Develop a unified "FDL brand" across all organizations and platforms in the area charged with promoting Fond du Lac's development, and communicate the region's story with a consistent, strategic voice.
The classic phrase in business is “your brand is what they say about you when you’re not around. Branding is what you do about it.” Although cities are very different than consumer products, ultimately every community has a narrative about it that the public tells each other. That story is told through kitchen conversations among family and friends, through the media, and through a variety of organizations that represent a part of the Fond du Lac community to the marketplace. It’s about reputation.
The Fond du Lac region is a large, complex place and it has many brands. Brands will be different for obvious reasons, such as who Blue Line Club and Family Ice Center is communicating to and how they message is a different than Marian University’s. But the point is they both – and any organization or business engaged in similarly activities – is helping to shape Fond du Lac’s image, identity, and ultimately its reputation. While each organization needs to target their own audience and communicate their specific message, there are opportunities to better coordinate activities and present a consistent thread that tells “the Fond du Lac story” as part of formal branding efforts.
