Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) has released a new video highlighting the importance of regional branding, a key economic development priority.
In the video, regional leaders in the business, education, and hospitality sectors make the case as to why everyone benefits from promoting a greater awareness of the Lehigh Valley and amplifying each other’s messaging about why the Lehigh Valley is such a great place to live, learn, work, and play.
From Crayola crayons to Musikfest, the region touts products and experiences known throughout the nation. No one municipality in the Lehigh Valley has all those things. But, collectively, the Lehigh Valley does. When all those things that people love in the Lehigh Valley are connected to the Lehigh Valley, a rich quality of life emerges.Quality of life is critical in marketing the region to attract the talent that businesses need to grow and thrive, making regional identity among the Lehigh Valley’s most valuable assets.
“The sum of the name is greater than the individual parts,” said Kurt Landes, President and General Manager of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies that plays in Allentown.
Muhlenberg College President Kathy Harring said it starts with agreeing to partner.
“A greater awareness of the Lehigh Valley name and brand is really important for our vitality,” Harring said.
The branding initiative is anchored by a shared logo, which LVEDC and Discover Lehigh Valley® unveiled last year.
LVEDC is asking other organizations and businesses to incorporate the logo into their own marketing materials, tying their services or products to the Lehigh Valley brand so word about the region spreads farther.
The logo comes in different formats, including stacked and horizontal versions. There is also a Made in the Lehigh Valley button. The angled letters in the logo hint at the highs and lows of the Valley’s physical landscape. Looking at it a different way, the angled Ls may suggest a city streetscape.
Uses range from adding the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, logo to the quality-of-life section on an organization’s website to the Made in the Lehigh Valley label on products. This year, LVEDC produced merchandise such as T-shirts and temporary tattoos with the new logo and handed them out at public events such as Musikfest.
The new branding video is the latest among a series of videos LVEDC has launched to promote the regional branding initiative. LVEDC is encouraging the community to share the videos and encourage others to think about how organizations can work together to spread the word about the Lehigh Valley.
The video, produced by Digital Feast, is a compilation of testimonial videos that LVEDC debuted earlier this year at its Annual Meeting.
Harring said the college recruits students from all over the country, and brand awareness of the Lehigh Valley is important to the college’s vitality.
Landes talked about the power of regional branding to attract visitors to destinations like Coca-Cola Park, the stadium where the IronPigs play.
Drew Lewis, a business executive, entrepreneur, and LVEDC's Board member, said it’s important that the collective message of the business community conveys the breadth of what the Lehigh Valley has to offer perspective talent.
Ed Lozano, of Savant Beverages, which owns Weyerbacher Brewing, talks about the importance of regional branding for manufacturers and small businesses.
To learn more about the usage, consult the brand guidelines and contact Nicole Radzievich Mertz, LVEDC Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Research, at nmertz@lehighvalley.org.