Downtown Lynn Cultural District brand presentation

The Lynn Arts & Culture District

Graphics appearing in this presentation are intended to illustrate concepts and suggested direction.

They are not intended to represent final graphic identity.

Brand?• Brand is a cohesive vision (mission), supported

by an organization’s behavior and illustrated by a variety of design and media tool create a relatable buy in.

• The “ABC” approach:

• Artifact (Design, Logo, Web)

• Behavior

• Cohesion

Example: Nike

Our Mission: To bring inspiration and innovation

to every athlete* in the world.

*"If you have a body, you are an athlete."

The asterisk is a quote from Bill Bowerman. Who is he? Legendary track & field coach at the University of Oregon, a teacher who showed athletes the secrets of achievement. Co-founder of Nike. We invite you to experience some of our inspiring products.

Cohesive Vision >

Nike’s Mission Statement

http://nikeinc.com/pages/about-nike-inc

http://nikeinc.com/pages/about-nike-inc

Example: Nike

Behavior >

Marketing and MediaPublic RelationsCustomer ServiceSponsorshipPhilanthropic Support

ALWAYS ON MISSION

Example: Nike

Artifact > Design

You invest in the productto be the brand.

The Lynn Arts &Culture District

PERCEPTION

BATTLING PERCEPTION

Lynn, Lynn The City of SinYou Won’t Go Out The Way You Came In...

BATTLING PERCEPTION

Building PERCEPTION

The DistrictIS invested in

changing PERCEPTION through

ACTION

Building The Brand

Building The Brand

• Research and information gathering

• 10 weeks of group and individual meetings

• “In Lynn”: Historic and current research

• MCC Forum with other Districts

• Consultation: Providence, RI; Oakland, CA; Austin, TX; Salem, MA

• Team Building: Designers, Web Developers, Copy Writers, Development, Public Relations

• Grant Research: ArtPlace LOI

Brand Development > Working Toward Cohesive Vision

• The District can build a new perception of Lynn by actively offering the City’s positive cultural and creative assets to residents and visitors.

• A successful district has the potential to change the quality of life for residents and visitors, while creating a viable economic platform for the city.

BUILDING The Brand

Brand Development > Why is the District important?

• Families

• Young “Urban Pioneers”

• Youth audiences that will grow into mature audiences, while encouraging diversity in attendance.

• Residents and Tourists

BUILDING The Brand

Brand Development > Who is the Desired Audience?

Building The Brand

Brand Characterization > What’s that?

• Understanding how Lynn identifies itself

• Using other brands to inform characteristics

If the Lynn Arts &

Culture District were a....

Building The Brand

...car

Building The Brand

...beverage

Building The Brand

...shoe

Building The Brand...publication

Building The Brand

...celebrity

Bruce Springsteen

Rihanna

Kristen Stewart

Sean Penn

Building The Brand

• Quintessentially American

• Defined by a blue collar, ‘rough & tumble’ edge.

• Proud of the past but looking to the future

• Rebellious

• Storied: Many stories to share, past & present

• Real. No B.S.

Brand Characterization > Boil it down The Lynn Arts & Culture District Brand Is....

The Lynn Arts &Culture District BrandSUGGESTED DIRECTION

The BrandMISSION

• [The Lynn Arts & Culture District] represents a citywide mission to engage Lynn residents and visitors in a renewed urban experience that is inspired by arts and culture.

The Brand

The Brand > Mission Mission Statement

The BrandDISTRICT NAME

• Central Exchange Cultural District

• Building off the work that’s been done, consider changing the name.

The Brand > District Name Current Name

The Brand

Why?A few key reasons...

• Of 100 people asked, 92% used ‘financial’ or ‘corporate’ as key terms in describing the function of ‘Central Exchange’.

• How does this relate to brand characteristics?

The Brand

The Brand > District Name Consider A Change: Reason #1

• The desired audiences (working families, “urban pioneers”, youth) are displaying active mistrust of these terms and ideologies.

The Brand


• Confusion with Cambridge’s ‘Central Square Cultural District’

• One word apart with a more established brand.

The Brand


The Brand > District Name Consider A Change

• Build off naming work that’s already been done.

• Use brand characteristics to appeal to desired audience.

• Limited number of Cultural Districts: Stand Out

• Set Lynn apart with a name that’s unique and on brand.

The Brand

The Brand > District Name Consider ...

Union & ExchangeCultural District

Lynn

The Brand

The Brand

The Brand > District Name “Union & Exchange Cultural District, Lynn”

• It’s WHERE we are (Physical Location)

• It’s WHO we are (Mission)

• It’s WHAT we’re doing (Unified, Exchanging)

• It’s HOW we’re doing it (Together, active)

• It speaks directly to WHY the District is important.

