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A little over a year ago in preparing for a trip to Austin I kept running across the slogan, “Keep Austin Weird,” which was everywhere. I thought that was really interesting and I was so impressed a city would adopt something like that as their slogan. It makes Austin sound like a place I want to go.
Well, a little investigation told me that’s not the official slogan. The official one is “Live Music Capital of the World.” Not only is that less interesting, but I also question the veracity of it. Is there really more live music going on in Austin than in New York or San Francisco or London on any given night? I seriously doubt it. The population skew alone would seem to preclude that. However, I was not surprised that a city would choose that as opposed to something about being “weird” - it’s far less threatening and much more palatable for those who are likely to be making such a decision.
“Keep Austin Weird” was a slogan used by the Independent Business Alliance in Austin. It was popular. So popular it has since been used by Portland and a number of other cities - now that it has been proven to be something the public likes.
I mention all of this because for more than a couple of years I’ve been thinking about Hutchinson’s slogan of “Come Share Our Space.” It has been the slogan for many years - maybe more than 20. When I first heard it I immediately thought of the connection to the Cosmosphere, which at the time was our only major attraction. While I can appreciate a play on words, my affection for it has faded.
I have a couple of thoughts about why it has faded.
1. While I love the Cosmosphere, I think the Underground Salt Museum is a premier attraction, so the focus on only one of our major tourist attractions is odd.
2. It has been the catch phrase for a long time. If our community hasn’t grown and changed in all these years, we have a bigger problem.
3. Most importantly - it makes me think of empty space - empty businesses, empty houses, empty lots - lots of empty space. That’s not a positive image. Multiple people have told me that’s not what it means. But, it doesn’t matter what you *think* it means to people, only what it does mean in their minds. I doubt I’m the only person who has that reaction to it.
However, I am aware I may be the only person who feels this way. And for the record, I think “Come Share our Space” is better than those generic, “If you lived here you’d be home,” things towns post at their city limits. But I also think there’s more to say about our community. Maybe I’m wrong, but surely we have something more to say. Don’t we?
I’ve been looking at community slogans for a while now, just because it’s something I find interesting. I’ve come to the conclusion that tying your town’s slogan to any attraction is a bad idea. Why? Because unless you already know the community and its attractions, the slogan makes no sense. If you’re St. Louis and you’re saying something about the arch, I get it - anything less iconic than that and you’ve lost me. Isn’t the purpose of a slogan to position your town in the minds of people who don’t know it? That is an important question to answer. Who is your customer? I suppose, ideally, you’d want something that speaks to locals, as well as potential locals, and visitors.
Beyond that, a huge factor is that attractions are dependent on people and people are far too dicey to bank a whole campaign on. Hutchinson is a prime example of this. We have a slogan that references a tourist attraction that has had more than a little negative publicity in recent years.
A community’s slogan should be something that sums up the place so well that everyone wants to use it on everything. The chamber, the CVB, local businesses, residents - everyone wants to use it and you want that. Way back in Advertising 101, rule number one was consistency of message. OK, it’s been quite a few years since I took Advertising 101, so that might not have been rule number one, but it’s up there.
Maybe I’m the only one who thinks we can improve on “Come Share Our Space.” More than a couple of people have explained to me why it’s perfect, but I’m not sold. When I get past the Cosmosphere connection, it still just makes me think of empty store fronts, empty mall spaces, empty houses - lots of space. It does not make me think of wide open spaces, which could be a positive. Of course, I’m not someone who needs to be sold. I’m just one person - just a citizen - with no power over anyone about anything. And I very well may be the only single person in town who doesn’t absolutely love it.
This idea of “branding” your city is a buzz these days. I first started seeing it pop up a year or two ago as I was surfing around. Why, you may rightfully ask, would I be surfing around where I would find such things? Because I’m a tourist. I love to travel and so I end up hunting around for information about various places online a lot. This sort of thing is sometimes referenced where I would see a link to it and I’ve followed more than a couple of them.
Often, ones I think are really interesting are not official slogans, like “Keep Austin Weird.” I think that’s because the very structure we have set up in cities, towns, counties, chambers, CVBs, and other entities like these, makes it nearly impossible for something innovative to flourish. Instead, it has to “pass muster” to multiple people. To do that it must be watered down until it’s so generic it no longer says anything meaningful. “Keep Austin Weird” becomes “Live Music Capital of the World.”
