Stockton Has Reason to CELEBRATE!
The Situation
Stockton, California, 60 miles from the San Francisco Bay Area, has a colorful history as an active seaport on the San Joaquin Delta waterway. Once a bustling mid-sized city, the growth in suburbia left downtown lifeless, without much to see or do after the workers left at 5:00 pm. Without an active resident population and community life downtown, crime rates soared and downtown Stockton garnered a reputation as an unsafe city. Recent news reports that Stockton is the center of the nation’s mortgage crisis has done little to help its image.
City leaders wanted to change Stockton’s image and bring new life into downtown. In the past ten years, crime rates have dropped downtown, but the perception that it is still unsafe persists. The community has invested in the downtown with a professional sports arena, a revitalized baseball park, a refurbished performing arts center, and park-like open spaces such as Weber Point and DeCarli Plaza. These investments form the foundation for a new downtown Stockton. But how does the city bring their locals and visitors back into downtown to do more than attend a ball game and then go home? Or to spend their leisure time enjoying the parks and other entertainment that could be available?
The Brand Solution
Destination Development, Inc., (DDI) was invited to work with the City of Stockton and its community leaders to develop a vision for the future. After visiting the city, talking with city leaders and concerned citizens, and researching possible options, DDI found a diamond in the rough. With the base of existing venues and a history of hosting successful events, such as the Asparagus Festival, Stockton has the solid foundation for a brand that focuses on events. Using these assets, and other developments occurring near downtown, such as the waterfront redevelopment, DDI recommended that Stockton adopt the branding goal of becoming the destination of choice for events celebrating art, food, music, theater, sports and recreation.
Using this brand direction, DDI also recommended that Stockton adopt the tag line “Celebrate!” along with the following brand promise:
Downtown Stockton is the destination of choice for people who want to celebrate life, art, food, music, sports, theater, and recreation. What would you like to celebrate this weekend?
The brand graphics can be extended to “Celebrate!” any type of event, such as “Celebrate Sports!” “Celebrate Music!” “Celebrate Art!” etc.
Logo set for City and organizations
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Print Ads
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Wayfinding Concepts
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Downtown Pole Banners
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Web site Home page Concept |
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How Stockton Will “Celebrate!”
To realize Stockton’s potential, much more work is needed. DDI provided Stockton with a step-by-step Action Plan to achieve this exciting vision for downtown. After all, a brand is more than a logo and tag line – brands are what people think of you or your community. The Action Plan helps Stockton move from a city perceived as home to crime and the mortgage crisis, to a city perceived as fun, exciting, and filled with celebrations. The Action Plan helps the community bring the brand to life – and it includes detailed recommendations such as recruiting new retail businesses, creating an “Entertainment District” made up of shops, restaurants, pubs, and nightlife, developing a community wayfinding system, enhancing the downtown experience through beautification, improving building facades, and developing a targeted marketing program. DDI also outlines how to implement these recommendations, from funding sources to timelines. Stockton now has a roadmap to accomplish this goal. We at DDI look forward to working with Stockton’s Brand Leadership Team to assist in the implementation of “Stockton: Celebrate!”
