra summary and symbolize not solely the agrarian historical past, however a brand new day, tomorrow and transferring ahead.”
City officers requested to chorus from publishing the emblem till the general public reveal.
The committee and city leaders landed on “Bargersville: A Rising Legacy” as a nod to the adjustments within the city whereas acknowledging its roots, he stated.
“A rising legacy is about doing issues at present that you simply’ll take with you whenever you develop. Let’s construct that legacy,” Chandler stated. “It’s tied to households and serving to one another, doing stuff now that may assist afterward.”
Finally, the long-term success of the city’s model will rely on the neighborhood’s willingness to embrace it, Chandler stated.
“A product like this will’t be anyone individual’s product. An individual can depart, however a neighborhood, bragging about the place you reside ought to be enjoyable,” he stated. “That’s why you reside there, to get pleasure from it. It ought to be enjoyable to inform your story, and the success of those tasks happen when the neighborhood enjoys it.”