One of those says to me that I can wander the streets and see interesting, cool things. I’ll find public art that makes me think. I’ll find fun souvenirs to bring home. The other people on the street will be wearing clothes I might not see at home. The stores will have unique merchandise. There will be fewer chains and more locally owned businesses. I’ll be eating lunch at a place with some local specialties. I expect to find an independently owned bookstore and coffee shops with an urban paint scheme. I will want to walk downtown because one interesting place will lead me to another. It tells me I’ll find live music - in bars, coffee houses and maybe even on the street. I want to go there.
The other slogan tells me there are a lot of bars that have live music, but it gives me none of the other stuff. That’s far less interesting to me, but it’s a “safer” concept than being “weird.” Hence, that’s the one that sticks. Obviously, I like “Keep Austin Weird” better, but they didn’t ask me. OK, truth be told, no one asked me anything about any of this. But, Cody foolishly gave me a forum in which to write, and here I am.
You know that tagline, “What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas?” Of course you do. Everyone does. When you start hearing a tagline being used in a completely different context, like by comedians, you know it’s successful. Much like the “I (heart) New York” some years ago.
The funny thing is, that’s not the line… the line was, “What happens here, stays here.” And, wouldn’t you know it, there are legal issues with it and that’s why we don’t see those clever commercials anymore.
By the way, that slogan that people everywhere love, that crops up nearly every day giving free advertising to Las Vegas, was met with an icy reception when shared with the decision makers at the Convention and Visitor’s Authority in Vegas, which hired an ad agency to create something for them. But, Abram Sauer writes on brandchannel.com, that should have told them they were onto something. “One of the first rules of destination sloganing should be: If it doesn’t alienate somebody, it probably isn’t going to engage anybody.” After seeing the favorable responses to it in other locales, officials agreed, for which I do give them credit.
I ran across this list of slogans somewhere in my searching. Some of them I like, some of them I think are pretty lame. I suppose it all depends on your point of view.
Some seem perfect to me - “Live Large. Think Big.” for Dallas. “Rare. Well Done.” for Omaha makes me think of steak, and while I’m not a steak-eater, I can appreciate the play on words. “The Sweetest Place on Earth.” for Hershey, PA seems great - as long as candy is made there. “Soul of the Southwest.” for Taos is good. It is known as a spiritual place so that’s a lovely play on that. “The City That Never Sleeps.” for New York is true for them, but not every city can say that. And when any advertising says something that’s obviously not true it falls flat so you have to be truthful. (Yes, yet another gem of wisdom from Advertising 101.)
Some are odd. “The Town That Made Tulsa Famous.” Huh? Don’t get it. It may mean something to people who live in Glenpool, OK, but it means nothing to me. Is your slogan for you or is it to define who you are to others? Who’s the customer?
“Where the Trails Start and the Buck Stops.” for Independence, MO is good if you happen to know your presidents, your geography, and your history. If you don’t, you’re probably lost. Do you think people in Utah necessarily know Truman was born in Independence, and was famous for talking about where the buck stops? I’m guessing “no,” and that’s not to disparage Utah. Please fill in the non-neighboring state of your choice.
“Rollin’ on the River” for Manchester, Ohio, leaves me puzzled. Is Manchester along the river? I’m guessing that is true, but so are hundreds of other towns. Is Tina Turner from there? Ike Turner? Is the writer of that song from there? Didn’t someone sing it before them? Were they from there? I have no clue. The slogan is generic and meaningless. I would contend that “Come Share our Space” falls into the exact same category. (A quick search tells me Manchester is, indeed, along the river, and is apparently very proud of the time when it had a big river trade decades ago. And it’s a town of a little over 2,000 people so they get kudos for even having a slogan.)
“Take Me to the River.” is another generic slogan. This time it’s for Vicksburg, MS. I would classify myself as a “river person.” I grew up near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. As much as I love rivers, unless there’s something special about your chunk of it - like a confluence - it’s probably not something to hang your hat on. Thousands of other towns can do the same thing. Besides, Vicksburg is a fascinating city to visit, so it seems they could come up with something better. Maybe that’s the perspective of an outsider, versus a resident.
I put all of this out into the ether not to belittle anyone’s attempts. I applaud the efforts of those who took on the job of defining and branding our city. I throw it out there to get others opinions. Perhaps I’m the only person who’s not completely sold on “Come Share our Space.”
