City, visitors bureau markets area
By Angie Landsverk
The city of Waupaca and Waupaca Area Convention and Visitors Bureau have a new brand.
The brand’s logo features the words “Waupaca” and “Wisconsin,” as well as an icon that plays off the letter “W.”
Navy and teal are its main colors.
The common council and the bureau’s board both approved the brand earlier this month.
A brand launch is being planned for early next year.
Ryan Short said the design speaks to the “principles of the community but is consistent for whoever wants to use it to communicate.”
He is the founder and CEO of CivicBrand, the firm hired by the city and bureau to create a brand both may use.
The brand includes elements for Waupaca as a place and also for tourism, city government, residents and businesses.
Its five established principles are nostalgia, outdoors, down to earth, vibrant, tradition and community.
The idea is that Waupaca is a great place to visit, “but it’s also a great place to live,” Short said.
He said the plan is the opportunity for both the city and bureau to address what they want to communicate.
What is great about the project is a comprehensive brand was created that cuts across all areas, Short said.
Brand messaging
“From the Chain to the Main” is the brand’s messaging strategy.
The brand may be used in various ways.
The city’s logo is the city seal.
The bureau’s logo incorporates the Chain O’ Lakes.
When community engagement is sought from residents, “We are Waupaca” is to be used.
There are also “made in” brands businesses may use.
“It’s going to be a long process,” Terri Schulz said of the implementation. “Businesses have to be part of the process.”
She is the bureau’s president.
The city and bureau split the cost of the initiative.
Both saw the need for a branding update before Main Street is reconstructed and redeveloped in 2021.
They worked on the project for about a year.
The steering committee included city and bureau representatives, as well as community engagement.
Visiting Waupaca
CivicBrand’s team made three trips to Waupaca over the course of the year.
They met with employers, toured Waupaca Foundry, visited Hartman Creek State Park and the Chain O’ Lakes area, kayaked, went to Waupaca’s two breweries and attended the Waupaca Area Triathlon and Arts on the Square.
When the team visited the state last November, it went to other Wisconsin communities as well to see where Waupaca fits, Short said.
He said Waupaca has a good balance.
Short described it as a strong community that also has plenty of tourism activities.
It is a place families have visited for generations, but also a community attracting new people, he said.
The firm created an 11-minute documentary about the project, which may be shown as part of the brand launch.
Short also said the city’s brand is a 2019 finalist in the City/Nation/Place Awards for Best Use of Design.
The awards are being announced in London on Nov. 7.
“It’s a super big honor. It’s the only American city,” he said of Waupaca’s project being a finalist in that category.