Economic Development Commission reveals branding exercise to cement Space Coast's identity

How would you describe the Space Coast?

For the next 18 months, the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast will be asking that question as part of a community branding effort that officials hope will make it easier to sell Brevard to potential employees and employers.

The ultimate goal is to come up with a logo or slogan for Brevard.

“A quality brand will give us a location identity apart from central Florida, and the world, and an awareness that will reflect our heritage, business and unique assets,” said Lynda Weatherman, EDC president and CEO.

The plan for a formalized branding exercise has been percolating for a year, according to Brian Baluta, vice president of communications and partner relations at the EDC.

In the past, the Space Coast was intricately linked – and to some extent defined, by NASA programs. The most recent: the shuttle program which extended more than three decades and ended in 2011.

“For a lot of its life it was defined by Apollo or the space shuttle and you still see a lot of those images locally as people go to the Space Coast, but we want to bring that up to speed in terms of what it means both in terms of business and lifestyle,” Baluta said.

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The branding effort was unveiled Wednesday at the EDC's annual meeting at the Brevard Zoo. It will center around the question: "If you could define the Space Coast to someone, what would you say?"

"I think some people think we just launch rockets," said Michael Ayers, president and CEO of the Melbourne Regional Chamber. "Some people think we are just Cocoa Beach. Some people think we are Australia."

Organizers hope to connect these disparate ideas into a cohesive identity that will attract people to the area, not only visiting tourists but people who will eventually choose to settle in Brevard.

The effort will feature three phases: Discovery, Define, and Activate and Repeat.

The first phase, Discovery, will include “unlocking insights to provide a strong foundation for a brand platform, create ownership, affinity and support amongst partners and stakeholders.” The phase involves identifying stakeholders and gathering information about the Space Coast’s identity and reputation.

It includes creating a reporting board, focus groups, and from that, developing a survey to solicit people’s opinions. The goal is launch the survey in the fall and conclude by the end of 2022.

From there, the second phase -- Define -- will begin. There are four steps within that section that involves reporting the findings and assessing whether enough input has been collected from the community.

Once completed, the selected ideas will form the basis for a logo or a slogan meant to attract talent to the area.

One person has already given her opinion, “I think it is a great, family-oriented atmosphere with lots of different job opportunities in lots of different sectors,” Canaveral Port Commissioner Robyn Hattaway said.

Reach the reporter at rchapoco@floridatoday.com and follow him on Twitter @rchapoco.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Selling Brevard: County seeks ideas for Space Coast logo, slogan