http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20100720/NEWS02/707209883/1003/NEWS02
Published July 20, 2010 in the Rutland Herald
Springfield has a new ‘brand’
By Susan Smallheer
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield has had more than its fair share of inventors over its 250-year history: people who designed everything from baby carriages, the first jointed dolls and world-famous, high-technology machinery.
So it’s a fitting tribute that the town is trying to “reinvent itself” with a new community branding effort, designed to give the town a new look at its strengths, and establish a blueprint for revitalizing the town and its downtown area.
“We wanted to give the town a fresh look at itself,” said Carol Lighthall, executive director of Springfield On The Move, the downtown revitalization group.
The logo sums it up: “Springfield Reinvented,” with the rays of the sun growing from the top of the logo, and several flourishes below, meant to represent the Black River.
“We are Springfield, the Vermont small town, reinvented,” adds one of the report’s taglines.
“It’s a new way to think about Springfield,” said Lighthall, noting that the out-of-state consultant saw Springfield without any preconceived notions.
The finishing touches are being put on the plan, which was outlined for the Springfield Select Board last week by former board Chairman Mark Blanchard, who is part of the five-person steering committee for what the town is calling Springfield community image.
Lighthall said the final version of the branding effort by Arnett Muldrow, a South Carolina firm that has done work for Rutland and St. Albans, was almost done. Arnett Muldrow has also done similar work for dozens of communities in the south.
The presentation paid tribute to several key elements in the town’s history, but makes it clear times are changing and the town needs to change. “The consultants understand the history and they understand the challenge,” she said.
Lighthall said some edits had been requested in the final report, which Blanchard had presented as a PowerPoint presentation. Lighthall said she wanted several printed copies of the report as well.
The steering committee was made up of Lighthall, Blanchard, Larry Kraft, former chairman of the Springfield School Board, PatChafe, executive director of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and Stephen Plunkard, a landscape architect and planner with Stantec, a North Springfield engineering firm.
Lighthall said the work by Arnett Muldrow included six focus groups in Springfield, with 50 to 60 Springfield residents participating in planning and brainstorming sessions at the Nolan-Murray Center.
“We didn’t get thousands of people, but we had lots of people represented,” said Lighthall, who was hired as executive director of the downtown group in May.
Lighthall said that originally her board of directors thought they could do the evaluation and rebranding of Springfield themselves, but they quickly learned that they needed some expert help.
She said she met the principals of Arnett Muldrow at last year’s Vermont Downtowns conference in Middlebury, where the South Carolina firm ran one of the sessions.
Lighthall said several people questioned the decision to push toward a new marketing strategy for Springfield when there are so many empty storefronts, saying all effort and funds should go toward getting news businesses into the downtown area.
“Springfield needs a fresh approach,” she said.
Blanchard said that the presentation was close to the final version of the plan, and he noted that people will be free to use the unique logo for anything associated with Springfield.
Chafe said that the group hoped the logo would be adopted by the town, townspeople and its businesses for everything.
Private fundraising covered the $10,000 cost of the “community branding” look, and Lighthall earlier this year was successful applying for a $30,000 grant from the U.S.D.A. Rural Development program, for what is now being called “Operation Jumpstart” for a strategic plan.
“We’re still finishing the final edit. Once that is completed, hopefully this week, disk copies will be made available together with style guides,” she said.
The steering committee will continue to work on an implementation plan — that is getting the brand out in the community, and being used, she said.
Springfield has a new ‘brand’
By Susan Smallheer
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield has had more than its fair share of inventors over its 250-year history: people who designed everything from baby carriages, the first jointed dolls and world-famous, high-technology machinery.
So it’s a fitting tribute that the town is trying to “reinvent itself” with a new community branding effort, designed to give the town a new look at its strengths, and establish a blueprint for revitalizing the town and its downtown area.
“We wanted to give the town a fresh look at itself,” said Carol Lighthall, executive director of Springfield On The Move, the downtown revitalization group.
The logo sums it up: “Springfield Reinvented,” with the rays of the sun growing from the top of the logo, and several flourishes below, meant to represent the Black River.
“We are Springfield, the Vermont small town, reinvented,” adds one of the report’s taglines.
“It’s a new way to think about Springfield,” said Lighthall, noting that the out-of-state consultant saw Springfield without any preconceived notions.
The finishing touches are being put on the plan, which was outlined for the Springfield Select Board last week by former board Chairman Mark Blanchard, who is part of the five-person steering committee for what the town is calling Springfield community image.
Lighthall said the final version of the branding effort by Arnett Muldrow, a South Carolina firm that has done work for Rutland and St. Albans, was almost done. Arnett Muldrow has also done similar work for dozens of communities in the south.
The presentation paid tribute to several key elements in the town’s history, but makes it clear times are changing and the town needs to change. “The consultants understand the history and they understand the challenge,” she said.
Lighthall said some edits had been requested in the final report, which Blanchard had presented as a PowerPoint presentation. Lighthall said she wanted several printed copies of the report as well.
The steering committee was made up of Lighthall, Blanchard, Larry Kraft, former chairman of the Springfield School Board, PatChafe, executive director of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and Stephen Plunkard, a landscape architect and planner with Stantec, a North Springfield engineering firm.
Lighthall said the work by Arnett Muldrow included six focus groups in Springfield, with 50 to 60 Springfield residents participating in planning and brainstorming sessions at the Nolan-Murray Center.
“We didn’t get thousands of people, but we had lots of people represented,” said Lighthall, who was hired as executive director of the downtown group in May.
Lighthall said that originally her board of directors thought they could do the evaluation and rebranding of Springfield themselves, but they quickly learned that they needed some expert help.
She said she met the principals of Arnett Muldrow at last year’s Vermont Downtowns conference in Middlebury, where the South Carolina firm ran one of the sessions.
Lighthall said several people questioned the decision to push toward a new marketing strategy for Springfield when there are so many empty storefronts, saying all effort and funds should go toward getting news businesses into the downtown area.
“Springfield needs a fresh approach,” she said.
Blanchard said that the presentation was close to the final version of the plan, and he noted that people will be free to use the unique logo for anything associated with Springfield.
Chafe said that the group hoped the logo would be adopted by the town, townspeople and its businesses for everything.
Private fundraising covered the $10,000 cost of the “community branding” look, and Lighthall earlier this year was successful applying for a $30,000 grant from the U.S.D.A. Rural Development program, for what is now being called “Operation Jumpstart” for a strategic plan.
“We’re still finishing the final edit. Once that is completed, hopefully this week, disk copies will be made available together with style guides,” she said.
The steering committee will continue to work on an implementation plan — that is getting the brand out in the community, and being used, she said.
Springfield doesn't need marketing speak. Springfield needs something to offer other than petty crime, junk cars lining the streets, meth addicts stealing from businesses etc.
ReplyDeleteBusinesses which can afford to move are going to do so... the mass exodus will begin soon.
you have to have a product to "market." What is the product? Empty old buildings, unskilled labor? Proximity to a welfare office?
ReplyDeleteTo say something is reinvented is bold. What has been reinvented and how? Someone please tell me.