BOOTHBAY — The Midcoast Walkability Steering Committee has taken the next step in development of a brand for the Boothbay region. On April 15, the committee officially hired Pica Design and Marketing in Belfast to begin work on creating the region's brand.

The work all began in October of 2012 with a Walkability Audit done with Dan Burden of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute and Jane Lafleur from Friends of Midcoast Maine. Burden guided a group of 40-plus individuals from the region in a walk around town, and the group then came up with a large list of ideas to improve the region.

Not quite one year later, the committee that continued with the work held a “Values and Vision Workshop” at the Boothbay Region YMCA to ask community members three questions: what they valued about the region; what, if lost, would forever change the region; and why they not only moved here (but also why they stayed).

Lafleur compiled the results of this workshop into a final report, which along with results from an extensive community survey, will now be used by Pica Design to create the logo for the region. This logo will be used to create clear, consistent signage and can be used not only on signs but also maps from any of the region's towns, and can also be used by local businesses and the Chamber of Commerce. The brand will tie the whole region together with a cohesive look and style that reflects what is most important to our community and tourists which, according to the report, are quality of place, cultural heritage and economic development.

“Pica has tremendous experience producing brands for a number of Maine businesses and regions,” Walkability Chairman Mike Tomko said. “They just won recognition from the 2014 Governor's Conference on Tourism for innovation and creativity. They are an exciting and innovative group to partner with on this project.”

Funding for the project has come from many sources. A grant from the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission, the towns of Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor, and the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce all contributed, along with business and personal supporters. The Chamber is managing and dispersing funds for the project.

The first phase of development for the brand is scheduled to be complete within the next 45 to 60 days. At that time, the brand will be tested within the community to make sure it is acceptable to residents and truly reflects the community. After refinements, the brand will be launched and made available for use by all residents, business and municipal groups on the peninsula.

"This is a very exciting time for everyone," Tomko said. "This brand will serve to identify the region, to establish clear consistent signage, and serve as a source of civic pride. A good brand will be a strong economic development tool for our Peninsula, from Edgecomb to Southport."

For more information on this project, contact the Steering Committee Chairman Michael Tomko at boothbayvision@gmail.com or Catherine Wygant Fossett from the chamber at catherine@boothbayharbor.com.

Related:

• Boothbay Harbor takes a walk

• What does the Boothbay region mean to you?

Katrina Clark can be reached at 207-844-0168 or katrinaclark@boothbayregister.com. Follow her on Twitter: @BBRegisterClark or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BBRegisterKatrinaClark.