Smoak explains Town branding to Rotary Club
Branding is important for the town of Farragut, David Smoak, Town administrator, said.
“I think it’s important be-cause obviously our Town had been 36 years old,” he said.
“You’re moving past the infancy of the Town, now moving into a more mature Town, and so we wanted to see what residents perceptions of us, what visitors perceptions were of us, what people that frequent our community, business people what their perceptions of the town of Farragut are.
“So, that way we can better differentiate ourselves from other entities around us,” Smoak said.
Smoak presented some of the results of the research from North Star Destination Strategy’s polling during a Rotary Club of Farragut meeting held April 22 at Fox Den Country Club.
The research led to the creation of town of Farragut’s current logo and “Live Closer. Go further” slogan.
“The brand’s what they say when you’re not around. Brand-ing is what you do about it,” Smoak said.
Smoak estimated the branding process to cost around $60,000. He said it took in 2014 and 2015.
One North Star survey included 201 respondents to an online survey, 70 percent of whom were Farragut residents.
Another included 147 Farra-gut leaders and 207 people from outside of Farragut, including people from Knox, Loudon, Blount and Ander-son counties.
Smoak said themes from all of the surveys included an emphasis on Farragut as a residential area and a place to shop.
He said other recurring themes included the convenience of Farragut’s location, the importance of promoting business, parks and greenways.
“For those who appreciate beauty and forward thinking in equal measure, Farragut Ten-nessee, the Knoxville area’s most desirable community is a premiere destination for living, shopping, ease and amenities, built by the hard work and ideals of high achievers, allowing your opportunities for growth to come with an assurance of established excellence,” Smoak said, reading from the brand platform statement.
He said a brand platform statement is an important step toward coming up with a brand.
“Ultimately, it came out to the new brand that we have,” he said.
The survey of Farragut leaders included 147 leaders including Board of Mayor and Aldermen members, business leaders and committee members.
Among the questions they answered was which famous person Kim Kardashian.
“Pretty, perceived as snobby and elitist, has a name people know but can’t tell you why,” the person who had chosen Farragut would be.
Among them were Admiral David Farragut, Thomas Jeffer-son and Kardashian had said.
