Glendale’s Identity Crisis

By Jessica Selva

Quick question: What comes to mind when someone mentions Glendale?

City and business officials hope you think of more than just that place between Burbank and Pasadena.

To better define the city economically and as a community, officials are in the midst of gathering input from business leaders and others about how to brand the city in hopes of creating a new marketing campaign.

Meanwhile, city leaders are trying to develop the city’s nightlife with an arts and entertainment district while also planning a creative corridor for media and design businesses.

“We’re trying to create brand awareness of what Glendale is,” said Philip Lanzafame, director of the city’s community redevelopment and housing department. “We want to make sure that when somebody says ‘Glendale,’ there is a positive impression.

Lanzafame added that the city’s promotional campaign, which could be implemented starting early next year, is meant to promote the city and its business community to those outside of Glendale.

However, how the city will define itself is still being determined through research conducted by North Star Destination Strategies, a city and community branding company based in Nashville, Tenn., hired by the city in October.

“This will not only inform us about who we are and the message that we want to project to the world, but it will also identify areas that will help in our strategy in the marketing plan,” Lanzafame said.

City staff launched a Web site with a community survey this month to help officials learn how those living in, working in and visiting Glendale perceive the area. The survey, which can be found at www.brand glendale.com, is the last stage of North Star’s research process.

The survey is expected to be available until the end of summer. North Star will then create and present an implementation plan based on the data by the end of the year. The plan should be ready for use next year, said Annette Vartanian, administrative analyst for the city’s department of development services.

Since February, the company has already spent time researching information about the city, released a vision survey to about 400 community stakeholders, conducted focus groups and performed random interviews on the streets of Glendale.

“A brand is what people say about you when you’re not around, and branding is what you do about it,” said Ed Barlow, North Star’s director of client services. “Our process is taking research to strategy to creative (recommendation) to action.”

North Star has been involved with the branding of about 110 communities across North America, which include Lancaster, Calif.; Providence, Rhode Island; and Jackson, Miss.

A different approach

The new marketing plan differs from past efforts to promote the city because it does not simply focus on one industry area. Instead, it will provide an anchor message that defines Glendale and tier off into other campaigns, Lanzafame said.

Businesses and organizations within the city will be able to implement the campaign into their own marketing plans if they choose to do so, he added.

Rick Lemmo, president-elect for the Glendale Chamber of Commerce and senior vice president of community relations for developer Caruso Affiliated, said a more cohesive marketing plan for the city has been needed for some time.

“I do really think the city needs a more consistent branding approach,” said Rick Lemmo, who participated in the focus group research process. “(Before) everybody was going their own way. There was not a consistent umbrella. There were many great ideas, but none that went out of their way to work together.”

Lemmo said the city and North Star are taking the right steps by involving the community in its marketing strategy, though he said he added that he wishes the input was more heavily weighted toward the business community.

Several business sectors identified by city staff as Glendale’s strengths include its auto dealership area called Brand Boulevard of Cars, its retail centers, health care providers, manufacturing sector and media and entertainment sector.

Creative businesses

The planned arts and entertainment district, which would run primarily along Maryland Avenue, would potentially boost the city’s nightlife with the addition of establishments such as museums, art galleries, nightclubs, restaurants, music venues and concept stores.

The city is also currently in negotiations with the Museum of Neon Art to relocate from its site in Los Angeles to Brand Boulevard, which would it make it Glendale’s first museum, Lanzafame said.

The Creative Corridor, located along San Fernando Road, would build on the city’s existing media anchors, such as KABC, DreamWorks, Walt Disney Imagineering and Technicolor. The corridor would be an attempt to attract more media, design and other creative companies to the area.

Lemmo said the new corridor combined with the marketing plan should make a positive impact.

“In the short term it will build awareness for the city, and that awareness will absolutely cause a more positive impact on economic development,” he said. “But in the long run, it will make people of all areas of Southern California more familiar with our city.”