The Nose: How Would You Market Hartford?
A Canadian firm recently released three potential logos for the city.
Published: Jul 29, 2011
Slideshow
Jacques Lamarre
Photo:Chion Wolf
Elizabeth Keifer
Photo:Chion Wolf
Rand Cooper
Photo:Chion Wolf
Audio Playlist
Colin McEnroe Show: How Would You Market Hartford?
Today on the Nose, we talked about the controversial $200,000 marketing report released earlier this week.
We heard a lot of your snarky (and genuine) suggestions via Twitter for how to rebrand Connecticut's capitol city.
@ReubenClamzo: "Hartford: Two Hours From Everything You Want."
@charlesnobilski: "Hartford: History Worth Repeating"
We suggested "Hartford: The City That Actually Needs You" because we believe the city really is a special place. Small groups can make a big difference. Artists flourish in theater and music. Ideas take root in a way that's unique to any other city in New England.
Hartford is a community with thousands of people dedicated to making it a wonderful place to live.
The question we really should be asking ourselves is did we $200,000 to find that out?
Later in the show, we preview @heddahfeddah's upcoming media fast. The big kids over at Where We Live will interview her next Thursday.
Leave your comments below, e-mail colin@wnpr.org or Tweet us @wnprcolin.
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How about "If you can't
How about "If you can't afford New York, come to New Haven! If you can't afford New Haven, come to Hartford!"
Who are these slogans meant
Who are these slogans meant to appeal to? I mean, if we can't get our immediate neighbors to come into the city there's no way we can draw anyone from anywhere else. Sure, Hartford has an arts scene and vibrant ethnic restaurants but it's going to take stronger wording than these proposals to overcome half a century of the suburbs' word of mouth campaign. "Hartford: You Will Never Find a More Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy." Fueled by outdated crime statistics and not a little racism, the popular suburban image of Hartford (and CT's other cities for that matter) is a combination of Mordor and the South Bronx circa 1982. When your parents and neighbors repeatedly tell you that you'll be mugged upon crossing the town line, the only way they can approximate the diversity of Hartford is if something moves from the city to the 'burbs, like the Shish Kebab House of Afghanistan for example, or they build a theme park simulacrum of a city block like Blue Back Square. I don't know what can so radically change people's thinking, but unless you do nothing else will ever work.
E-mail from Gene
Enjoyed today's show. I just went to the Courant website to review the 3 logo's that were proposed. All are disappointing.
So, here is my suggestion:
"my Hartford" with a red heart as a watermark beneath it. (Sorry I do not have drawing tools on my computer...)
The city can still utilize the themes and collateral pieces from the three proposed campaigns with this logo idea.
My suggestion is simple, direct and personal: it allows the reader/ listener to make it their own.
Thank you for reading my note. Enjoying your show,
E-mail from Bernie
I agree that a catchy logo and slogan is not what's going to work. When I first came to Hartford over 20 years ago (from Ohio) I was struck by how provincial all the towns and even neighborhoods are. We really need to get over that to make any real progress. Also clear street signs would be great. All our traffic engineers should spend a few weeks in Minneapolis after they are hired and before they start working.
E-mail from Susan
I've always wondered why Hartford has not been marketed for it's outstanding ARTS. All of the writers Colin just mentioned ..
But also Hartford Stage, Real Art Ways, the Atheneum, the Artist's Collective, the jazz festival, Theatre Works, etc... For heaven's sake "art" I's built right into the name.
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