The BrandSLOGANS

• Building new perception: Lynn, Lynn, the city of...

• City’s positive assets

• Food + Fun

The Brand

The Brand > Slogans District Slogans & Tag Lines

The Brand > Slogans Suggested District Slogans

• Primary: You Won’t Go Out The Way You Went In (Change agent; Transformation)

• Secondary: Where Industry Meets Imagination (Positive Assets)

• Tertiary: So good, it might be a sin. (Food, Fun)

The Brand


LynnYou Won’t Go Out

The Way You came In

The Brand > Slogans District Name & Slogans

The Brand

The Brand > District Name & Slogans

The Brand


LynnWhere Industry Meets Imagination

The Brand > District Name & Slogans

The Brand


LynnSo Good, It Might Be A Sin

The BrandDESIGN 1

Foundation

• Design elements should align with brand characteristics.

• Design should speak to Lynn’s graphic history in a contemporary way.

The Brand

Graphic History?

The Brand > Design 1 Foundation: Logo, Identity

• Design simplicity to maximize versatility of use and integration with existing logos.

• Foundational design and style set should be strong and easily identifiable.

The Brand

The Brand > Design 1 Foundation: Logo, Identity

The Brand

The Brand > Design 1 Foundation: Retro Modern

• A Retro Modern graphic style is recommended.

• Nostalgic but new: In line with brand characteristics.

• Crossover appeal: Familiar for older generations, fun and comfortable, but “hip”, too.

Retro Modern?

The Brand

The Brand > Design 1 Retro Modern Logo Examples

Designer: Ryan Cran

The Brand

The Brand > Design 1 Retro Modern Logo Example

Designer: Commoner, Inc.

The Brand > Design 1 Retro Modern Style Set

The Brand

Designer: Commoner, Inc.

The Brand

The Brand > Design 1 Foundation: Logo and Style Guide

• Logo with variations

• Primary, secondary, tertiary fonts

• Color palette

• “On Brand” Consistency

Style guide example

The Brand

The Brand > Design 1 Foundation: Imagery and Voice

• Imagery - photography, graphics, video - of high quality, with brand characteristics in mind.

• Voice - copy, media (adverts): Fun, down - to - earth, giving it to you straight

The Brand

The Brand > Design 1 Foundation: Voice - Instead of...

“The Teen Arts Council (TAC) is an

apprenticeship program for a group of

teenagers who work for the

[organization] in a variety of leadership

and learning opportunities and serve as

ambassadors promoting the

[organization] in the Greater Boston

community.”

Teen Union & Exchange is an internship

program that gives Lynn teens hands-on

work experience in the Union &

Exchange Cultural District. Whether

you’re into marketing, the arts, or real

estate, there’s an internship in the

District for you. The application

process is competitive, so put your best

foot forward and represent Lynn’s

finest.

The Brand

The Brand > Design 1 Foundation: Voice - Consider this....

The Brand

The Brand > Design 1 Questions for Moving Forward

• Digital versus print: Important considerations for usage.

• Who will be using print materials?

• Usage considerations affect cost.

• $ into a print map? Why not digital?

• Desired audience and contemporary design use.

• Further conversation

The BrandDESIGN 2

Signage

The Brand > Design 2 Signage

• Retro modern meets the street

• Apply design to street signage

• Speak to Lynn’s history in a contemporary way by use existing architecture for painted signage

The Brand

The Brand > Design 2 Signage

• Sponsorship opportunities

• Potential for community engagement

• Keep it simple

• Proportion

The Brand

The BrandDESIGN 3

Web & Social Media

The Brand

The Brand > Design 2 Website: Basic Content

• Simple, simple, simple

• Who: Arts Organizations, Businesses, City Hall, Artists...

• What: Events, Gallery Openings, Food, Exhibitions....

• Where: Downtown Lynn! Parking, Public Transportation...

• When: Event Calendar

• How: Connected, Collaborative

• Why: Mission

• Bringing it all together > Brand characteristics

• Create a District “hub” > Collaborative content build

• Use web building template with minor customization

• Effective, staged use of social media

• “One page” design at start

The Brand

The Brand > Design 2 Website: Content Build

One Page Design?

The Brand

The Brand > Design 2 Website: One Page Design Example

Toth + Co.

http://www.toth

http://www.toth

http://www.toth.com

http://www.toth.com

The Brand

The Brand > Design 2 Website: One Page Design

• All key info on one, scrolling page: Who, What, Where...

