Case Study
HIGH POINT, NC
Turning the furniture capital of the world into a creative capital.
High Point has been shaped by the furniture industry, John Coltrane, High Point University, its context within the Piedmont Triad, and more recently by developments like Congdon Yards, professional sports teams and a renewed interest in downtown. With so much to share with North Carolina and beyond, our branding process brought all of High Point together to confidently tell its unique story to the world.
Unprecedented Community Research and Engagement
Our team solicited a wide range of feedback from City staff, residents, business owners, community leaders and nonprofit organizations across High Point. This unprecedented level of public input over the course of twelve months helped shape the brand.
Through this engagement, we learned that High Pointers passionately believe that the city is more than the furniture capital of the world. They recognize the value the furniture industry brings, but without a personal connection to it, many people did not see how they fit into the High Point story.
40
Interviews
10
Focus Groups
4
Different Week-long Community Visits
8
Engagement Pop-Ups
Celebrating the creator in everyone
The brand strategy revolves around acknowledging that creativity resides within everyone, and celebrating the fact that what’s created in High Point changes the world. While there are big things like John Coltrane and the city’s status as the global capital of the furniture industry, it’s the smaller contributions we all make — such as art, friendships, food, beer, families, and businesses — that are embodiments of creativity at its core.
This new perspective is helping residents realize their own creative potential and compelling outsiders to use High Point as a place to develop and showcase their ideas, all while pushing the furniture and design industry even more forward, helping to unite the community around its creativity.
Bringing the Brand to Life
We hosted a community celebration featuring the many different types of creators in High Point. A placemaking activation at the entrance of Truist Point Stadium included a new crosswalk mural and activities where residents of all ages could paint, eat, sing, dance, build, share how they express creativity, and plan ways to improve their own neighborhoods through similar activations.
Implementation Strategy
The 73-page implementation plan is a 3-5 year road map for implementing the High Point community brand. We developed the implementation plan based on four strategic focus areas and include recommendations that range from online applications to improvements in the built environment, and are prioritized by their performance against a wide variety of criteria. This is to ensure the brand is not just a marketing campaign and that it truly affects the community from the ground up.
The City of High Point made it our goal to find the best possible partner to assist us in our branding project. CivicBrand immediately blew away the competition with their knowledge of local governments, their approach to reaching our diverse community and vision to guide us throughout our storytelling process.
Ryan Ferguson, Marketing Manager at
City of High Point
Project Documentary
A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT THE ENTIRE BRANDING PROCESS.
Best Use of Design
Highly Commended
City Nation Place
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