It seems the really good ideas for such things can happen by accident. "Keep Austin Weird" was first said by a librarian on a radio show. “Houston, It’s Worth It,” came out of a casual conversation. It has gained some momentum since it was first suggested a few years ago, but it is not the official slogan. The official one is “Space City,” which, of course, refers to the Space Center. However, I spent a week in Houston and never went anywhere near the Space Center. Frankly, Houston is a great town and it is worth the “20 afflictions” such as traffic and weather, as the proponents of “It’s Worth it” suggest. In a “Talk of the Nation” story David Thompson, one of the creators, said he viewed it as having the confidence to make fun of the negatives in an area. Read more about it at http://www.houstonitsworthit.com/ .
http://www.taglineguru.com/citymottosmonikers .html offered the following list, as well as another one that has nicknames for towns like “City of Witches” for Salem, MA. I’m not sure how many of these are correct - you’ll see Austin’s is not right - but they at least give us some ideas of what’s being used.
I think all creative ideas begin with brainstorming. Lets use this forum to do some brainstorming. All ideas welcome. Nothing is stupid, and no one can belittle anyone else’s ideas. I’m guessing once people think about it, they may have some ideas and I’d love to hear them. So, please, share your brain.
The Top 50 U.S. City Slogans
1. What Happens Here, Stays Here. Las Vegas, NV
2. So Very Virginia. Charlottesville, VA
3. Always Turned On. Atlantic City, NJ
4. Cleveland Rocks! Cleveland, OH
5. The Sweetest Place on Earth. Hershey, PA
6. Rare. Well Done. Omaha, NE
7. The City Different. Santa Fe, NM
8. Where Yee-Ha Meets Olé. Eagle Pass, TX
9. City with Sol. San Diego, CA
10. Where the Odds Are With You. Peculiar, MO
11. Where Your Ship Comes In. Gulfport, MS
12. Soul of the Southwest. Taos, NM
13. Experience Our Sense of Yuma. Yuma, AZ
14. The City Was So Nice They Named It Twice. Walla Walla, WA
15. There’s More Than Meets the Arch. St. Louis, MO
16. Keep Austin Weird. Austin, TX
17. Where Chiefs Meet. Meeteetse, WY
18. City with a Mission. San Gabriel, CA
19. Where the Trails Start and the Buck Stops. Independence, MO
20. The City That Never Sleeps. New York City, NY
21. The Aliens Aren’t the Only Reason to Visit. Roswell, NM
22. Lose Your Heart to the Hills. Kerrville, TX
23. Take Me to the River. Vicksburg, MS
24. We’ve Got All the Civilization You Need. Riverton, WY
25. The Town Without a Frown. Happy, TX
26. The Town Too Tough to Die. Tombstone, AZ
27. Where the Stars Come Out to Play. Fort Davis, TX
28. Rollin’ on the River. Manchester, OH
29. Named for the Turn of a Card. Show Low, AZ
30. More Than Just a Song. Shenandoah, TX
31. Where Horses Have the Right of Way. McKinleyville, CA
32. Only in San Francisco. San Francisco, CA
33. It’s Not the End of the Earth, But You Can See It From Here. Bushnell, SD
34. Where Nature Smiles for Seven Miles. Spring Lake, MI
35. Live Large. Think Big. Dallas, TX
36. Real. America. Up Close. Rapid City, ND
37. The Richest Place on Earth. Virginia City, NV
38. With Time for You. Richmond, MI
39. Newark, on a Roll. Newark, NJ
40. Where the Trout Leap in Main Street. Saratoga, WY
41. Life, Celebrated Daily. Norfolk, VA
42. The Natural Place to Visit. Sitka, AK
43. People Say We’re Old-Fashioned. We Hope So. Virginia City, MT
44. Where the People Are Warm Even When the Weather Isn’t. Andover, KS
45. Where the Bald Eagle Soars and the Carp Drops! Prairie du Chien, WI
46. Where History Never Gets Old. Fredericksburg, VA
47. The Town That Made Tulsa Famous. Glenpool, OK
48. Get ‘Er Done. Havre, MT
49. Town Without a Toothache. Hereford, TX
50. Livable, Lovable Lodi. Lodi, CA
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