A PROJECT to create a ‘place brand’ for Andover is underway, as more than 60 residents, businesses and community representatives came together to discuss the way forward.

Residents are being asked to ‘get on board’ and help work out what Andover means to them and help the town establish its brand to those outside it.

A variety of stakeholders were invited to an event on Wednesday night, held at The Lights theatre, where they heard from Wayne Hemingway and Sophie Gwynne from HemingwayDesign and Andrew Palmer from CTConsults, who are creating the new brand on behalf of Test Valley Borough Council.

They said a place brand is what comes to mind when people think of a town or city, and it is shaped and reinforced by everything from the quality and nature of events, to the design of an area’s public spaces and the type of retailers that trade there.

The new brand will be used to inform decision making, attract investment, transform local culture, boost footfall and secure the funding needed to bring the masterplan to life.

It will also help to drive innovation and encourage people to come up with new ideas, events and initiatives.

But in order to be successful a place brand has to be authentic, which is why industry experts invest much of their time in consulting with residents, businesses and those with the greatest knowledge of a place to understand what makes it unique, how it is viewed and how people want it to be viewed in future.

 

Speaking at the event, Wayne Hemingway said that he saw a lot of potential in Andover.

“There is so much right about this town,” he said.

“We saw a market town which is positioned in just the right place. And a desire to be part of the resurgence of the independents.”

He added: “People want to put money into places where they will get return. So we need to shout about the things we are doing, rather than be a shrinking violet.

“It’s about defining who we are and being that. And by being authentic to what the place is, that’s how we mould people’s perceptions.

“As you start to deliver your values, they will resonate with you and the town. But then it’s really up to you. You need to take ownership of the brand and live and breathe it. They are not just words.”

Early consultation has shown that people overall view Andover as a friendly town, with good access and parking and affordable housing. However, words such as ‘tired’ and shabby’ suggested that work still needs to be done.

Andrew Palmer said: “I think it’s useful to think of Andover as a place with a personality. The constructive approach we have seen through all of this is something we have found very encouraging, and is something to build on.”

The companies will now continue their research, and in stages will develop some core ‘values’ for Andover, testing them out on the group of stakeholders along the way.

Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Cllr Phil North, added: “Place branding isn’t about a logo or nice graphics; it’s about harnessing all of the town’s positives and unique identity and using that to create a ‘filter’ to inform and influence everything we do.

“And most importantly it’s about enabling us to secure investment to help us to deliver on our regeneration plans for the town centre. Being able to tell Andover’s story and convey that sense of place is crucial if we want to get developers and investors to choose Andover.

“But that place brand has to be authentic – it has to be recognisably Andover. There’s no point just trying to run with what works in other towns and hoping it works here. And that’s why our consultants have spent so much time getting under the skin of the town, meeting people from local art, culture and community groups, students, residents, retailers, NHS representatives and people who are really passionate about the town. Every single one of these individuals help to make the town what it is and they will each pay a vital role in its future success.”