Baltimore seeks image makeover
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BALTIMORE -- The city wants a makeover, or what's known in the tourism industry as "destination repositioning."
The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association is paying Landor Associates $500,000 to revamp the city's image. The company already has built brands for such locations as Madrid, Spain; Florida and Hong Kong.
Baltimore has tried slogans before, including "Charm City," "The City that Reads," and "The Greatest City in America." None of them caught on. There have been other unflattering nicknames, though: The Heroin Capital and The Murder Capital.
Three critically acclaimed television crime and drug dramas shows are partly to blame, according to a recent report by the image consultants.
"The perception of Baltimore is "The Wire," "The Corner," "Homicide (Life on the Street)" ... a hopeless, depressed, unemployed, crack-addicted city," the report states.
The company is expected to come up with a half dozen concepts for Baltimore by next month, and a decision on the brand is expected by April.
In my opinion as someone who moved out of Bawlmore: Baltimore needs to work on their racial division and crime problems before they should hire someone to contruct a snappy logo. When people start feeling safe going out of their homes at nite people will have a better opinion of the city.
BALTIMORE -- The city wants a makeover, or what's known in the tourism industry as "destination repositioning."
The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association is paying Landor Associates $500,000 to revamp the city's image. The company already has built brands for such locations as Madrid, Spain; Florida and Hong Kong.
Baltimore has tried slogans before, including "Charm City," "The City that Reads," and "The Greatest City in America." None of them caught on. There have been other unflattering nicknames, though: The Heroin Capital and The Murder Capital.
Three critically acclaimed television crime and drug dramas shows are partly to blame, according to a recent report by the image consultants.
"The perception of Baltimore is "The Wire," "The Corner," "Homicide (Life on the Street)" ... a hopeless, depressed, unemployed, crack-addicted city," the report states.
The company is expected to come up with a half dozen concepts for Baltimore by next month, and a decision on the brand is expected by April.
In my opinion as someone who moved out of Bawlmore: Baltimore needs to work on their racial division and crime problems before they should hire someone to contruct a snappy logo. When people start feeling safe going out of their homes at nite people will have a better opinion of the city.
