Venture Richmond Jacob Abernathy, CT Jessica Collins, CS Ashleigh Edwards, CS Katy Reyers, CS Sharon Showalter, CT Adam Wiese, CS Layne Wilson, CS
Objective
Target
Create a social identity for downtown Richmond that embodies the community’s “creativity.”
RVAers, People who live, work, and play in RVA In selecting our target, we knew that in order to create a sense of pride in the community, we first had to get those who already live, work and play here involved and excited about their own city, thus building the social identity and the brand from the inside out. Our goal was to harness the creativity of these individuals first before we can build Richmond as a creative city to outsiders. Additionally, we knew we could not create a campaign for Richmond simply saying that the city is “creative.” Rather, we knew that the people of Richmond themselves must define it for it to be truly authentic.
Insights
A city with people on the streets is a more vibrant city. However, many people seek out specific destinations and rarely walk around. Richmond’s creativity is in large part due to the many hidden gems of the city. Each neighborhood is full of local restaurants and businesses unique to Richmond. If we want Richmond to be seen as creative, it is imperative that we get people out walking the streets in order to explore and enjoy these gems. A city becomes smaller and more intimate when you know the neighborhoods. For example, in New York, people are willing to walk longer distances because it seems smaller and more conquerable. If we can make the city smaller, we can get more people walking around, on the streets of RVA.
Strategy
Give people reasons and ways to explore the unique neighborhoods of RVA. It is the rich personality of Richmond’s neighborhoods that makes Richmond a creative place. We want to embrace these neighborhoods’ differences rather than say that Richmond is, as a whole, creative. This type of blanketed statement is too homogeneous and we feel, counter-creative.
Richmond Change Richmond to RVA. When people think of Richmond, often what comes to mind is the Civil War and the Capital of the Confederacy. RVA, on the other hand, is known and loved by the people who live in the city. While we don’t want to ignore or forget our history, we believe it’s important to look to the future.
Introducing
Recommendations Neighborhood Banners In each neighborhood with the RVA map and designated neighborhood color. This allows people to know which neighborhood they are in and encourages neighborhood pride.
Recommendations Business Signage Give out window clings for businesses to display that shows what neighborhood they belong to in order to encourage neighborhood pride and to further push this image of RVA to citizens.
Recommendations RVA Trolley To best encourage people to explore, we need to begin to change how people move from neighborhood to neighborhood. To do this we want to have an RVA Trolley that will run from Shockoe Bottom to Carytown, with welllabeled signage for maps and stops. The Trolley would run evenings and weekends, and if proven successful, we could adopt an RVA Trolley pass system.
RVA Pocket Book Since RVA is a place to explore, we want to create a simple tool for people to explore the city, arranged by neighborhood. This RVA guide will give RVAers a reference when they are in a specific neighborhood for restaurants, shops, etc.
Neighborhood Week To further put focus on neighborhoods and increase foot traffic to each, we can dedicate a week to each neighborhood in the summer months. We will work with and encourage businesses to participate by giving discounts for that week. Venture Richmond will promote each week and the businesses that are participating. In the future, neighborhoods can begin their own events such as movie nights of food festivals. To encourage use of the trolley, we’ll ask businesses to validate guests’ passes if they used the trolley to get to their location.
Recommendations
Website A website will bring together all of the neighborhood events and information. Here you can find out what is going on in each neighborhood and their respective histories. You will also be able to purchase posters and t-shirts of the RVA map, as well as the RVA Pocket Book.
Photo Booth There will be an RVA traveling photo booth that will go to each event and festival. These photos will then be added to the site for RVAers to see the event and perhaps their own photo.
Recommendations
RVA SoirĂŠe, whose name speaks to the quirkiness of the common RVAer, will be a celebration of all RVA has achieved in the past year and what we all hope to achieve in the next. This will be part convention, part festival in which Venture Richmond will invite business owners from around the city to sessions hosted by keynote speakers. We will invite a Yelp representative to come and talk to owners about how to use Yelp to grow their business. It will be a forum for owners to learn how to develop their business in a growing city and to network with other owners. Venture Richmond will also throw one of the great parties they know how to throw that celebrates local bands, restaurants, Center Stage performers and the like. The photo booth will of course be present, and we will have an official ribbon-cutting for the RVA Trolley.
These ideas leverage many existing resources available to Venture Richmond with banner placement and relationships with area businesses. Production of the maps, window clings, and posters can be made almost immediately and can start showing up in restaurants and retail outlets.
Immediately actionable.
More importantly, we’re creating the support structure to frame it and putting it in the power of the hands of the people to bring the life and excitement to the identity of Richmond.
Uses existing platforms.
As further proof, the idea of neighborhood-centric cities isn’t new or radical. If you ask somebody from New York where they’re from, you’re just as likely to hear “Brooklyn” as you are “New York.” While they fall under the umbrella of the city, that neighborhood pride shines equally as bright.
Proven to be a successful model.