I’ve been back from Portland for a couple of weeks now. So much for my idea of posting while I was gone-too many sights to see, places to go, books to buy! (I shipped home 35 books from Powell’s City of Books.) I did take lots of mental notes and digital pictures of interesting things in the city and also digested the city in terms of my job at Queensboro.

The City of Roses

What do you think of when you think of Portland, Oregon? Granola eating, fleece-wearing vegetarians? Rain and clouds? Mt.Hood? Rivers? Tall trees? Recycling? Well, after visiting, I would say that, yes, you can find all of those things in Portland, but the biggest takeaway message I got from the city is that Portland is The City of Roses. (The included picture of a rose is from the International Rose Test Garden, frequently named the best rose garden in the world.)

Branding Throughout the City

I went to Portland for the Garden Writers Association conference. Any time I go to a garden-related conference, I expect to see gardens, and Portland has a bunch, including the Rose Garden. Because I was there for a garden conference, I didn’t think too much about the “City of Roses” nickname until I started riding the MAX all over the city and encountering “Rosiness.” Portland, as a whole, works hard to remind you that, in addition to being called “The San Francisco of the North” or a “Mini San Francisco” that it is the City of Roses. Banners hanging from light posts issue a reminder to visitors. The brand new sports complex where the Trailblazers play is called the Rose Garden Arena. Manhole covers have roses on them, so do bus stops, gates and other utilitarian municipal structures. You’d have to have your head under a rock during your entire visit to not notice that Portland is still the City of Roses-but though the branding was ever-present, it wasn’t unpleasant, and it did the trick. I left Portland with “City of Roses” firmly and inextricably associated with the city.

Branding: Happy Gut Reactions

As you use Queensboro to create logo wear to establish your brand, consider what you are trying to achieve. You want people to instantly and viscerally recognize your brand when they see your logo or see someone wearing your logo. As I wrote in an earlier post about Coca Cola, consumers identify with the Coke brand on a basic, intuitive level. Coca Cola has done a superb job, possibly one of the best jobs, of branding their company. After all, despite the fact that their main product is carbonated, flavored sugar water, and many people choose Pepsi in a blind taste test, people still purchase Coke products. When people see the Coca Cola logo, they have a gut reaction. Whether you are a realtor, dentist, electrician, landscaper or veterinarian, you want people to recognize and search for you and your brand. When the time comes for them to need your service, you want to play into that recognition, and not give them the chance to contact anyone else.

Small Business Branding

If you think “Well sure, Coca Cola has all the money in the world, of course they can brand. I am just a small business with no advertising funds, there’s no way I can brand,” you might be pleasantly surprised! Your logo is not your brand. Your logo is a way of communicating your brand. Your brand is created by you. It is your business philosophy, your commitment to service, your style. Build your brand, your reputation, by doing good work. Give your brand a visual identity with a good logo that properly communicates your brand. Then, show it off! If you’re having trouble creating a logo that fits your business, Queensboro’s logo specialists can help you. Look for more about creating your business identity soon!

P.S. I loved all of the funny and varied company names of Portland businesses. Also included with the rose picture are pictures of the Pizza Schmizza and Taste Tickler restaurant signs. I gotta tell you. Taste Tickler really needs a logo. Because, without a logo, my mind just goes places it shouldn’t. Maybe that is what they were intending.