Fuquay-Varina certainly has a distinctive name, and some might say it has distinctive charm as well.
But its motto of “Distinctive Name, Distinctive Charm” could see a change soon, along with its boxy “FV” logo and strategies for tourism, economic development and greater name recognition.
The town is officially rebranding itself, and is spending $95,000 to do so. The town is now a month into the process being led by Raleigh-based Clean Design Inc.
The town’s growth, and the inexorable march of time, are the main reasons for the rebranding, not any specific complaint or shortcoming, said Mayor John Byrne.
“Fuquay-Varina has grown a lot in the last, well, I could say 20 years, or even 40 years,” Byrne said. “It’s changed. The whole complexion of the region has changed.”
The town commissioners voted last month to hire Clean Design for the project. A team from the firm is now interviewing residents and will report back to the town commissioners in a month or two, Byrne said. Public meetings will be scheduled this spring.
When officials talk about brand, they mean a new logo and motto as well as putting together outreach strategies, advertising campaigns, talking points and messaging themes.
Jim Seymour, the town’s economic development director, said the competition for large job-creating businesses is so fierce that towns must figure out how to shine in a crowded national, and sometimes international, field.
“Everyone’s got a great quality of life, and everyone’s got those amenities, whether it’s town sponsored – like parks – to retail or whatever,” he said.
The challenge beyond providing those amenities, Seymour said, is to ask, “So how do we separate or differentiate ourselves from our competitors?”
The branding campaign won’t just focus on business growth, however. Byrne said one goal is to bring the town further into the modern age, including with websites and mobile apps that can help residents and visitors alike.
“There’s a lot of apps and things like that you could probably see come out of this,” he said.
He said he recently attended the North Carolina Main Street conference in Morganton. The town has an app to show users parking spaces, restaurant locations and public buildings.
“Visitors can download this app even before they get there,” Byrne said. “So when they get there, it’s almost second nature to them.”
Seeking public input
Employees at Clean Design told the town commissioners in March the most important part of their work is to talk with residents and analyze both the present and the future of the town.
“The key is not to just understand what’s happening now, but to understand what’s happening tomorrow,” CEO Natalie Perkins said.
At the meeting a month ago, Town Manager Adam Mitchell said Clean Design is known for doing in-depth work at the front end, so there are fewer arguments and uncertainties when the big decisions are being made.
“We want to hear your opinions early on,” Perkins said.
Clean Design previously has worked with cities such as Boone and Wilmington, as well as the Carolina Ballet, Lenovo, Red Hat and Lonerider Brewing Company.
Commissioner Ed Ridpath, before voting on the company’s contract, said he thought the work would signal the first step toward improving Fuquay-Varina’s brand.
“Brands aren’t something you invent, (and) poof, they’re there,” Ridpath said. “They’re something that you build over a long period of time.”
Seymour said where economic development is concerned, it’s especially important to have more than a brand and a message, but to have everyone from town staff to politicians and business leaders on the same page.
“You’ve got to have an attractive message, but it’s also got to be consistent.”
Doran: 919-460-2604; Twitter: @will_doran
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