Its original moniker — the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley — didn’t exactly roll off the tongue, and its emblem featured a drooping five-point star from a long-gone design era. Founded following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the organization was — and still is — a successful economic development and marketing corporation that helps public and private stakeholders in Calabasas, Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, and San Fernando. Yet 15 years after its founding, the nonprofit’s brand had become outmoded and unfocused.
DISTINC’s first job was to understand what was working and what was not. Based on extensive interviews and focus groups that closely studied the internal and external perceptions of the region’s residents and workforce, the team made a bold recommendation: condense the group’s 16-syllable name. “Now and then we make big, assertive requests of our clients,” Jean-Marc says, “in order to really make things happen.”
In its research, DISTINC had found how, in contrast to the stigmatized associations about the place, most folks who lived or worked there loved the Valley, citing its unique balance of big-city buzz and small-town chill. Plus, everyone called it just that: “The Valley.” Armed with this data, the team did the most obvious thing: reduced the organization’s name to The Valley Economic Alliance, and set upon a course developing a fresh, comprehensive brand architecture.
A TARGETED APPROACH
The effort took six months, with multiple intentions: to create a coherent naming convention using specific verbiage building upon each initiative, committee, event, and campaign; to design a new logo that paid homage to the original, yet updated it using a quintet of colorful V’s depicting the five cities working together; to create a branding system with consistent use of typography, palette, and construction across all materials; and, in the end, to supply The Valley Economic Alliance with a new vision: “Better Businesses. Better Jobs. Better Communities.”
With all these visual pieces in place and a new name to be known by, DISTINC presented the organization with a comprehensive approach to consistent branding — best illustrated as a series of ever-tightening concentric circles, beginning with general publicity and targeted events and focusing to include targeted marketing, select committees, and The Valley’s central office at the epicenter.
The effort proved successful; the Valley Economic Alliance now displays consistent visual branding across its entire program. Folks understand. “There are may be many valleys in Southern California,” says Jean-Marc, “yet when you mention ‘The Valley,’ everyone knows you’re referring to the San Fernando Valley.” It’s a complex place with a broad spectrum of virtues, cultures, and commercial needs. With DISTINC’s help, one of its chief promotional engines is running smoothly again.
