For Years,
Good Managers
Have Understood
the Value of
Branding.
There are numerous examples of mediocre or even sub-par products and companies rising to a prominent market position on the power of their brand.
On the other hand, many companies with outstanding products have failed to make an impact because their marketing and branding efforts have either been neglected or were ineffective.
A “brand” is a name, sign, symbol or design, or some combination of recognizable images, used to identify a product. “Brand image” can be defined as the feelings, moods, emotions and connotations evoked by a brand. “Brand image” is as much about perception as it is reality.
Increasingly, cities and states are borrowing proven marketing techniques from the business community as a way to create, modify, strengthen, or even reverse their “brand.”
Certain cities need no promotion. New York City, known as the “Big Apple,” evokes images of success, power, fashion and nightlife. Los Angeles will never be replaced as the American center of great weather, surfing, entertainment and beautiful people.
San Francisco has successfully positioned itself as the center of Silicon Valley, the global core of innovation. Across the Puget Sound, Seattle percolates images of premium lattes, natural beauty, aviation, software domination and biotech/medical research.
Other cities have successfully reversed decades old images.
An example is Atlanta. Long dubbed “Hotlanta” for its onerous and life-draining summer heat and humidity, that once derogatory affront has undergone a metamorphosis and become the moniker for one of the hottest business centers in the nation.
Atlanta, the city that was once famous for humidity, racial tension and crime is now renowned for its incredible business climate, an impressive African American business community, and a collection of outstanding educational institutions.
Salt Lake City has expanded its international image and stature as the “Crossroads of the West” by establishing itself as America’s Winter Olympics City with the “Greatest Snow on Earth.”
What is Port Angeles’ brand image?
This is a difficult question to answer. Those of us who choose to live and work here have no trouble defining why we love the Olympic Peninsula.
There are so many positive things happening in and around Port Angeles, yet we have not only failed to communicate this outside the immediate area, but we have also become our own worst critics.
A few years ago, Port Angeles was being hailed throughout the State as the best example of collaborative thinking and efforts to stimulate opportunities as we broke ground at Lincoln Center for the Skills Center and Clallam Business Incubator.
Shifts in our regional economic base cause uncertainty and upheaval. Change and uncertainty generate anxiety and fear which hamper sensible development and progress. Challenging economic times require collaborative thinking and action.
We have many reasons to be optimistic about the future of Port Angeles.
A recent Standard & Poor’s report lists Port Angeles School District as one of fifteen “outperforming” school districts in academic achievement in Washington.
Peninsula College continues to be a leader among Washington’s community colleges in creating Centers of Excellence and entering into partnerships to offer technical and degree granting programs.
Through a very successful public/private collaboration Port Angeles has become a telecommunications leader with more high speed broadband connectivity per square mile than any city in Washington.
After ten years of no new residential subdivision activity within City limits, Port Angeles has either permitted or has pending applications for residential subdivisions creating more than 250 new residential building lots.
Port Angeles has long been the flagship city of a diverse region on the Olympic Peninsula. As the economic base of our entire region changes there is uncertainty – But there are also exciting opportunities in Technology, Marine Services, Forest Resources, Agriculture, Tourism, and Education. As a community we need to embrace these opportunities as we recreate our vision of the future of our community.
Both the City and the broader community must be prepared to adapt to change.
Change places demands on the services the City provides its citizens. Change places demands on each of us to lay aside antiquated differences, to exchange ideas and to collaborate for a vibrant future.
In 2005, Mayor Headrick and individual City Council Members expressed a commitment to create an energetic and reinvigorated collaborative climate of cooperation among the many government and business sectors of our community.
Responding to the voice of the community, the Mayor and Council have spelled out four overriding objectives:
Improve inter-governmental relationships and community communications
Make economic and community development a priority at City Hall
Create a business infrastructure that is supportive rather than inhibitive; and
Promote improvements throughout the City that make Port Angeles a more livable community.
Every one of these objectives is more than encouraging – But the main driver behind Port Angeles’ future success is ultimately the people who live here.
Our citizens and business owners are hard working, intelligent, well educated and innovative.
They expect business, civic and government leaders to lay aside differences of personal opinion and territory and work together for the betterment of the entire community.
What image should come to mind when people think of Port Angeles? Will the public perception of Port Angeles be of a vibrant CAN DO place?
Recreating an image of Port Angeles is as important to our economic vitality as any physical improvements we make.
When companies and professionals seek a new home, Port Angeles should be high on their list of places to seriously consider.
Whether Port Angeles’ brand is lackluster or vibrant and whether this community takes its place in people’s minds as a dynamic, vigorous city, and just importantly, an incredible place to live, is yet to be seen. However, we hope your best effort – is on the latter.
An example is Atlanta. Long dubbed “Hotlanta” for its onerous and life-draining summer heat and humidity, that once derogatory affront has undergone a metamorphosis and become the moniker for one of the hottest business centers in the nation.
This is a difficult question to answer. Those of us who choose to live and work here have no trouble defining why we love the Olympic Peninsula. 
Peninsula College continues to be a leader among Washington’s community colleges in creating Centers of Excellence and entering into partnerships to offer technical and degree granting programs. 
Our citizens and business owners are hard working, intelligent, well educated and innovative. 