2006

Imaginasium chosen to brand downtown development

The City of Green Bay announced today that Imaginasium has been chosen to develop a name and identity for the city’s $12 million riverfront boardwalk project.

The new development is expected to be completed in three phases beginning in 2007, offering riverfront access, entertainment venues and leisure activities along the Fox River Trail corridor between Main and Walnut streets.

Imaginasium is offering its services for the naming/branding portion of the project on a pro-bono basis. The full brand alignment firm recently moved in adjacent to the slated boardwalk at 110 S. Washington St. The company is owned by Hopkins, Joe Bergner and Denis Kreft.

“We’re new to the neighborhood, and very excited about the opportunity to strengthen our roots in Green Bay,” said Patrick Hopkins, the firms’ president. The scope of the branding project includes focus groups, name development, identity/theme development, market positioning and a roll-out communications plan.

“As part of our full brand alignment process, we work hard to identify a story that resonates with the right audiences and makes the job of attracting them easier. Then we find a compelling way to tell it and get the right people rallying around it,” said Bergner, Executive Creative Director. “Look at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, Baltimore Harbor, Chicago’s Navy Pier, Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia or the San Antonio Riverwalk. Each of them are unique and easily identifiable. That’s what we’re striving for here, as well.”

The company will not be holding a naming contest. Rather, it will hold focus groups and do historical research to find a name and identity that resonates with appropriate audiences. “We’ll be working with the city to identify those most likely to use the area, such as residents, businesses, community leaders and those involved in tourism,” said Kreft, Executive Director of Client Services. “We’ll be asking questions about their needs, wants and expectations so we can find a name that fits, properly position the new identity and then build a roll-out communications plan to ensure its success.”

The final name selection will be chosen by a yet-to-be-named task force who will use a pre-established set of criteria.

“The city has given us all a wonderful canvas from which to work; now it’s up to all of us to help ensure its success,” said Hopkins. “I applaud the mayor’s office for taking the time to do this right. It’s going to be a very inclusive process over the next couple of months.”

Imaginasium, 110 Washington Street, Green Bay, is a national award-winning brand alignment and strategic marketing communications firm. Working with local, regional and national clients, the firm offers full brand alignment consultation along with internal and external communications development and execution.