• Keep page one dynamic: Info/imagery changes

• Secondary information one layer down

• Layer in more information as content is developed

The Brand

The Brand > Design 2 Website: “Added Value” Content

• Artist and Individual Profile Gallery

• Events Blog

• Create community investment and interest

The Brand

The Brand > Design 2 Website: Social Media

• Start Simple: Facebook, Twitter

• Think of all social media as an opportunity for ‘free’ marketing

• Social media network leads back to the source (Union & Exchange)

• Create dynamic media (video, photo, audio) with organizations to create marketing content and populate other sites (YouTube, Pinterest) in year two and three.

• Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance....

• “Launch and done” = dead in the water

• Web and Social Media are dynamic, changing and require consistent, on - brand maintenance

• Built with growth in mind: Year 1 > Year 5 > Year 10

• More on maintenance later

The Brand

The Brand > Design 2 Website: Maintenance and Strategy

MarketingOVERVIEW

Marketing

Building PERCEPTION

MarketingMarketing > Overview Back to the Mission

• Union & Exchange Cultural District represents a citywide mission to engage Lynn residents and visitors in a renewed urban experience that is inspired by arts and culture.

Marketing

• Union & Exchange Cultural District represents a citywide mission to engage Lynn residents and visitors in a renewed urban experience that is inspired by arts and culture.

Marketing > Overview Back to the Mission

What IS There To MArket?

MarketingMarketing > What Is There To Market? Messaging: Laying the Foundation

• City Wide: Lynn organizations, businesses and individuals acting together with cohesive vision - working the “deeper connection”

• Engage: Community Involvement and participation

• Renew: Revitalization of the Lynn urban experience = grants, mergers, infrastructure improvements

• Inspire: Programming

MarketingMarketing > What is There to Market? Individual Organizations

MarketingMarketing > What is There to Market? Individual Organizations

• Individual Organizations: On brand programming, events

• District collaboration between organizations, businesses, individuals

• Marketing and PR assistance to District Organizations and artists living in the District

MarketingMarketing > What is There to Market? District Specific Programming: 3rd Thursday

• Immediate Programming (Year One): Renewing 3rd Thursday

3rd Thursday+ + =

Lynn, Ma High School Band

• Strategic collaboration between District organizations, businesses, individuals

• Builds off lessons learned > Educated and informed

• Can be promoted by all

• “Added Value” experience

MarketingMarketing > What is There to Market? District Specific Programming: 3rd Thursday

Marketing > What is There to Market? District Specific Programming: 3rd Thursday

• Limited run: May > January

• Strategy sessions and calendar development January > May

• Reduce burn out

• Maximize creative collaboration

MarketingMarketing

By April the calendar is up on the District website & is “sharable”/publishable.

Marketing > What is There to Market? District Specific Programming: The Decade Project

Marketing

• Long Term Programming(Year Three): The Decade Project

A single art event

can change a city

A single art event

can change a city

Providence, RIWaterFIRE


Marketing

A single art event

can change a city

Some background...

MarketingMarketing > What is There to Market? District Specific Programming: The Decade Project

“WaterFire is the award-winning sculpture by Barnaby Evans presented on the rivers of downtown Providence, RI. First created by Evans in 1994 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of First Night Providence, WaterFire has grown to become an annual public art phenomenon....

Average attendance is 40,000 a night, with numbers ranging from 10,000 to 100,000. Recently, attendance has increased from thousands to millions of visitors, with crowds reaching nearly two million per season.

WaterFire is presented for free, with only ten percent of the funds needed to host WaterFire acquired through governmental means and the remainder coming from private and corporate donations.”

waterfire.org

Artist Barnaby Evans

Waterfire


• Waterfire related revenue, 2004: $55 Million*

• Waterfire related revenue, 2011: $109 Million*

• Visitors (groups of three/four) to Waterfire spend an average of $150.00 on food, beverages, etc.*

• Local, national, international tourist destination

• Related programming has developed as event has developed

Marketing

* Acadia Consulting

OK. But what’s the Decade Project?


• Waterfire makes creative use of physical and cultural assets.

• It creates sponsorship and community building opportunities

• It has created local jobs: 120 person staff +

• It draws over 2 million people per year.


The Decade Project is proposed as a long term, District wide exhibition of street art, showcasing compelling work from contemporary urban artists. It uses Lynn’s unique downtown features and industrial architecture to create an urban exhibition space, available year round to residents and tourists.

The proposed project would kick off In 2015, with one street artist being invited to exhibit on an exterior surface within the district. Every two years - for ten years (a decade) - another artist would add a piece of original street art to the district. At the end of the decade, the first art work is painted over and a “new decade” begins.

