June 27th, 2010
Letter: A better job of telling our story

EDITOR:


The Branding Task Force appointed by the City Council of which I am chair, wants to thank all the people — more than 1,500 — who participated in the process of developing a new brand for San Marcos. During and since my service on the council, it’s been clear that San Marcos can reap great rewards when we do a better job of telling our story — what makes us special, why we love our community, and what we have to offer to prospective employers, residents and visitors.

That’s why the City Council unanimously approved moving forward with the branding project, which is funded with hotel tax revenues paid by San Marcos visitors that were put aside by the city for several years. The task force, which includes community leaders, the mayor and council members, spent nine months and heard from all segments of the community while working with our consulting team to develop options for a new San Marcos brand.

The logos that the Task Force presented for public viewing represent only part of the information delivered by the branding project. The market research, analysis and planning that’s been produced by our team will give San Marcos the tools it needs to bring its new brand to life for visitors, prospective employers, and residents not only today but well into the future.

Public debate in San Marcos is often lively and features many diverse viewpoints. But one thing we all recognize is that San Marcos is a growing and dynamic community. Telling our story with a new brand is an excellent investment for a bright tomorrow for San Marcos. Because this is such an important issue, after listening to the comments and concerns of the community, the Branding Task Force is now planning to extend the branding initiative, working with their consulting team to be certain that we obtain the right look for the new San Marcos brand.

It’s been a challenging but rewarding experience for me and the taskforce as we help provide the city we love with the tools it needs for a strong and prosperous future. We look forward to presenting these new ideas in the months to come.

PAM COUCH
San Marcos