The Galesburg City Council got a presentation on Monday from a prospective contractor that would aid the city with a community branding plan.
City Manager Gerald Smith says cities have increasingly focused on branding themselves, particularly since COVID-19.
Steve Chandler with Chandlerthinks out of Franklin, Tennessee, has a client list that is almost exclusively municipalities and tourism bureaus.
Chandler says Galesburg won’t be branded successfully just because it has a logo and tagline, but says it’s more about a town’s reputation.
Mayor Peter Schwartzman asked about how work done by Galesburg on Track Heart and Soul to find what the community values in recent years could be incorporated.
Chandler says he would recommend using Heart and Soul’s work and including its team members, which could ultimately save time and cost.
Deb Moreno the Project Leader for Heart and Soul says her group is very much in support of a community branding effort.
Moreno also advocated for using the Galesburg on Track logo going forward.
Chandler says the process would play out over 6 to 7 months if his firm was hired.
The Council has not yet approved a contractor to help with community branding and it would be voted on by the Council before that would happen.