Some “street” artists....

Shepard Fairey

BLU

Michael Lin

JR Winner, 2011 TED prize

Why street art?


• Street art supports brand characteristics

• Historically established presence in Lynn

• Contemporary and culturally relevant

• Funding possibilities (grants, sponsorship)

• Catalyst for infrastructure improvement


• MANY programming opportunities from artist lectures (auditorium) to teen internship program (schools).

• Organizations can participate in or create “Decade” particular programs, without the project overwhelming their individual missions.

JR Speaks to audience at TED


• From internal to International appreciation; can represent Lynn community’s cultural facets while appealing to a broad audience

• Taps into desired audience; destination event

• Scale of project: See how it goes, interest generated, buzz, revenue from year one...three...five...etc.

• Unique, Marketable and Measurable

• “Day at the Beach, Night on the Town”

• Connect Lynn’s assets for visitors...make it easy for them: Trolley shuttle from Central Square to the beach...

• Beach ticket parking receipt? 5$ off in the district...Incentives, Incentives, Incentives

• “From the Stars to the Street”

Marketing

Marketing > What is There to Market? District Food & Fun

Marketing

Marketing > What is There to Market?

MissionOrganizations & Artists

3rd ThursdayDecade Project

Food & Fun

Marketing

Marketing > What is There to Market?

Union & ExchangeEngageRenewInspire

MArkeTING

Years 1 Through 3Laying The Foundation

• MCC Adams Grant through July, 2013: Brand, Design, Web for District = Deliverables

• There is 0$ and 0 staff: Consider both creatively and seriously

• Financing: District ‘dues’ for Marketing & PR assistance? Kickstarter?

• Grants: ArtPlace, Our Town

Marketing

Marketing > Years 1 through 3 Laying the Foundation - Basics

• Functional Network; Contracted Experience

• Consistent, mediated communication within District

• Women are critically important cultural drivers in Lynn (Arts After Hours > Zimman’s)

• Sustainability and maintenance key

• Avoid failed initiative

Marketing

Marketing > Years 1 through 3 Laying the Foundation - Basics

Marketing > Years 1 through 3 Laying the Foundation - Marketing Themes

• District Development: Safety, infrastructure improvements

• Programming and ‘Placemaking’ initiatives

• Awards and grants received

Marketing

Marketing

Marketing > Years 1 through 3 Laying the Foundation - Marketing Themes

• Encourage the “deeper connection”: Visitors come for one event, stay for more (Auditorium > Restaurants/Bars...Kids Programming/Shopping)

• On brand “curated revitalization” of downtown: Parks & Performance, Bakeries & Breweries, Vittles & Vintage

Who Are We Marketing TO?The Resident & The Tourist

Other Heritage:

Central America 35%

Asia 29%

Eastern Europe 14%

Africa 9%

Race:

Caucasian: 64%

Other Heritage 36%

Household Types:

Single Person 27%

Married W/ Children 21%

Married No Children 19%

Single Mother 12%

Education:

High School Graduate 55%

High School or less 26%

Bachelor’s/Associate 15%Age:

40-64 26%

25-39 23%

7-18 19%

Stat Sources:AreaConnect; Movoto; Trulia

Gender:

Female 51%

Male 49%

Employment Fields:

Education & Health 20%

Retail/Wholesale 17%

Manufacturing 15%

Arts/Entertainment 9%

Employment:

Employed 56%

Not in labor Force 40%

Unemployed 4%

Household Income:

Less than 30K 42%

30K > 75K 42%

75K > 150K 14%

150K + 2%

Marketing

Marketing > Resident Stats

Marketing

• The “local” New England Tourist > Auto Tourism

• Gateway City/Historical Tourism

• Foodies > Blue Ox, Pho, Tacos Lupita

• “Nature Tourism” > Urbanites who beach, hike...

• Music & Culture > Auditorium, Arts After Hours

Marketing

Marketing > Tourism

Marketing > Years 1 through 3 Laying the Foundation - Marketing Tools

Marketing

• Define goals, determine staff option, create budget

• Active Public Relations pitching stories relative to themes: Print, media

• Social Media: Individual Organizations AND District

• “Guerilla” Marketing: Creative, street, grassroots, buzz

Next STePS

Next STEPS

Next Steps > Moving Forward Reconvene First Week of January

• MCC Deliverables (Brand, Design, Web, Marketing Strategy): Decision making and execution

• 3rd Thursday? Planning and calendar building

• Funding and Staff discussion

• Long term project discussion

You Won’t Go Out The Way You Came In3rd Thursday

Be the brand