Located just an hour south of the Twin Cities, Owatonna, Minnesota partnered with North Star to create a community-wide brand that tells their unique story. Free fairs, company headquarters, and renowned architecture are a few of the things that make Owatonna great, but the community’s spirit is underscored by its passionate residents. People in Owatonna strive for excellence in all of their endeavors. Neighbors care for each other, and philanthropic efforts are evident.

In a city that goes the extra mile, we spoke with Brad Meier and Glenda Smith at the Owatonna Area Chamber Of Commerce & Tourism to see how Owatonna is taking their brand the extra mile to stand out in the marketplace and foster community pride.

Brad Meier                                        Glenda Smith

President/CEO                                                   Director of Conventions & Tourism

Your city is in between some very well known places, like the Twin Cities and Rochester. How does this new brand create an opportunity for you to stand out in the marketplace?

Owatonna’s new brand helped create the foundation to cohesively market ourselves outside of Owatonna, and it gave us the opportunity for our community to stand out in the marketplace by highlighting our unique qualities and differentiating itself from the nearby Twin Cities, Mankato, and Rochester. By “Going the Extra Mile” visitors are able to experience small town charm in a relaxed intimate atmosphere with unforgettable attractions and experiences.

Our brand narrative emphasizes Owatonna’s friendly and welcoming community, highlighting the warm hospitality and personal connections that visitors can experience. We are able to leverage our proximity to larger cities as well as our amenities and accessibility that compare to larger markets.

By effectively communicating these unique selling points, Owatonna’s new brand can create a strong identity and position the community as a desirable destination for visitors, businesses, and residents.

How is the city working with departments and partners to ensure cohesion and collaboration in brand implementation?

A cohesive brand look is essential for a community to maintain a strong and consistent identity. In order to ensure a unified brand across our branding partners and community, North Star gave us a great start on developing a brand style guide, which continues to be updated as we put the brand in action. The original guide outlines the brand’s colors, fonts, logos, and messaging guidelines. This ensures consistency across all materials, from marketing materials to signage and merchandise. Staff and local businesses continue to be partners in making sure the brand continues to effectively be implemented. As a part of the package, North Star developed suggested templates to help ensure consistency and save time.

As we continue to move forward, we continuously monitor and enforce the use of the brand to maintain consistency. Having the guide in place gives us the tools we need to communicate that consistency.

Owatonna is home to several global corporate headquarters. What is the importance of their involvement in community endeavors and city projects, such as the recent rebranding?

Involving our corporate partners in the branding process has been critical in developing and implementing the brand—from being advocates for the new brand to offering financial support to help make sure the brand has the opportunity to be impactful. By developing a brand and messaging with shared values and goals, together we can create a more positive and sustainable environment for everyone. Their support and participation can help validate the new brand and reinforce Owatonna’s position as a dynamic and attractive community. Additionally, their involvement can inspire other businesses and residents to embrace the new brand and contribute to the community’s ongoing development.

Several of Owatonna’s largest industries committed to supporting the branding initiative through a 3-year pledge totaling $780,000. This money, and their support, is driving the implementation and ultimately the marketing of the community.

How have you taken brand implementation to “the extra mile” (or plan to in the future)?

Over the past year we have been diligently updating internal materials, communication materials, community signage, and staff and volunteer clothing. We have also created ads and promotions that follow the brand and are working towards building out a photo and video library. In addition, we will be updating our website this next year to reflect our new brand design.

What’s one piece of advice you have for communities considering a branding endeavor?

Make sure you have a team that is all-in and dedicated to taking this step—it’s a big one! We had a great team consisting of city, chamber, main street, tourism, business, and economic development representatives. Everyone was ready to move forward with the vision of a community-wide brand and had the same goal in mind. Hiring North Star as a partner helped us plan, execute, and deliver the project from start to finish, keeping us on task and on time!