Brand Strategy | Messaging | Application Submission
NSA Cultural District
The Challenge
Near Southside Inc. approached J.O. with big dreams to apply for Texas Commission on the Arts’ (TCA) cultural district designation to give our community the recognition and support it deserves and open the door for new funding opportunities. Not only would this designation mean that Near Southside Arts and other nonprofits locate in the district have the opportunity to apply for TCA grants, but the nearly 1,400-acre district would be recognized by the state as a destination for arts investments. With an overwhelming list of to-dos and exponential community support, J.O. got to work.
The Solution
We created a website, marketing plan, wrote a brand elaborative, formed a brand identity, named thee district, designed collateral and way finding, conducted community surveys, oversaw the cultural district committee, organized the application process, and assembled 8 binders, each filled with 125 pages of strategy and passion. The overall project took our team over 529 hours to execute to our standard of excellence. We covered the package with stickers from all of Near Southside’s businesses and sent it off for review.
The Result
The anticipation made the process hard, but the results exceeded everyone’s expectations. Ranking first place out of all the applicants, it is evident Near Southside is a force to be reckoned with. Our public relations efforts earned us 13 pieces of coverage with nearly 700,000 estimated views and over 1,300 social shares. Our community efforts granted over 1,200 survey responses and more than 25 letters of support from Fort Worth VIPs.
