The Brand Foundation
In recent history, Baltimore’ s public image has, in part, been tied to negative newspaper headlines and narratives created for TV dramas— not uplifting and inspirational stories about the individuals who represent the beating heart of our city. To capture a more accurate and holistic picture, we partnered with award-winning independent agency Bellweather to begin a process of deep research and community engagement.
The first six months of the stakeholder-driven initiative was spent in Baltimore neighborhoods speaking with and listening to local residents, civic leaders and cultural influencers. The process included:
• Conversations about what matters to diverse communities, and how they want to be seen
• Brand workshops with dozens of engaged neighbors, small business owners and other stakeholders
• Seven one-on-one interviews with civic leaders and elected officials
• A survey to Visit Baltimore members and a separate visitor survey, which resulted in 105 and 502 responses respectively
Once we collected stakeholder and community feedback, we established a set of foundational narratives that helped to guide a better Baltimore story. Along with the narratives, our new campaign shines a light on eight brand elements that speak to our intrinsic personality and cultural differentiators. This solid foundation will allow for the city’ s brand position and messaging to evolve and remain relevant for many years( and we hope decades) as we continue to highlight the experiences that make us a compelling place to discover, explore and visit time and again.
FOUNDATIONAL NARRATIVES
1. Lead With Culture |
2. Expand History |
3. Embrace Contradictions |
4. Youthful Spirit |
SUPPORTING NARRATIVE: Affordability = Accessibility
BRAND ELEMENTS
CULTURE / ARTS
DIVERSE PRIDE YOUTH HERITAGE
CONNECTED CASUAL FUN
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