Published: November 05, 2007 08:09 pm      

Firm debuts new city logo

City council members, employees and Stark employees and volunteers were treated to the debut of an idea designed to promote a new Orange Monday night.

Several dozen people attended a special event to promote a new Orange and which has been designed to generate pride and interest in this Southeast Texas community.

Another event is being held at 5 p.m. today at the Lutcher theater for area school district administrators and employees, and is also open to attendance by the public. Admission is free.

Earlier this year, Imaginuity, Inc., a Dallas-based marketing firm, was hired to create an idea to help promote the community as well as the people and tourism opportunities available here.

Corbett Guest, president and CEO of Imaginuity Interactive, has spent much of the last several months in Orange and has grown very fond of the area.

“This is an amazing community,” Guest said to the crowd attending Monday’s event. “I’ve spent the last six months here, and we have really come to know many of the people. There are a lot of world class facilities here in Orange that I have to travel to Dallas to see.”

The purpose of the project, which is a joint effort of the Stark Foundation and the City of Orange, is to make Orange a destination for tourists by promoting everything Orange has to offer such as art, culture, food and activities.

“The biggest challenge is when you live in a small community like this you tend to forget what you have in your own backyard,” Guest said. “Community support is the most important thing we can get right now.”

Brown Claybar, mayor of Orange, said he is very excited about the future and what Orange has to offer.

“This is a very exciting time to be in Orange,” Claybar said. “The foundation is in place to be able to grow the community. People have to buy into this brand. It’s time for us to get into the same boat and row together and make Orange the type of place every one wants to visit.”

Guest and his team set out to promote Orange as a city instead of just the city’s various attractions. The marketing plan was designed to include the natural resources of the area, the history, and various cultural aspects.

The team also solicited input from residents of Orange and that of nearby cities such as Beaumont, Port Arthur and Houston, who were interviewed by a third-party moderator not affiliated with Imaginuity.

The brand which was created to help promote the new Orange uses a variety of images, such as Oranges and blossoms and water, all framed by a large “O” with the tagline “Small town charm, World class culture,’ embodied in a banner under the brand.

Guest said the logo can be transferred to accommodate different departments or even projects and modified to fit those groups or events accordingly.

Guest also said part of the plan is the creation of new Web sites for the city of Orange, the Orange Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce, among others, as well as other marketing campaigns, all aimed at building a new Orange.

“These type of things take a long time and a lot of patience,” Guest said. “But we are just getting started. We’re planting the seed and the seed can’t grow without the people to promote it, and that is why we invite the community to come out and see what we are so excited about.”

To see the first of many new and exciting changes in the project, visit www.WatchOrangeGrow.com.



Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com