| Upgrading your Image... Getting Started |
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By Don Westphal
Or they can be more descriptive like the Cherry Orchard Ranch or Vineyards logos.  
Our logo for the city was a bit more complex. It portrayed the various aspects of the city most liked by the citizens; Education, Neighborhoods, History/Agriculture, and Nature.
These three elements all combined to make an attractive illustration of the City. 
The same process can be utilized in creating a proper image for your property. Many industry giants have successfully combined some or all of these three elements in marketing statements that have stood the test of time. With some effort and perhaps some professional help, the same results can be achieved for your community. Our next installment will show how this effort can be brought into the entrance and signage in your business.##
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This will be the first in a series of articles, discussing the importance of creating and sticking to a consistent theme and image for your property whether it is a high end resort property or a family community. Let's start the process by looking at elements that can be part of the image statement. Three elements that come to mind are the name, a descriptor, and a logo. We recently completed a gateways image package for a city which successfully combined these three elements.
Name: In this case and for most of you the name is already established. Occasionally, where a complete turnaround is desired or with a new project, choosing the right name can be a great marketing opportunity. As I travel the country I see many examples of community names that miss the mark. My favorite is "Trailertopia!" There certainly was nothing utopian about that community! I believe that short names are better since they occupy less space and as a result can make a larger statement in a smaller space. "Riverview Manufactured Home Estates" could easily be shortened to "Riverview." Can your property benefit by upgrading its name? In our city example, that process involved merely deciding on an attractive lettering font and arrangement. 
Descriptor: Most successful companies have a recognizable short statement that adds appeal to their marketing effort. "Grab Life!", "Go RVing", "It's the Real Thing" and "Zero Calories" are great examples. We chose "Historic, Distinctive, and Progressive" for our City with a lettering font similar to the city font.
Logo: The logo can be as simple as a distinctive name with an appropriate surround like the famous Ford logo.
We chose to portray these elements as a 'window into the City' with each element as a window pane. The image in each pane and its corresponding color was reflective of each aspect. Purple for education, a warm color… orange, for neighborhoods, an earth tone… tan, for history/agriculture, and green for nature. The frames were tied together with a silhouette of a historic, champion oak tree and a river symbolizing the three rivers that converge in the city.
Written by Don Westphal
