Neighborhood Intersections

How do you reestablish a heritage neighborhood’s sense of place? That’s what San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Community Benefit District asked us. Our answer: get to know the people who live, work and thrive there. Over the course of three months, we engaged with more than 500 residents, business owners, visitors and tourists, using everything from focus groups to charrettes, one-on-one interviews, online surveys and man-on-the-street videos. We translated this chorus of voices into a historical name – Yerba Buena – and a new brand concept

– Intersections – that brings the ‘there’ back to this diverse and bustling neighborhood, driving interest, engagement and commerce. The logo and campaign hit the street (literally) in the fall of 2010.

Such deep community engagement was unchartered territory for us and for our client. Together, we successfully navigated inherent complexities to discover exciting opportunities for creative expression and community building.

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What’s in a name? In the case of a neighborhood, everything. If people can’t agree on what to call it, no one knows when they’re in it. The first step in our naming exercise was to ask around.
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The logo’s strong type and stacked words are reminiscent of the neighborhood’s street grid, while the square bursting out of the center symbolizes not only a geographic destination (Yerba Buena Gardens) but the symbolic intersection of people and ideas.
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[ Roll over movie to pause ] Our research revealed a vibrant and diverse community that chooses the neighborhood for its variety – of people, experiences and opportunities. The campaign concept, Intersections, is a metaphor for this defining attribute.
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[ Roll over movie to pause ] To align opinions and objectives, we engaged a broad range of stakeholders at every step of the process, asking over 80 participants to share their perceptions, desires and ideas. The solution emerged organically, a true co-creation and the product a unified community.
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Our research report and recommendations now serve as the strategic foundation for many neighborhood projects. Read on for yourself [PDF].

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  • Vaska Natural Detergents_ Active Ingredient

  • The Living Principles_ Creative Action

  • California Wine Institute_ Global Appeal

  • BSR_ Illuminating a Global Network

  • Frameline Film Festival_ Think Pink & Beyond

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  • HERproject_ Keeping Business Healthy

  • GreenBiz Group_ Thriving Ecosystem

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  • Janus_ Get there. Invented here.

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  • Janus TV_ Research brought to life

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