First let me start off by saying that I love Arizona. I love the Phoenix metropolitan area and after living in the NY/NJ area I’m thankful everyday I’m here. Where else can you put the top down on your drive home, and watch the sunset in March?
However the city of Phoenix has an identity crisis. It has had an identity crisis ever since people left the central core of cities all over America in the 50's to move to the suburbs. While several cities have had an amazing resurgence in their downtown areas of late, Phoenix has failed to materialize a strong identity with an emotional perception or experience associated with it.
In attempts to rebuild downtown and draw back its audience downtown Phoenix has built a basketball arena, and a baseball stadium. Then came “Copper Square”. Copper Square was a campaign to brand the 90 block district in downtown Phoenix with an identity. This “branding” was an attempt to help revitalize the urban core of Phoenix, as the stadium building didn’t really entice people to stay after the game was over, let alone move into the area.
Copper Square didn’t work in my view because there was no Copper Square. It would have been too logical to carve up some parks and make a real “Copper Square”. No it was a mythical place in a lonely prospector's mind. Now we have coming to downtown, in yet more attempts to revitalize the area, Arizona State University, and the new Light Rail system.
Will those work? I doubt it, but to ensure success the business consortium (Downtown Phoenix Partnership) came up with the bright idea to launch yet another branding effort for the 90 block area. They partnered with local company SHR Perceptual Management to come up with a new brand strategy. Here’s what the brand gurus came up with:
Phoenix. Arizona’s Urban Heart
Logo: A Big Green X
Wow! Doesn’t that just want to make you get up and come to Phoenix? If you lose your way, make sure to find the big green x so you know you’re in the right place. I mean who wouldn’t want to go to the Urban Heart of Arizona. You don’t really come here for the natural, scenic and cultural wonders of the state, do you? No, you come here for the Arizona Diamond Backs, The Phoenix Suns, and the unfilled high-rise condo towers in downtown right?
What Should Phoenix Do
The challenge Phoenix has is that its downtown lacks character. No one goes into downtown except to see a game or work and then everyone leaves to surrounding locales like Scottsdale, Tempe, and Glendale. Here's a video of downtown shot at 8pm that captures the challenge:
For a brand with a city to work there must be some type of emotional connection or experience associated with the town, and this is where I think the latest attempt at branding Phoenix goes awry. Downtown Phoenix is pretty boring when you get right down to it. So if the brand brief objectives were about attracting locals and tourists to downtown we need to have some reason to attract them downtown in the first place. Here are some ideas that might have a more sustainable effect.
1. Get More Grocery Stores: My personal belief is that if downtown Phoenix wants to have a vibrant and self sustaining city center life then they need to start with grocery stores. That’s right grocery stores. For a vibrant center you need people first, and to have people you need grocery stores. Go to downtown Phoenix and you will be hard pressed to find decent grocery stores within walking distance of the unfilled condo towers.
2. Stand For Something: Now assuming that you have grocery stores what does Phoenix want to be known for? Scottsdale has Old Town, Tempe has Mill Ave and University, Glendale now has City Centre. The Urban Heart? That doesn’t sound very appealing, does it? How does this stack up with “What Happens In Vegas. Stays in Vegas.”, which, by the way, is a very bold brand position. Or Austin’s “The Live Music Capital of The World”. I remember when it used to be Seattle. Of course there is the ever omnipresent ‘The Big Apple”. So what could Phoenix stand or be known for? Here’s a few free ideas from yours truly:
a. Phoenix. The Heart of Arizona. This State revolves around Phoenix and it's better than Urban Heart of Arizona.
b. Phoenix Rising: Admit that you’re not where you want to be and then develop a campaign around that. Build a campaign around people and feature the unique individuals and experiences that downtown has to offer.
c. Phoenix. The West’s Original City. Okay just a thought but you get where I’m going.
3. Create a Center of Community: This is more of a development concept. Copper Square never really worked as there never was a Copper Square. X won’t work as there is no X or spot to go to and congregate within a vibrant downtown community. Why not get bold and develop a “Central Park” in downtown, and then promote unique festivals, conferences, etc. The city needs something to be really proud of, that no other city has. We don’t have a waterfront as other cities have, so we need something else.
