About

A Collaborative and Engagement-Driven Process

To lead this effort, the City of Bloomington has partnered with CivicBrand, a place branding consultancy with over 17 years of experience working with communities across the country. Their team specializes in authentic, engagement-driven branding processes rooted in research and community input.

The process is being conducted in multiple phases, including in-person visits and extensive virtual engagement:

Trip 1 – March 2025

In early March, the CivicBrand team spent several days in Bloomington conducting their initial Place Brand Audit. During this visit, they toured the community in depth, exploring key community assets, landmarks, and gathering spaces to better understand the fabric of Bloomington.

In addition to the fieldwork, the team:

  • Held focus groups with the project committee
  • Met with City leadership and staff
  • Conducted a round table dicsussion with Visit Bloomington, the Chamber of Commerce, and Economic Development leaders
  • Met with residents and stakeholders

This first visit laid the groundwork for understanding how Bloomington sees itself and how it is perceived by others.

Trip 2 – June 2025

The CivicBrand team spent the beginning of June back in Bloomington.

 

Between Visits – Virtual Engagement

Between March and June, the project team dove deeper through virtual engagement, including:

  • A community-wide online survey
  • Individual interviews and stakeholder focus groups
  • Continued collaboration with city staff and the project committee

Meanwhile, members of the project committee and city staff were out and about at community events, encouraging residents to get involved.

Trip 2 – June 5–9, 2025

In early June, the CivicBrand team returned to Bloomington for the second site visit, building on the insights gathered during the initial visit. This trip focused on engaging audiences whose perspectives hadn’t been fully explored yet — diving deeper into the people and stories that shape Bloomington’s identity.

During this visit, the team:

  • Explored Gallery Walk and the Bloomington Portrait Project exhibition
  • Attended the 4th & Rogers Block Party
  • Connected with residents at the Farmers Market and Handmade Market
  • Joined in the Granfalloon festivities
  • Held a focus group with IU students
  • Facilitated a discussion with startup businesses and entrepreneurs at The Mill
  • Met with longtime residents and the historic preservation community
  • Gathered the project committee for their third working session

This second visit deepened our understanding of how different people experience Bloomington today — and how the brand can celebrate those stories, strengthen local pride, and invite even more people to see themselves in Bloomington.

How You Can Get Involved

This is your city, and this is your brand. We want to hear from you—your stories, your experiences, and your vision for the future.

  1. Reach out to the project team via the Contact page
  2. Follow Along and Share Feedback

Let’s shape the future of Bloomington together.

Sign up to be notified of project updates, surveys, and events!

Oops! We could not locate your form.