Community Branding: Lauderdale Lakes, Florida Case Study

English poet William Cowper wrote, “Variety’s the very spice of life that gives it all its flavor.” But when all that spice is disguised by a bit of a bland exterior, people aren’t as interested in stopping to savor the flavor.

Consider the case of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, located in the heart of Broward County. Like really good fusion cooking, this city represents a literal intersection of colorful cultures . . . Caribbean, African-American, Jamaican, Indian, Chinese, Trinidadian, Arabian, Irish, German and Canadian. And the textured, spicy flavors of these cultures – traditions, food, music, arts, sports, and faiths – mix and mingle in the hearts, homes, churches, shops and restaurants of the community.

But few outsiders were really aware of Lauderdale Lakes' vibrancy. A lack of harmony regarding planning, marketing, infrastructure and more meant that the colors of the city weren’t in sharp focus. How best, then, to converge the color of the community so that visitors, businesses and residents alike are drawn to its bright energy?

Lauderdale Lakes’ location as a major intersection in Broward County was an opportunity to showcase its assets to about 120,000 drivers a day. City leaders had embarked upon redevelopment and branding plans to maximize that exposure. North Star recommended leveraging Lauderdale Lakes’ place both as a transportation and cultural intersection. The resulting strategy targets hardworking people committed to community involvement and positions Lauderdale Lakes as a place where cultures intersect for a fusion of flavors that make life more interesting.

The creative identity for the strategy is anchored by a logo and line pulsing with energy and bright color. The line “Life in Full Color” fully supports the rich cultural diversity of the city and offers endless possibility for speaking to residents, visitors and businesses looking for a more vivid, flavorful experience. The arresting kaleidoscope imagery is flexible and fun, suggesting that endless combinations of color and shape within Lauderdale Lakes offer endless opportunity and possibility.

Brand action ideas focus on the use of color and diversity in the development of everything from events to businesses to signage to infrastructure. With an eye toward limited resources, ideas were designed to makes a big impact for less. For example:

Create visual interest for car travelers and pedestrians moving through the major intersection (and play up the idea of “intersection of cultures” with this painted pavement). The turquoise and orange borders of the design serve as crosswalks.

Create a flag display which represents the diversity of cultures and nationalities in Lauderdale Lakes.

Develop branded merchandise such as a kaleidoscope, a vibrant reminder of Life in Full Color.

George’s Deli, Hidden German Food Delights of California

I’m lucky. My job lets me explore new places and the often surprising delights associated with them. And when I’m really lucky, those surprises have something to do with food!

Recently, I journeyed to a little town called Calimesa, found east of LA in the Inland Empire area. While Calimesa is not necessarily associated with German heritage, it is well known for a Bavarian-style German market called “George’s”. For 40 years this unassuming building has been located between a shopping center and a parking lot on a frontage road. And for 40 years patrons have streamed in and out of its doors. At lunchtime parking overflow actually spills into the lot next door.

Currently celebrating their 40th anniversary (did I mention they’ve been operating 40 years), the deli-market was opened by a German immigrant and his family back in the 70s. And George, his daughters and granddaughters still run the show. The little Bavarian hotspot has gained quite a reputation for having the best authentic German food for miles, meaning you can find delicacies like schnitzel (of the Holstein, wiener, jager, port, and Kalb varieties, to name a few), Kielbasa, Spaetzel, Bayerische Semmelklose, and plenty of other wondrous and unpronounce-able German deli items. Everything from meats to cheeses to breads to pastries and even sundry items are available. Truly, if you can find it in Germany, you can most likely find it in Calimesa at George’s. (Well, maybe not lederhosen but no one looks good in those anyway.)

A review on Yelp reads “Best bacon on Calimesa Boulevard according to George. He's wrong, but he won't listen... Best bacon in California... seriously.” It seems this tiny, unique specialty market is gaining quite a name for itself, and thus for Calimesa.

~ Shannon Gray

Community Branding: Helena, AR Case Study

Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” The challenge: how to light a fire under that commitment . . . particularly in the face of poor self esteem.

Such was the case with Helena, Arkansas, nestled on the Mississippi River in the heart of the Arkansas Delta.

Like so many communities, Helena suffered from a poor self image. The older generation was having trouble reconciling Helena in its heyday to the high unemployment rates and empty storefronts of today. The younger generation was frustrated by a lack of both social and career opportunities. Stakeholders were being sidetracked by racial issues, leadership divisiveness, infrastructure challenges and a lack of economic development focus. And when optimism did arise, negative (and sometimes inaccurate) media coverage made it hard to maintain.

But some exciting things are happening in Helena, laying the groundwork for a southern city rising again.For example, Helena is home to some of the country’s most poignant rhythm and blues and Civil War history and is working hard to celebrate and promote that heritage. A groundbreaking educational initiative called the KIPP charter school just graduated its first senior class. Teach for America, The Boys and Girls Club, Delta Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Phillips Community College and a small business incubator are making positive changes in the lives of residents. And some innovative new businesses are demonstrating that economic development is very viable in Helena.“Good things are happening in Helena,” explained Don McEachern, CEO of North Star. “But before Helena could talk to the world about its renewal, it needed to educate, excite and involve insiders about the potential for their town.”

North Star recommended a strategic brand platform that would support both an internal campaign and an external brand. The platform positions Helena as a place for passionate people attracted to a strong, storied river and blues town where a rising rhythm of renaissance invites each voice to be powerful and instrumental. North Star then developed two separate but integrated initiatives based on that strategy.

The first and initially most important is an internal self-esteem initiative called Helena Rising designed to slowly create a groundswell of interest and pride in Helena, her accomplishments, history and culture – primarily among young people.A few ideas from the Helena Rising initiative:

Recognize Helena Rising heroes on internal billboards. For example, one billboard could feature the first graduating class of the KIPP School.

Create window wraps to provide consistency in appearance downtown and to disguise buildings that are empty and in disrepair.

Develop merchandise that citizens can wear, carry or use to spread the word about Helena Rising.

North Star also developed a more traditional brand campaign for Helena; this campaign is designed to target media, economic development prospects, downtown development and other more externally focused audiences and initiatives.