4. Get Serious About Branding Phoenix and Not Just 90 Blocks. A brand is more than just a slogan or a logo. It’s a promise, an experience that you expect to receive. Currently this “brand” effort is lead by an independent group of business people in downtown and is not really focused on the city itself, but rather a 90 block area. This is the first problem. How can branding a 90 block area be successful when the perception of the city itself is lacking? The city needs to take ownership of this effort and craft a long term brand and marketing stragey around Phoenix. What experience do you want a local to have when they come to downtown? What experience do you want a tourist to have when they visit? I bet this vision has never been developed, and as a result I guarantee that this slogan and logo won’t last two years. Wasting $160K (the cost quoted with developing this new slogan and logo if you can believe that) on a tactical approach focused on a slogan and logo is not the answer. A real marketing and brand campaign needs to be invested in, year in and year out, if you want to change perceptions and beliefs.
So I hope Phoenix and the Mayor learn from this feeble attempt again to reposition the 90 blocks within Phoenix. If Phoenix is going to be successful in repositioning itself it must first define a vision, and then offer a different and unique experience to visitors to the downtown area. This will be the only sustainable brand strategy in the long run. Nuff said.
Good analysis. I have only been to Phoenix once (I live in Santa Fe), but I think of Phoenix as a good place to stay away from: nothing there but heat. The "urban heart" idea provides no motivation to take another, closer look.
Posted by: Ray Gulick | March 25, 2009 at 06:50 AM
A born and raised phoenician, I think you're dead on with the Phoenix Rising idea. Showcase rising stars in many fields (arts, science, technology, media, crafts, education, etc) and build events and then conferences surrounding that. Turn Margaret T Hance park INTO the city center for outdoor activities and work out deals with the civic plaza to host events or discount to local event organizations. Make it easier for locals to use our space. Give breaks to the businesses and discounts to those with local ID's. Get active in local media and pull people downtown. Anyhow, that's my take.
Posted by: Arizona Internet Marketing | March 25, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Bravo! I like your ideas very much. As a single female, I very seriously considered buying a cool condo downtown, but then I thought...why? There is nothing going on. I didn't feel safe either. Your video proved that. Not a soul around.
I wish Phoenix would really study cities like Philly, San Diego, and Denver that have successfully created a "town" feeling, not just a place you drive to for a game and work. Perhaps by attracting larger companies with incentives to relocate to downtown, plus, since the housing crash, the Valley is affordable to buy in again. The grocery store downtown is key, and that is one of the main reasons I chose to relocate elsewhere in the city.
Again, great post!
Posted by: Ellen Joyce | March 25, 2009 at 01:21 PM
Unfortunately one of your main supporting points - the video is wrong. Apparently you haven't been to Phoenix in quite sometime. The structure you are pointing to is gone, and a new development has been under construction for quite sometime. This new development will offer retail, office space, living space, entertainment etc. Makes me question the real purpose of your post.
Posted by: Eva | March 26, 2009 at 08:46 PM
Eva
The point of the video was to highlight the lack of community in downtown Phoenix which is still the problem. Until you have people walking and milling about after 8pm you will never have a true urban community. You are correct in that they have taken the structure down, but I was in downtown a few nights ago and its' still a ghost town after 8pm. If planning is done well it doesnt have to be like this. This is point of the post. Dont focus on a tag line or logo, but focus on defining a vision and then a plan. The tag line and logo can come later. There are interesting things happening like First Fridays. If incubated this can start something exciting. There is still hope.
THX
ED
Posted by: ed | March 28, 2009 at 01:55 PM
Phoenix needs help and not from half hearted efforts like this. Check out my blog post from months ago
Posted by: Roger Hurni | April 01, 2009 at 02:06 PM
I've been here since January 1980. The city has changed alot but I still love where I live.
Posted by: arizona bankruptcy lawyer | April 01, 2009 at 09:29 PM