The University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government began offering Community Branding services in September 2018 to meet the rising demands of client communities statewide who were asking for branding and design assistance. Community Branding has become an increasingly important tool to help Georgia communities set themselves apart from the competition and attract target markets.
View our Community Branding Process.
Hawkinsville is one of America’s great small towns. A place where everyone knows your name (and your business!), it has earned the playful nickname “Talkinsville.” With a strong sense of community, family, and faith, Hawkinsville makes one feel right at home. Residents wanted a brand that could capture the community’s down-to-earth and welcoming character.
The Copper Basin shares a common history, heritage, and sense of community. Residents desired a brand that could be used to promote the region’s many offerings, celebrate its unique copper mining history, and build community pride.
Washington County is located in the heart of Georgia, tucked under the Fall Line next to the Oconee River. Like many other counties in the United States named in honor of George Washington (31 to be exact), Washington County prides itself on being the very first county in the nation named for the Founding Father, preceding even his presidency. There are eight communities within Washington County, all of which have participated in this branding process: Davisboro, Deepstep, Harrison, Oconee, Sandersville, Tennille, Riddleville, and Warthen. Despite its interesting history, Washington County is not stuck in the past. The Washington County brand initiative aims to pull together the county’s storied history with the exciting things happening now to help achieve the goals of the future.
The brand and tagline, “Where Life Grows,” reflect the area’s agricultural roots and quality of life. They were borne out of an 18-month process facilitated by UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Archway Partnership. Known far and wide for its agricultural industry and annual holiday event Lights! Lights! at the courthouse square, Colquitt County offers first-class health care, abundant natural resources, outstanding educational opportunities, competitive athletics, and unrivaled arts and culture. The county also is home to the Sunbelt Ag Expo, known as North America’s Farm Show, and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) South Georgia.
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Institute of Government’s branding team taps into the sweet life in Vidalia November 29, 2022 Drawing an onion might seem easy, but when you're talking about a Vidalia onion, that's another story. Just ask Kaitlin Messich, who led the Georgia city through a yearlong branding process. A faculty member at the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government, Messich leads the community branding program. |
It’s All Yours: Monroe celebrates bicentennial with new brand identity December 6, 2021 The City of Monroe recently celebrated its bicentennial with a new brand identity. As part of its 200th birthday party Nov. 30, the city unveiled a new logo and tagline developed in partnership with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. |
Colquitt County Rolls Out New Community Brand Identity: Where Life Grows October 18, 2021 The brand and tagline, “Where Life Grows,” reflect the area’s agricultural roots and quality of life. They were borne out of an 18-month process facilitated by UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Archway Partnership. |
April 22, 2021 The Washington County branding initiative is a recipient of a 2021 Four for the Future Award. |
Institute carves out market aiding communities be more than “Anywhere USA” April 7, 2021 After a year-long process led by the Institute of Government, residents of Washington County—a UGA Archway Partnership community— and its eight municipalities selected a brand, complete with tagline and logo, to draw attention to the community’s assets. |
Institute completes Washington County community branding project October 15, 2020 The Institute of Government, in collaboration with the University of Georgia Archway Partnership, recently completed a yearlong branding process in Washington County. |
Hawkinsville, Pulaski County showcase assets with Institute-designed brand July 16, 2019 Day-trippers, agritourists and businesses are being invited to “Come Home to Hawkinsville” to visit, shop and perhaps put down roots in the Pulaski County city. |