What Makes Orleans Unique? Officials Working To Brand, Market Around Town’s Strengths

ORLEANS – Orleans is bold, welcoming and creative. It’s a place with a proud history and a close connection to its environment. But how does the town get that message out to residents and visitors? 

 The town is in the midst of an effort to tighten its branding and marketing to show the many ways that Orleans stands out from its neighbors across the Cape. On June 30, the Providence-based firm Superette Studio presented three design concepts for members of the public to consider.

 Amanda Converse, the town’s economic development coordinator and public information officer, said that municipal branding is bigger than an icon or logo. It’s “the complete visual and emotional expression of who we are as a community.”

 “A strong brand helps Orleans stand out in a crowded Cape Cod landscape,” she said at the outset of the June 30 meeting. “It supports economic development, tourism, local pride and stronger communication from the town.”

 Converse said that a working group of residents, business owners and representatives from the Orleans Cultural District, Orleans Improvement Association and Orleans Chamber of Commerce have been looking at ways to brand and market the town since January. 

 “This group has contributed valuable time, energy and insight over several months,” she said. “I want to sincerely thank them for their dedication and their thoughtful creative feedback, often from different perspectives.”

Haley Mistler and Sonja Haviland, co-owners of Superette Studio, have been taking input from the group to put together logos and other design and marketing options for the town to consider.

 Mistler said the three options were crafted to highlight Orleans as “a haven for art, culture, community and progress.”

 “Orleans is bold in our welcoming spirit, our commitment to our native landscape and our future and our celebration of the people who live, work and play here,” she said.

 Each of the designs placed special emphasis on the “O” in Orleans. The first option showed a colorful sunset over the ocean, while the second opted for a more “topographical” design reminiscent of the ripple effect in a pond. The last option showed a "kaleidoscope of color” inspired in part by traditional Native American basket weaving.

 Mistler and Haviland also presented a “mood board” with various imagery including the beach, sunset vistas, art, the back of a Jeep and a vanilla ice cream cone with colored sprinkles. Each image in some way captured the town’s essence, Mistler said.

 “Who doesn't like vanilla ice cream?” she said. “It’s great. Nobody’s gonna turn their nose up at it. But you add in these rainbow sprinkles and you get this injection of fun, of color, of youthfulness, of movement, of playfulness, of vibrancy. It’s bold.”

 Converse said that the branding project will be completed in August, at which time a final product is expected to be presented.