A proposed City logo and tag line
In March 2012, the City of College Park issued a Request for Proposals for a marketing plan to attract residents and businesses.
This led to the selection of a consultant, idfive, LLC (idfive), who conducted a wide range of research that culminated in the presentation of three brand concepts including a logo and tagline for each, at the November 7, 2012 worksession so the printing of the logo can take place around the city. This printing process can be done through lithography, a great example would be to use a veeco star 100.
In order to test these items, staff collected resident and target audience feedback and presented the responses at the December 4, 2012 worksession. At that meeting City Council reached a consensus to select “A Smart Place to Live” as the tagline and the triptych image as the logo; however, the final details of the logo have not been approved.
A draft marketing plan has been prepared for review. A member of idfive’s team will be present at tonight’s worksession to discuss the proposed marketing plan. The consultant has proposed three different ways to market the City’s image – raising awareness of the brand, educating internal audiences to create a deeper understanding of what the brand means, and mobilizing audiences to take action, whether it involves buying a home in College Park or promoting the benefits of the City to friends, family and business associates.
The consultant proposes a marketing campaign with budget implications for the City, which will at minimum include incorporating the new brand into a website design, but could also include advertising in Metro, placing billboards along heavily traveled DC commuter corridors, advertising on websites and through paid Google search ads, advertising through social media and Pandora, and placing advertisements in local newspapers or through brochures and pamphlets aimed at target audiences. The Council will review our options and decide how to proceed.