The City of Plattsburgh issued an RFP for the planning, design, and implementation of a cohesive marketing, branding, and signage strategy that will strengthen Downtown Plattsburgh’s identity and visibility, as well as increase visitation. The goal will be to:
- Establish a well thought out brand for the City of Plattsburgh that encompasses and complements the logo and marketing campaign.
- Improve navigation for all modes of travel.
- Create consistent signage and wayfinding system across a range of mediums.
- Establish visual consistency with current signage and wayfinding mechanisms, as well as the historic fabric of Downtown.
- Guide individuals to landmarks, facilities, and other amenities.
- Promote walking, bicycling, and other means of non-conventional transportation by highlighting links to bicycle and pedestrian trails.
- Increase public awareness of, and brand/market the Saranac River and Lake Champlain as the City’s waterfront.
- Establish a maintenance plan for the implemented system.
- Integrate the vision outlined in the Downtown Revitalization Initiative to complement and enhance other DRI projects.
- Increase visitation and dwell times Downtown.
Background:
In July 2016, the City of Plattsburgh was selected as one of ten (10) participating communities in New York State for the Governor’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). Following the announcement, a number of Local Planning Committee and public engagement meetings were held to gauge interest in potential projects. At the conclusion of this process, ten projects were ultimately approved by the state. Potential projects include development of the Durkee Street site, streetscape and riverfront access improvements, and a shared commercial kitchen space. Throughout the community forums, consistent support was shown for the creation of a comprehensive marketing, branding, and signage strategy for the City. The Downtown has made a number of strides toward branding and marketing itself. In 2015, the City commissioned Boire Benner Group to create a new City logo to replace the previous logo which had been designed in the 1980’s. The new logo was created to represent the Plattsburgh that exists today and all of the opportunities it offers. The City has now successfully integrated the logo on nearly all materials and City owned vehicles. Other successful advertising and marketing campaigns include The Adirondack Coast, which is led by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau, a division of the North Country Chamber of Commerce. The Adirondack Coast seeks to inform visitors—and lifelong residents—of lodging, dining, and things to do all along the western shore of Lake Champlain. The Adirondack Coast publishes a yearly travel guide which features a number of City locales. The Adirondack Coast has also recently installed banner signage on street lamps which showcase our area’s strengths and stretch along the main streets of the DRI area.Scope of Work:
The City of Plattsburgh is seeking a qualified firm for the creation of a unique marketing and branding strategy and the design and implementation of a graphically unified family of signage and wayfinding devices. Coordination and harmonization with existing signage and branding (i.e. Adirondack Coast, SUNY Plattsburgh, Lakes to Locks, etc.) will be required. In general, the scope of signage and wayfinding mechanisms to be included in this proposal are encouraged to include the following and will be capable of expansion to other signage and graphic needs for the City in the future:- Evaluation of current signage for need, effectiveness and relevance.
- Work with City to establish a well thought out brand for the City of Plattsburgh that encompasses the existing marketing campaign (Discover Plattsburgh).
- Develop signage for districts within the City (i.e. Historic District, Business District, Waterfront, etc.).
- Gateway signs for entrances to the Downtown.
- Directional and destination signage including but not limited to pedestrian/bicycle signs, parking/wayfinding signage, directories (“you are here”), directions to landmarks, facilities (i.e. public bathrooms), Wifi access, etc.
- Walking trail and historic markers.
- Seasonal and event-specific street-light and light-post banners to demarcate the Downtown.
- Online interactive map.
