Creating a Creston Identity – Creston News

The creation of a cohesive Creston identity is in the works and the results will be visible by the end of the year.

The Update Uptown committee is working to use the BOOST grant received last March to brand the new town. Committee member and UCDA Director Mindy Stalker has been involved in the process for some time, including helping secure the grant.

“It’s a grant through IEDA,” Stalker said. “It was a $10,000 grant, but it required $5,000 in additional funds from the community. We initially talked about using it to focus on the design of a linear park on Adams Street, but then in the midst of all of this, an opportunity for a neighborhood revitalization grant came up, which forced us to change things up a bit.”

The group met with Jim Thompson of the Iowa Economic Development Authority to discuss options, and the recommendation to create the Creston brand came to the forefront. Thompson organized them with Arnett Muldrow, a South Carolina marketing firm.

“(Thompson) was coordinating with the city of Carroll at the same time we were, so he was coordinating these visits to work together. We decided to go that route, so Jim helped us coordinate with Ben Muldrow and he spent Wednesday and Thursday here in Creston,” Stalker said. “He did a driving and walking tour of our community, and then we had some focus groups come in and just share their thoughts about the community. He gave a presentation on Thursday with his thoughts and recommendations.”

While Update Uptown isn’t ready to share the firm’s findings just yet, Stalker said they’re excited to move forward.

“During this process, there is a possibility that a new Creston logo, city seal and suburb branding will emerge,” Stalker said. “We will get together in November and contact Ben and provide any feedback. Once we feel the recommendations are ready, the Update Uptown committee will make a presentation to the council for them to vote on whether they want to adopt this branding component.”

The earliest information will come to the City Council is Nov. 19, although the date is unknown. If approved, some branding elements can be implemented immediately.

“All the files will be in digital format, so it’s just a matter of finding the right people to start working on the updates. My guess is that you’ll start seeing a bunch of digital updates before you start seeing physical updates,” Stalker said.

Physical signage will take longer, but Stalker hopes to incorporate the changes into other grants currently being worked on.

“That’s the great thing: We’re still in the early stages of the Neighborhood Revitalization Grant, so any physical plans around that we can certainly incorporate, if we move forward we can start to incorporate that into our plans,” Stalker said. .

In the past, various groups have talked about creating a citywide brand. Stalker explained that creating a brand brings unity and cohesion to the city, which is missing now.

“There’s something to be said for the pride and responsibility that comes with having a well-established brand and a vision for connecting territories,” Stalker said. “Creating a brand for your community is not just a matter of aesthetics. It’s about uniting through identification with this model, with this logo. I feel like there’s something really unifying about it.”