Giving a City an Identity

Branding for Change

“We are Salisbury, Maryland, and our town was born from the headwaters of the Wicomico River.”  This is how the new brand statement of Salisbury begins. It tells of the city’s origins. But, as familiar as its descriptive words sound, this declaration is a new addition to the city’s identity. And this identity, according to Salisbury Mayor Jake Day, is something the city has struggled and failed to define for many years.

City branding is not marketing. It is a recognition of a place’s identity, its mission, and vision. It is a promise of change. It visually references a place’s people and reflects them back to the outside world. A logo or font will not change a city, but can act as a motivator for growth and action—a symbol. The branding of a city incorporates its location, culture, diversity, and uniqueness and creates a statement about the city itself. It declares without hesitation who it is.

In 1977 New York State was nearly bankrupt. Businesses were leaving. Crime in New York City was out of control. The New York State Department of Commerce, in a tourism push, enlisted volunteer Milton Glaser to create a logo to redefine the city. In three letters and one symbol, Glaser pulled off the most successful rebranding of a city ever documented. His creation became a mantra to give the residents a sense of pride, potential, and belonging. The slogan encouraged wary tourists to take a chance on the embattled state, and reminded community members why they cared. Thanks to Liza Minelli belting out an accompanying song on TV commercials, and people carrying home buttons emblazoned with the logo to share with their friends and family, tourism boomed. The economy rebounded and people began caring for their city once more.

With the issue of branding, Salisbury’s obstacle remained that it did not yet have an identity. The prominence of the issue became clear when two separate consultants were each working on signage, one for Main Street, the other for bike pathways. They presented the city with sleek, modern designs reminiscent of downtown Seattle, and also rustic southwestern-styled imagery. When met with resistance that these designs were definitely not “Salisbury,” the consultants replied in agreement, and then stated the core problem succinctly, “You don’t know who you are.”

It was not the identity of the city or its officials that was on the table for definition. It was the community of Salisbury that cried for a declaration of self. Why should people come? What does Salisbury have to offer? What makes it alluring and memorable? Different from a company with a product, the identity of a city must come before the final creation. It is the simplest step in a much grander scheme, but with cities, branding cannot come at the end of the process. “With a place, we’d better know what our identity is first. And if we can’t articulate that nobody is ever going to visit here because we’re never going to convince them to come here,” states Mayor Day, “If we can’t talk about the good, and the values, and the assets, the traits, and the things that make us special, then we’d better give up right now… If we’re not singing our praises no one is going to do it for us.”

In the new vision for Salisbury, there are four facets to its identity

• “Not on the coast, but real close.” Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, Salisbury cannot claim a shoreline, but the city is still connected to these bodies of water, not only through the iconic Wicomico River, but through a huge percentage of industry that serves these two coastal areas.
• Comfortable. Salisbury is a pleasant, easy place to live, work, and raise a family. It is comfortable.
• The heart and Soul of Delmarva. With a strong artistic core driving its downtown, as well as a hub for transportation, education, and economic growth, Salisbury retains its position as the capital of the Eastern Shore.
• Maryland’s Coastal College Town. Salisbury graduates 2,000 intelligent, degree-holding students every year. Acknowledging that Salisbury is a college town and embracing the student population will help stop the Brain Drain on the Shore, and ultimately boost the economy.

With the understanding of what Salisbury is, a plan for growth and change could finally be made. Creating a homogenous city is key. Mayor Day notes that towns like Berlin have appeal because of unifying characteristics within the city. Signage, trees, benches, waste cans—what Day calls street furniture—will all be made uniform, first downtown, and eventua
lly across the entire city. This will orient people to where they are. Instead of feeling as if they could be in any U.S. town, they will recognize, by the consistency of these street furnishings, that they are in Salisbury, Maryland. Marketing across all media platforms will draw in new visitors who will be able to see and understand the city they have traveled to visit, and encourage them to spend time, and return.

Crafting the identity is the first step. Building onto it will invariably take years. To make Salisbury a destination, a unique place, and an economic powerhouse is the endgame. Bringing people to the city will ensure positive growth for Salisbury, the county, and the people who live and work there.

Welcome to Salisbury, Maryland.

 

JA Heroes

JoAnn Blackmon and Erin Sheehan of the Epoch Dream Center — March 2016’s JA Heroes

Can one person make a substantial impact in her community? How about two? The existence of the Epoch Dream Center in Hebron, MD, answers that question with an emphatic, “Yes.” Founded and directed by JoAnn Blackmon and Erin Sheehan, the Epoch Center gives youth in grades first through twelfth not only a place to go after school, but seeks to instill in them four basic principles: “Work Hard, Respect Authority, Love Everyone, and Forgive Quickly.” This “Epoch Code” is the foundation for teaching these children to break free from generational poverty, avoid crime and unemployment, and create for themselves a brighter future.

The Epoch Dream Center is a free after-school program that nurtures children through “academics, character development, behavior, and emotional wellness.” The daily lessons taught at Epoch strive to prepare the children for the time when their values may be challenged and they will have to successfully navigate a difficult choice and avoid negative outcomes. Along with a safe place to learn, relax, and do homework, the Epoch Center provides the children a family meal, complete with chores. Every day students help set the table, and clean up after dinner is over—reinforcement of the values of respect and responsibility.

Each November the Dream Center puts on the “Epoch Shop,” where the children earn “Epoch Dollars” through extra chore work. Earned dollars are used to buy a Christmas gift for their mentor or a volunteer. While some grumbling ensues in the beginning, the children learn the value of hard work and learn the basics of financial planning.

Mentors volunteer to share time with the students, using an individualized approach to their hearts and minds. “We currently have a mentor who has a shared interest of computers with his mentee. He has taught his mentee computer coding, the parts of the computer, how to take it apart and how to put it back together. The knowledge and guidance this mentor has shared will be invaluable to this young mans future. By opening the door to something that started out as just a slight interest can now be nurtured into a hobby, possible job opportunities, and even a career path.” And this is the goal of everyone who works or volunteers at Epoch, to give the attention the children need now so they may be productive members of our community tomorrow.

 

ABOUT OUR HEROES:

Erin Sheehan: My husband Robby and I moved to the Salisbury area in 2009, where I was an office manager in the medical field. After becoming involved with a local youth ministry and seeing the lack of guidance and support many youth were not receiving at home. As well as the long-term effects that it was having on their futures, it propelled me to want to make a change. In spring of 2013, JoAnn and I began planning Epoch, which opened that fall to just eight children. My background in business management allows me to handle the day-to-day and administrative operations of Epoch. My husband and I reside in Salisbury and are expecting our first child in May.  

JoAnn Blackmon: I grew up in Hebron for the majority of my life, went to University of North Carolina, Greensboro where I majored in Deaf Education. I returned to the area and was a teacher for several years before becoming a stay at home mom. I continually was involved in outreach and serving disadvantaged populations so my husband Jonathan and I began Eleven 21. Inc., a non-profit organization establishing missional communities in Wicomico County. After seeing children of all ages wander the streets, it was my desire to make a difference in the lives of children living in my own hometown. I visited Frazee in Greenville, SC and began dreaming of starting a similar program. This dream became reality, when I met Erin who shared a similar dream and vision. With my background in education and teaching experience, I oversee the daily instruction of the program. I also serve as the liaison between Epoch and school administration and staff. My husband and I reside in Hebron, Maryland with our two children.

 

Our thanks to Tony Weeg of  Tony Weeg Photography for the amazing photos of our hero!