New branding campaign touts Space Coast as place where 'Tomorrow Launches Here'

The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast has unveiled what it says is its first "regional brand" for Brevard County — a familiar name, with a new twist.

The brand and slogan combination will be “Florida’s Space Coast: Tomorrow Launches Here,” EDC officials announced during their 2024 annual meeting Wednesday evening.

EDC President and CEO Lynda Weatherman said it "captures the essence of our community as a place that not only dreams of the future, but actively shapes it.”

Weatherman said the brand was crafted through a collaborative initiative in the community, led by the EDC, a process that spanned about 1½ years.

“Branding of a community is critical in economic development, not just for talent attraction and retention, but also for the attraction and expansion of businesses," Weatherman said.

Brett Esrock, executive vice president, chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Health First, led a 23-member "Brand Reporting Board" of community leaders directed the initiative.

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“I have seen firsthand the long-term positive impacts branding can have on a community,” Esrock said. "A unified community brand is an intentional effort that will increase tourism, business development and retention, and talent acquisition, resulting in a community that thrives and weathers the inevitable storms.”

The "Mission Space Coast" branding initiative included 40 community conversations in Brevard reaching more than 800 people; six local focus groups reaching 73 people; surveys of 755 Brevard residents; a total of four focus groups in North Carolina and Texas reaching 40 participants; and a nationwide survey of 800 people. Those efforts formed the foundation for building the brand strategy.

Weatherman said the brand design and brand story underwent extensive testing through focus groups and a nationwide survey to ensure its resonance and appeal communicate the diverse aspects of the region.

In all, Weatherman said, 3,166 people were involved in some way in the project.

EDC officials said "Space Coast" resonated much more with focus group participants than "Brevard County."

"I love it," Cocoa City Manager and former Brevard County Manager Stockton Whitten said after seeing the EDC's presentation with about 450 others. "It captures who we are. It doesn't stray too far from what we've always been."

While there may have been expectations among some that the new brand would depart from the long-running "Space Coast" nickname for Brevard County, attendee Milo Zonka said it is appropriate to keep that as a main part of the branding because "that's what we are."

"I think it's a challenge to try to encapsulate everything about this community, and I think they did a really good job doing it," said Zonka, vice president of strategic growth at Sheltair Aviation.

Zonka particularly liked the "Tomorrow Launches Here" slogan, saying "it's got hope in it."

EDC officials and others involved in the project said the brand icon and blue-green-and-yellow color palette reflect the richness of community assets, capturing its space heritage, nature, technology and community friendliness.

For example, Esrock said the "celestial contrail" blue is representative of water and space. The "green flash" represents nature, green space and the Space Coast being a hidden gem. And the "golden hour" yellow represents the warm, down-to-earth community, sunrises over the Atlantic Ocean, sunsets over the Indian River, and an iconic rocket contrail.

Esrock said the color logo that accompanies the branding is a stylized depiction of the initials F, S and C (for "Florida's Space Coast"), and sections of it are designed to look like the tail of a surfboard, a bird and a fish.

Esrock said the process of picking a brand also included choosing the three archetypes for what best represents the Space Coast — an explorer like astronaut Alan Shepard, a rebel like John Kennedy and a creator like Leonardo da Vinci. The process also defined community core values like being driven by discovery, taking the scenic route and defying complacency.

United Way of Brevard President Caron Partridge said, now that the brand has been revealed, the key will be to bring the community together; to build community buy-in and excitement; and ultimately to attract more people to live and work on the Space Coast.

"The Space Coast is really something we should be proud of," Partridge said.

Weatherman said the EDC will be working to spread the message about the community, and will be encouraging local businesses and other entities to join in the campaign.

"Far more complex than a product or corporate branding, community branding is a living, breathing entity, whose success is dependent on those who participates in helping us develop our story, our voice and the brand," Weatherman said.

During the EDC's annual meeting, Mike Shah, founder and CEO of Southeast Petro, was presented the Gary R. Cunningham Distinguished Service Award for Economic Development. Also, Shaunna Lovell, director of plans and programs for Space Launch Delta 45, was given the EDC Volunteer of the Year Award.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard branding campaign touts Space Coast as where 'Tomorrow Launches'