By Ruth Melville

How to brand the town of Norfolk, in the hopes of attracting visitors and new residents, was the main topic of discussion at the March meeting of the Economic Development Commission (EDC).

It’s easy to imagine how you might brand toothpaste or a new SUV, but what does it mean for a town to have a “brand”? According to Bill Brown, chair of the EDC’s branding subcommittee, Norfolk’s brand is the sum total of the impressions the town makes on its audience. The purpose of thinking in terms of a brand is to find creative ways of spreading the word about Norfolk’s advantages over other towns in the Northwest Corner, such as Litchfield, Sharon or Salisbury. The “leverageable assets” in this effort are many: the beauty of the town, its arts and cultural events, housing stock and location, rural but with easy access to bigger towns and a major airport.

Brown explained several traditional marketing tools used in creating a brand: advertising (for example, the town website and the weekly email); promotions and special events (such as WIN and the Chamber Music Festival); public relations (which happens mostly by chance); and packaging (the look of the place). But where could the EDC have the greatest impact? 

The strategy the committee is recommending falls under the heading of packaging— in particular, improving the appearance of the approaches to the town on Routes 44 and 272. The committee wants to focus on three high-impact areas: to the east, at the welcome sign near George’s Garage; to the west, at the welcome sign near the Sewer District, and to the south, at the bridge near the junction of Mountain Road and Route 272. Initial efforts will go to lighting the signs already in place and planting flowers and native plants in those spots.

The EDC will be consulting with the state Department of Transportation and working with the Community Association and the Norfolk Foundation to move this beautification effort forward.