Branding is a visioning exercise that captures the spirit and values of a community and reimagines a visual identity for the future in an authentic way.
The importance of brand has become increasingly relevant to the growth of cities and towns. In the era of views and clicks, brand perception is determined in seconds. Fresh visual branding for municipalities shows an investment in the future of a place people call home.
Monson is a community in Western Massachusetts distinguished by a past rooted in entrepreneurship, with woolen mills, hat-making, and large quarries being some of the most successful industries in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Having a quaint and quintessential New England main street, nestled in a valley bounded by West and East Hills, its steepled landscape overlooked by Peaked Mountain, the town benefits from having one of the largest municipal land areas in the State. Monson has an unyielding sense of community. A small town with big activities, known for its generosity and kindness. One that is not defined by natural catastrophes or unfortunate events, but is made ever more resilient by its response to them. Served by both public safety workers and residents who go above and beyond for one another. A home which showcases beautiful scenery, open lands and a robust history which endures today through its enthusiasts of music, arts, literature and athletics. Monson is a town with neighborhood values as solid as the granite it once mined.
The results are in!
Our Town Brand Personality is…
Voting Results
Hearty New England ~ 48%
Reliable Neighbors ~ 27%
Hard Working Town ~ 25%
Stay tuned for Phase 3, the Design Phase, where you get to vote on the Town Logo itself!
This project was spearheaded by the Monson Business and Civic Association (BCA). myMonson was selected as the vendor who will perform the work and services and be responsible for the initial promotion of the project and brand.
This project will have multiple deliverables, including:
The BCA was able to obtain funds from the Regional Economic Development Organization (REDO) grants provided through the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council (EDC).
No funds from the Town of Monson Municipal Budget are being appropriated to this project.
The Positioning Statement will be used as a foundation for all the design elements. We will continually ask “does this design feature (e.g. font) represent the Positioning Statement?” It is not intended to be a formally published statement, but can be used in marketing and design materials.
The first step in our process is to define Monson with a set of concrete statements. From these statements, we’ll pull out unique key attributes by qualifying the statements against other communities in our region. What makes Monson special and unique?
From these statements and attributes, we’ll create a Positioning Statement which describes our town in a way that makes it enticing to both visit and call home.
A brand personality is a set of human traits which define a brand – values, humor, candor, sincerity. These traits are hand-picked to build an emotional connection and trust, which increases brand equity.
In this phase, we’ll be asking for your feedback on some personality archetypes which will represent Monson and resonate with its inhabitants.
Help us out by telling us what you think about Monson below!
Once we have a great positioning statement and we understand the core brand personality, it’s time to start building!
All elements, from the color palette, logo, typography and iconography will be tested against the positioning statement and personality to make sure we are capturing those features in every step of the design.
We’ll also be asking for your feedback, so stay tuned!
Phase 2 Feedback is complete! See above for the results! Thank you to all who participated.
A brand personality is a set of human traits that define a brand. These traits should create a connection with our town residents, workers and visitors. There are five main characteristics used to define the personality – ruggedness, sincerity, excitement, competence and sophistication. A brand typically has one or two main characteristics, with between one and three of the others represented as well.
We’ve crafted three archetypes based on feedback gathered to date and we need your help to pick the best one!
Click on any of the images below to expand them, and please use the form underneath them to submit your vote for the best personality to reflect our Town! Your feedback is critical and greatly appreciated.
Phase 1 Feedback is complete! Thank you to all who participated!
In order for us to create a meaningful Positioning Statement, which captures all of the qualities that make Monson unique, we need to hear from you! Be a part of this process by telling us what you think. All entries are anonymous!
