Case Study

Community Brand Development & Marketing Implementation

Mt. Oliver Borough – Rebrand And Website

Trailhead: Where We Started

Mt. Oliver Borough has seen an increased amount of community engagement and activity surrounding civic initiatives. The hiring of the borough manager, along with corporate involvement and tactical support with their Neighborhood Partnership Program seeded a renaissance within the borough. This rejuvenation has been realized through newly established businesses, active community involvement, and significant corporate investment.

As with any renaissance, Mt. Oliver needed to find its new identity. Mt. Oliver required a brand that matched the “new” Mt. Oliver, which spanned their identity, online presence, and even administrative workflows.

Trek: Steps We’ve Taken

Following a competitive bid process, Mt. Oliver leadership selected TrailBlaze Creative to advance these efforts. Mt. Oliver Borough has seen positive change over the last few years, working hard to develop strong support of its residents and businesses. As the community is growing and changing, the reflection of Mt. Oliver in its brand and online presence must also change. Mt. Oliver residents should have a brand that they are proud of and a website that not only reflects the personality of that brand but serves as a useful tool for years to come.

To understand the actions, goals, and engagement opportunities for the brand, TrailBlaze used its Brand Audit process to measure the performance of the existing brand and inform the process for a new brand. As part of the audit, TrailBlaze initiated a public survey about the Borough and its brand, distributing the survey to residents and businesses throughout Mt. Oliver to gather public input to support the branding process. This process culminated in a new identity and tagline for Mt. Oliver—focusing on its unique geography and increased dedication to expanding its livability—“At the center of it all.”

In developing the website, TrailBlaze Creative conducted an information architecture session with a focus group from Mt. Oliver to assess the performance of the existing site and analyze the Borough’s needs in a new online presence. Following this session, sitemaps, mockups, and content planning documents were created to aid in the development of the site. The result is a new site that incorporates the story of Mt. Oliver, its dedication to the future, and interactive features to assist residents in engaging with the Borough—event calendar, form workflows, and contact options. TrailBlaze also negotiated the purchase of the domain mtoliver.com as well as the development of a new email and calendar system for the entire Mt. Oliver Borough staff.

Summit: Vision Realized

Mt. Oliver’s new brand has established a newfound legitimacy for the Borough. It serves as a rallying point in which residents, businesses, and the Borough itself can take pride. The logo also provides consistency throughout the Borough communications. The website has seen increased visitation from the previous website, as new features and a logical organization of data provide for a more appealing online experience for end users.