Strib editorial on "branding the Twin Cities" (Madison: college, incomes)

[Glenfield]

Looks like this hand wringing is the latest trend among the media elitists. Personally, I reject the concept that a city is to be branded like a consumer product. I also reject more of the trendy images these folks want to associate us with, but that's just me.

http://www.mcknight.org/system/asset..._2013FINAL.pdf

[wushuliu]

I think the point of the article is that the Twin Cities has many attributes comparable to cities that are more well known nationally and whose names instantly conjure a distinctive image. It IS amazng how MSP has remained under the radar for so long. We have friends all over the country and when I mention Minneapolis they just go blank - they have no idea what's there. Seattle, Austin, Chicago, Portland, San Diego, etc. and many other cities are experiencing reverse flight and revitalization. Their names pop here and there in various contexts all the time now. Don't hear peep about Minneapolis.

Of course I'm sure many here like it that way.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by wushuliu

I think the point of the article is that the Twin Cities has many attributes comparable to cities that are more well known nationally and whose names instantly conjure a distinctive image. It IS amazng how MSP has remained under the radar for so long. We have friends all over the country and when I mention Minneapolis they just go blank - they have no idea what's there. Seattle, Austin, Chicago, Portland, San Diego, etc. and many other cities are experiencing reverse flight and revitalization. Their names pop here and there in various contexts all the time now. Don't hear peep about Minneapolis.

Of course I'm sure many here like it that way.

I have business and personal contacts all over the US and Europe and I have never met anyone who did not have at least some familiarity with this area. I'm not sure why, but our personal experience is really quite different.

When I read these different articles, they're not saying that people elsewhere don't have an image of the Twin Cities, it's just not the cool, hipster friendly image that the writers hope for. I suspect that what they really want is affirmation of how cool they are even though they live in flyover country and never could get that LA or NYC job they wanted.

[Beenhere4ever]

This is more of Rybak's mentality of "we have to keep up". Never mind the fact that it is the REST of the country that is behind US. We have so many Harold Hill's around these days proposing imaginary problems for which they have "the perfect solution". I guess if we were a hick town in Iowa, I could see it flustering us, but this is a highly educated and informed town, and we shouldn't be so quick to fall for the hucksters who keep showing up.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

If Mpls/St Paul doesn't have a well-known brand by now, forget it. Branding is like nicknames, if you have to give your self one it immediately smacks of trying too hard and the result wallows in lameness. Does anyone know what St Paul's official slogan is..."the most livable city in America", can't say I've seen that one on too many t-shirts in my travels. I really don't know if Minneapolis has a slogan. The Mini-apple is more of a moniker and who really doesn't cringe every time they hear that anyways.

Ruben Rosario: Calling all creative, clever slogans for St. Paul - TwinCities.com

Tagline Guru | City Branding Survey

Never listen to marketing people. To them, everything needs a "brand", and everything is for sale. Just a bunch of hucksters..

Fargo quote: "We're not a bank, Jerry..."

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Never listen to marketing people. To them, everything needs a "brand", and everything is for sale. Just a bunch of hucksters..

Fargo quote: "We're not a bank, Jerry..."

everything I ever needed to know in life I learned watching 'Fargo' and 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'

[SyraBrian]

Why do the Twin Cities have to be branded? The rest of the country knows all about your obsession with spelunking and chipmunks.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by wushuliu

I think the point of the article is that the Twin Cities has many attributes comparable to cities that are more well known nationally and whose names instantly conjure a distinctive image. It IS amazng how MSP has remained under the radar for so long. We have friends all over the country and when I mention Minneapolis they just go blank - they have no idea what's there. Seattle, Austin, Chicago, Portland, San Diego, etc. and many other cities are experiencing reverse flight and revitalization. Their names pop here and there in various contexts all the time now. Don't hear peep about Minneapolis.

Of course I'm sure many here like it that way.

If that means less people moving here and trying to change it into the place that they left, it sounds good to me. The less that out of state criminals know about the area the better too.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

everything I ever needed to know in life I learned watching 'Fargo' and 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'

"You've got to know things like that when you're the king"

"You've got to let me go back and face the peril"..
"No, it's too perilous"..

[Beenhere4ever]

I have an idea. Let's round up the PR people and brand THEM. By the way, it strikes me that some of this talk comes straight out of the boss' mouth in Dilbert.