Salinas looks to win the image battle

Monterey County Herald

Improving a city's image isn't a gentle undertaking. It's a battle like a political campaign in which the only goal is victory, Salinas community leaders were told Thursday by a national city marketing expert.

"If you're not ready to win, then let's not start the battle," said Tom Bullington, president of the Minneapolis company CityImage. "You have to be serious about winning it."

Bullington joined Mayor Dennis Donohue at a City Hall news conference and met with a city-appointed panel working on marketing and image strategies for Salinas.

It was a town hall meeting on Salinas' need for an image makeover that caught Bullington's attention in the first place. He contacted Donohue soon afterward. The city paid to bring Bullington to Salinas.

The mayor makes no bones about Salinas having a less-than-savory image because of youth violence and gang activity. But that "dark cloud" shouldn't hide the good things about Salinas, he said.

"Salinas has a lot going for it," Bullington said. "Salinas is a diverse, vibrant community."

Every city has violent crime, he said, but can't let that brand the community. That hurts a city's ability to attract visitors, business and new residents.

"Our image is an economic hindrance," Donohue said. Monterey Peninsula residents can be leery of shopping or going out in Salinas because of its crime-linked image, he said.

"This is a great city, but everyone gets hung up on one thing," Donohue said.

Changing that image doesn't have to be expensive. But it must be embraced by the entire community, Bullington said. It is not simply a task for city government, but a much wider effort, down to each street and neighborhood, he said.

And it goes far beyond coming up with a slick new city slogan or logo, he said.

"This needs to be something deeper," he said, that wins over "the hearts and minds" of residents.

Just the fact that Salinas is taking a hard look at its image is a positive sign, Bullington said.

"There are a lot of cities that don't even get to that point," he said. "They just say, 'Woe is us. We have a huge crime rate.'"

One key is to prevent a city being defined by its negatives.

"You let positive things define you, and you put the resources forward to lower the negatives," Bullington said.

For Salinas, the positives include the John Steinbeck Center, the California International Airshow, California Rodeo, the city's proximity to Monterey Bay and San Francisco, its mild, year-round weather, its status as the county's capital and largest city, and its agricultural status as the nation's "Salad Bowl."

"You need to be proud you live in Salinas," Bullington said. "The greatest ripples in the pond start at home."

-- Larry Parsons