Manchester, New Hampshire

For those inspired by eras of perseverance and purpose, Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city, is where an ethic of ingenuity has always been part of our fabric (yesterday and today) so your curiosity and creativity are rewarded with advancement.
Category
Community Wide, Economic Development, Tourism
About This Project

Manchester is the largest city in New Hampshire. Given New Hampshire’s quaint charm, one might not expect a thriving metro. But the moment upon arriving in Manchester, you get the sense you aren’t in that New Hampshire anymore. Manchester is home to a strong downtown core, legacy and emerging industries, an impressive arts & culture scene, and a nationally recognized housing market. It also happens to be the Chicken Tender Capital of the World. Still, the city struggled with low self-regard due to negative press and problems that largely existed in the past. City and community leaders agreed that Manchester was moving in a very positive direction, but it needed to tell its story better and raise awareness of the great things happening across northern New England’s largest city.

The first thing that strikes visitors is Manchester’s scale; in a region known for its bucolic settings and more rural nature, this city challenges perceptions on all counts. Its historic millyards loom large over the Merrimack River, red brick testaments to the industriousness of past generations, and to the resilience of Manchester. Downtown rises tall, and the energy that only a walkable urban core can provide thrums around residents. One might not know that Manchester once helped clothe the nation, that this is the home of velcro and video games, of inventors and pioneers. Today, a fresh era unfolds. The fabric of the future, via the emerging biofabrication sector, is being created in Manchester’s mill buildings of the past – from textiles to tech, from jeans to genes. It has always harnessed perseverance and purpose to reinvent itself and its economy. Manchester is a lot of things to a lot of people. It is a place to grow up, to raise your kids, to start your business, to create your art, to spend a weekend or to spend your life.

Brand Strategy

From Manchester’s history of innovation in its millyards, to its continued perseverance and resiliency that span generations, to its authentic arts, culture and food scene in its downtown core and beyond, Manchester defies all stereotypes of an old New England mill town. In fact, Manchester is “Anything But Run of the Mill.”

An ethic of ingenuity has always been part of Manchester fabric, and it rewards and constantly attracts highly curious and creative people. Salty with a touch of sweetness, Manchester takes great pride in its independent way of thinking, and even its globally recognized chicken tenders. Within seconds, you just know: this place is anything but run of the mill.

Marketing Results

After creating its brand story and identity, North Star is helping Manchester bring the brand to life and share the city’s compelling narrative, both locally and across the country. North Star has supported Manchester in the areas of public relations, social media, content creation, video, creative, and website development. Manchester has launched lifestyle and destination marketing social media pages called ‘Only in Manchester, NH,’ which exceeded 3,000 total followers and thousands of engagements within three weeks of launch. North Star produced a variety of content, including business and resident features and series, to support the launch and ongoing storytelling of Manchester. The Manchester Mayor also appeared on FOX Business’ leading show ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss the city’s nationally recognized housing market. North Star is developing a variety of creative materials as well as a destination marketing website for future marketing.