The Town of Ridgway had a unique branding opportunity regarding Main Street. The Town was also part of Colorado’s Creative District program. In 2022, Main Street Manager Tera Wick approached rebranding Main Street with the idea of combining it with the Creative District. Because these entities are an integral part of Ridgway’s culture, their boards were brought together for the branding exercise. Entrepreneurs, artists, residents and other key stakeholders were invited to an open house. The result was the Ridgway “FUSE” brand.
Ridgway FUSE has already made its way around Town. “I was surprised by how quickly people were using the term. That’s one indication that there doesn’t seem to be confusion or hesitation around it. We’ve also struggled to find volunteers. Now, there is more interest.”
Ridgway’s Main Street and Creative District Board members, local artists, business owners, and entrepreneurs form a stakeholder group that know Ridgway’s culture and collectively created an amazing brand with the help of Colorado Main Street consulting services. The FUSE brand was born with the intention of embodying a rebellious and artistic spirit to “FUSE” both Creative District and Main Street organizations. From fonts, colors, and messaging – all of these partners had a hand molding the FUSE brand.
Collecting thoughts and ideas from multiple stakeholders as part of the branding process can be challenging. However, Tera found it easily digestible with Colorado Main Street’s consulting services.
“People put stickers next to color palettes from Ridgway’s known areas that they liked. We created our palette directly from one of Ridgway’s landscapes. Our consultant gave us prompts about the spirit of the Town and how we saw ourselves – ranging from ranch to ski or modern to traditional.” — Tera Wick, Main Street Manager