Gwinnett: Success is more than a slogan

By Rick Badie

You may have considered them cheesy, arrogant, or just plain silly. Still, for more than three decades, Gwinnett County’s iconic water towers have displayed a message to motorists who travel down I-85 near Jimmy Carter Boulevard.

“Success Lives Here” and “Gwinnett is Great.”

Well, bid your farewells. In a few weeks the twin towers will be no more. A contractor has begun demolishing the obsolete structures, a move that will save the county $100,000 annually in operating costs.

With the towers gone, Gwinnett stands sorta naked, void of a catchy phrase or brand on which to rest its fedora. Maybe that’s a good thing.

It seems like everybody’s stuck on identity and branding. It’s an emerging marketing strategy, we’re told. AJC reporter Ralph Ellis wrote a story earlier this year about municipalities that spend money to come up with a marketing brand.

Duluth spent $60,000, Norcross $50,000 and Lilburn $30,000. Marketing consultants must be thrilled.

But what’s the economic development payoff from investments in branding, logos and such? How can you measure the benefits of what amounts to an inexact science? Anyway, don’t these communities have police to pay and streets to pave?

Point me to an investor or company executive who chose to conduct business in County A or Town B because of its brand identity. Show me a business that relocated or expanded in Gwinnett because the county declared itself great and successful.

Pardon the cliché, but actions speak louder than words. When it comes to overall infrastructure and operations, Gwinnett is a metro leader.

Toilets flush. The sewer system doesn’t need a billion-dollar upgrade. No school principal or teacher has been accused or caught cheating on standardized tests. The parks, libraries and schools outshine practically all neighbors. (If not, speak up. I’d like to hear from you.)

This week, AJC reporter David Wickert wrote that, in the past three years, Gwinnett had raked in nearly 10,000 jobs because of 100-plus business relocations and expansions. That’s worth shouting from atop Stone Mountain, given the dire economic straits.

None of this happens through osmosis or because a consultant has created some hip phrase or drafted a colorful town seal. It’s the result of diligent leaders committed to the growth and maintenance of a desirable community.

And lest we forget how this branding thing can flop, look down I-85. Atlanta’s recent multimillion-dollar, multiyear ad campaign simply lacked the oomph. The original marketing slogan — “Every Day Is An Opening Day” — never caught on and faded into oblivion.

Just something to consider as Gwinnett’s twin towers come a’tumbling down. Maybe the county can market itself sufficiently without investment in a pricey, catchy slogan, nickname or song. Maybe county leaders can stick to the basics, the tried and true of what lures businesses and residents.

Besides, if Gwinnett is great and success lives here, word of mouth should suffice as one of the best marketing tools money can buy.