Key Challenge
“The magic of yesteryear.”  La Porte, Texas boasts quite a genteel history.  Its location on the sandy shores of Sylvan Beach coupled with cool breezes and a high-class commuter train coming directly from Houston made it a playground for Houston’s elite during the 20’s and 30’s.  But beach erosion and the closing of the train took this tiny town right off the tourism map.  How then, can a beach town with such a magnificent past reconnect with the magic of its yesteryear, retain the high-quality living of it present and reveal a future full of opportunity?    

Critical Insight
“One step back, two steps forward.”  Launching its branding campaign just as the community was rocked by Hurricane Ike offered forward-thinking La Porte a unique opportunity. The city was looking at rebuilding a lot of its infrastructure and stakeholders were open to working the brand “look” into that initiative. North Star research found that despite a few setbacks La Porte still retained many of the qualities that once made it a playground.  Hospitable residents, breezes 10 degrees cooler than the rest of Houston, a rare bay front location and clear views of the water define the city.  (While in large part supported by the petrochemical and chemical industries, not a single plant is visible from the city’s waterfront areas.)  Add to it all plans to bring sand back to the beach and to advance the art deco aesthetic of the 20’s era and La Porte is becoming a city whose present and future holds as much appeal as its past.  

Brand Strategy
North Star recommended positioning La Porte as a portal to both the gentility and charm of the past and the wide open vista of the future.  A simple strap line,  “By the bay” shines a light on the community’s greatest asset and allows for tremendous flexibility in identifying the city, tourism, economic development and more (i.e., Business by the bay, Music by the bay). A distinct art deco style resounds in the language and look of the brand including the logo, advertising, signage and the website.   

Brand Language
La Porte invites you to step into a future where business and pleasure are in perfect balance.  It is about claiming your position as a charming port town harkening back to the easy stylized vibe that made it a playground for Houston’s elite in the 20’s. But don’t let the relaxed attitude fool you.  La Porte is also a community that offers opportunities in equal number to its clean ocean breezes. Good living equal to the grains of sand on its new beach.  Let’s face it, we spend so much of our lives doing things by the book.  But in La Porte, people do things by the bay.  And frankly, that’s just a better way.

Initial Concept

One of the ways North Star brings your brand to life is with a Brand Identity package, which is the creative representation of your identity. Creative goodies include recommendations for a logo, strap line, color palette, print ads, outdoor boards, t-shirts, websites and more!  (Note:  The “initial concept” is North Star’s recommendation.  As our client’s brand implementation progresses we will provide their “evolution of the idea”!)

Brand Action

Bringing a two-dimensional brand to life in a three-dimensional community takes a strong brand action plan. Following are a sampling of action ideas from the hundreds developed specifically for La Porte. All were designed to help them wear their brand like a second skin.

• Brand the beach - The creation of a sandy beachfront will make La Porte By the Bay a truly unique attraction in the area.  Use the brand to leverage the appeal of your beach and bay.
  • Branded beach changing areas: These fun and inexpensive changing areas give visitors and residents privacy to slip into swimming suits or shorts.  Use the brand’s stylized art deco look on the outside.
    
    
    
• Support entrepreneurs/small business - The city should offer creative economic development solutions to
  support partnerships and collaboration within this market segment. A few specific branded ideas:
  • Offer tax incentives to small businesses who set up shop downtown
  • Offer assistance/incentives for any downtown business that designs an art deco facade
  • Subsidize the development of stylized art deco logos/signage for small businesses.
    
    
• Involve local businesses - Create a distinct role for local businesses when rolling out the brand. A few specific branded ideas:
  • Restaurants: Invite top chefs to develop a signature “By the bay” dish (featuring fresh ingredients, seafood, etc.)
  • Bars: Develop the “By the bay” cocktail guaranteed to make you feel like you’re on the beach
  • Furniture Stores: Encourage furniture stores and antique shops to offer art deco furniture
  • Jewelry: Encourage local jewelers to design belt buckles, charms, rings, watches and other exquisite pieces in the art deco style 
  • Coffee Shops: Suggest that local coffee shops offer different coffee specials reminiscent of the brand – Cool breeze, ten degrees, By the bay, etc.
• Offer beach and back transportation - Offer visitors and residents a fun and easy way to travel the miles from La Porte’s soon-to-be revitalized downtown and the beach and bay.  This allows people to play on the beach or in the park and eat lunch downtown.  It makes it possible for you to put on festivals or events that span these two primary tourism destinations. And it further adds to the allure of the unique visitor experience La Porte is developing.  Trolleys or double-decker buses are fun options for transportation.

Kudos