A look north on Baldwin Street in downtown Bargersville.
DAILY JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
From a small farm town to a bustling suburb, Bargersville’s story has changed as it has grown.
That growth made it tougher to define the town’s identity and determine how to best tell its story.
To sort that out, the Bargersville Town Council hired Franklin, Tenn.-based community marketing firm Chandler Thinks to develop a brand for Bargersville. The branding process will cost about $60,000, and take up to seven months.
The town looked at several firms and chose Chandler Thinks because it specializes in community branding, said Laura Kennedy, a spokesperson for the town. The branding process is intended to help the town keep in touch with residents and reach people who might like to live in, work in or visit the town, she said.
Without a formal branding strategy, an informal strategy would develop over time, and would likely lack cohesion and may not reach the appropriate audiences. By undergoing this process, town officials hope to get it right from the start, which is critical in this time of growth, Kennedy said.
“This is an opportunity at this juncture with (Interstate) 69 coming through that we can create a cohesive look for Bargersville,” she said. “They understand the importance of making a look for a place where people live, not just a business you’ll go to once or twice.”
Like residents chose to invest in the town by building their homes there, Bargersville officials are investing in the town by undertaking this process, Kennedy said.
For the past month, Chandler Thinks has been gathering information through focus groups, interviews and a Facebook group called “Branding Bargersville,” said Steve Chandler, owner of Chandler Thinks. Online surveys for town residents and non-residents who live within 50 miles will also inform the process, he said.
The firm will spend about three months gathering information before creating an effective brand story, Chandler said.
For about three months after that, Chandler Thinks will have a picture of how residents and those outside the community see the town, and share strategies to help the town define its messaging to residents and tourists alike, he said.
The process is designed to get a view of how residents and people from outside the town view it. By determining what its impression is, Bargersville can build on that to correct a wrong impression, and get the word out about what makes the town unique, Chandler said.
“It is important for a community to preserve its story and affect its reputation,” he said. “It is important to preserve that as interstates and chains infiltrate a community. It is hard to be unique when many places are judged by what’s by the exit.”
So, part of that will be getting the word out about what makes Bargersville unique, such as its festivals, small businesses and rural heritage. The messaging is also intended to instill a sense of pride among residents, Chandler said.
The firm will also bring the town council suggestions for a logo, color scheme and methods. Everything from its meeting agendas and social media channels to wayfinding signage would get a makeover with the new logo and color scheme, Kennedy said.
The focus groups are already set, but residents who want to give input can through the Facebook group. A survey will also be released, Chandler said.
