Growing Together in the Creston Valley

The Creston Valley has launched a branding initiative that will be an effective tool in promoting the community

A "holding out" photo series has helped the Creston Valley brand visualize some of the area's abundance. — Photo courtesy Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce

The people who live in the Creston Valley have always had a concept about why they choose to call the area home. Several years ago, however, the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce began to realize there was a need for a cohesive way to tell the story of the valley. The result was an initiative to develop a brand for the Creston Valley.

“The process started when we asked the question, ‘What is the brand of our community?'” said Jim Jacobsen, executive director of the chamber. “The fact is, our community is branded whether or not we have a clever saying or a fancy logo. We are branded because people have a perception of the Creston Valley already.”

Regardless, as with any marketing, having a harmonized way of defining what exactly it is that the Creston Valley represents is an effective tool in helping share it. Story and Co. was the company selected to help create an appealing, accurate and cohesive brand. A very thorough process involved focus group meetings, interviews, surveys and research into past publications on the area.

“Ultimately, whatever (story) we decided to tell—and the way it gets told—had to be authentic and had to ring true to the people that live here,” said Jacobsen. “Story and Co. put everything together and came out with the Growing Together brand. We think it speaks very strongly to what the Creston Valley represents, and what people in the valley feel are the reasons we live here, and why we choose to stay here.”

The resulting Growing Together brand is based on things that differentiate the community and give it a competitive edge. Four pillars were established that focus on the strengths of the valley. “Grow” and “together” are two of these, but the others are “taste” and “the valley.” Creston’s rich and varied agricultural culture is acknowledged, as is its friendly pace of life and exceptionally beautiful surroundings.

Another important aspect has been the inclusion of the whole valley and its different regions. The city of Creston is expanding, but the entire area is an important integration in the brand. The new Growing Together Creston Valley website has a different page for each region.

Ultimately, the Growing Together brand reaches beyond a logo and slogan. These are used in conjunction with other marketing materials to effectively share the Creston Valley story. Jacobsen pointed out that effective use and consistency will be very important elements in growing the brand. Partners in the brand include the chamber of commerce, Tourism and Economic Development, the physician recruitment program, the town of Creston and RDCK Areas B and C.

“We’ve got a brand now, and that’s how we’re telling our story," said Jacobsen. “We’ve developed a consistent theme and message. We’re going to continue to grow the website and how we promote the valley to the rest of the world. All that is part of telling our story in a great way. It’s not just a website—the brand is our story and the brand is going to be in everything we do in terms of how we tell everyone else about the Creston Valley.”