1. A Creative Region? Count Us In!
The grassroots creative community is ready to join the regional branding efforts.

2. If you want a brand manager...
we’re not it.
Not a traditional agency, our mission (and all of our work) is to
grow the entrepreneurial & creative community in the region.

3. This is perfect timing...
✤ We’ve helped foster a stronger regional grassroots creative
community, and in doing so we are part of that community
✤ We’ve seen, heard and deeply understand this community’s needs:
access to resources, peers, supportive leaders and a meaningful sense
of place.
✤ The work the branding task force has done over the past two years has
brought together an amazing coalition of business and community
leaders who want to support more creativity and innovation in the
region.
✤ The opportunity for our region to connect this coalition with the
emerging creative community, which, in essence, will be like pouring
rocket fuel on innovation and creativity in the Creative
Corridor

4. The best branding strategy...
✤ The best internal branding is
delivering great experiences through
programming, resources and culture
that inspire residents to talk and share
the love with their networks
✤ The best external branding is
amazing projects, businesses and
initiatives gaining word-of-mouth and
national press
✤ We’re about building the
culture, community and
real life experiences that
make the brand ring true.

5. An interesting question...
✤ Which comes first in place branding, the culture or the brand?

6. Our answer...
✤ (Trick question) BOTH:
Use the brand ideals to build the culture internally, thereby helping
the community grow into the brand that shines externally
(Case study: Austin, Omaha and New Orleans)

7. Tell the stories of
our entrepreneurs
and creatives.
Feature our past and present
entrepreneurs, creatives,
innovations and interesting
regional residents
Use these stories to:
Create a series of videos
Develop unique brand stationery and
business supplies
Be the content of the media plan
(feature articles, street banners)
Inspire premium branded materials

8. Elevate & accelerate
existing creative
endeavors.
Highlight and channel resources into
the authentic organic projects local
creatives have already created to build
the culture and community the brand
aims for.
Use these projects to:
Promote an innovation imperative
within the region
Involve the private sector
Foster a sense of regionalism

9. Grow & connect the
innovative leaders
and the grassroots
creative community.
Formally engage grassroots leaders in the
project
Create programming to help the two
communities regularly connect
Use these efforts to involve the private
sector with the brand project

10. Create a meaningful
sense of place.
Create a visual sense of place thru:
High-quality marketing collateral
including gateway & wayfinding signage,
maps, infographics and public art.

11. We’re all ready...
✤ Establishing a partnership network with ✤ Deeply and personally passionate about
many of the region’s innovative leaders this work
(including many of you)
✤ Members of the target market; we speak
✤ Collaborating with many of the regional their language and know their interests
advertising agencies and grassroots and needs
creative shops and people
✤ Connecting people and groups across
✤ Producing creative community media, generations, backgrounds and
events, and programs industries
✤ Professionally practicing and consulting ✤ Studying and building relationships
in these fields of media, marketing, with creative cities and hubs around the
events and community building country
✤ Living and working in multiple cities of ✤ Leveraging our connections with
the region national experts on the subject
including Richard Florida, Peter
Kageyama and Robbie Vitrano

12. What it will
take...
✤ True partnership, collaboration and co-
creation
✤ Fresh process
✤ An all-star team
✤ Great design and the top professional
media production
✤ A monthly retainer + event and media
production costs
✤ An army of supporters and
collaborators

13. Next steps
✤ Let’s start a conversation about what active efforts are working
elsewhere and what our communities really needs now
✤ Layout a strategic plan (choosing a few key events, campaigns and
programs that will change the world)
✤ Get to work!