BELFAST – A regional economic development group is mixing color and message to spread the word to draw businesses to the area.

The Knox-Waldo Regional Economic Development Council at its April meeting held Wednesday at Waldo County General Hospital approved a new marketing concept to attract business to the coast of Maine.

Eric Belley, head of the recently formed public relations and marketing committee, introduced a “re-branding” strategy for the council.

Pointing out that the council wanted to expand its target area from midcoast Maine to coastal Maine, Belley said that at early sessions, the brand was the first thing the group looked at.

“This is not doing anything for us,” he said of the current KWRED logo with three linked rings underlining the words “Knox-Waldo.”

“We needed something that is more identifiable, more intriguing,” he said.

Belley distributed samples of a small green sticker inscribed with the word “red,” standing for regional economic development, written in large lower-case letters in the center of a circle. At the top of the circle are the words “coastal maine” written in smaller lower-case letters, and at the bottom of the circle the words “regional economic development” are inscribed.

“You can put it on anything you like – your car, coffee mug or your forehead,” he quipped. “Coastal Maine – red – regional economic development.”

People’s reactions to the new design had been favorable when they saw it displayed at his office earlier, Belley said.

The word “red” against a green background makes people look twice, he said.

“It’s a real simple design,” Belley said. “When you see the word ‘red’ in green, you look twice.”

The design symbolizes a concept of promoting the coast as an ideal site for a company. The idea behind expanding the concept from midcoast to all coastal Maine is expanding opportunities, as suggested in the saying that a “rising tide lifts all boats.”

The green in the logo suggests that Maine is going forward, Belley said, while the word “red” itself makes people stop to think.

Joe Ryan of Adventure Advertising in Camden began meeting with Bob Hastings of the business attraction committee and Belley six weeks ago to design an image for the concept.

‘We’re at a point where we could put it in a magazine, put out a postcard, and see what happens,” said Belley.

Using the new logo as a base, the committee designed two posters. One poster depicts an executive with a determined expression, saying, “We’ve got some explaining to do.”

“Find out why some of the smartest businesses in the world are looking at Coastal Maine,” the man in the poster says.

A second poster shows a prospective female employee praising the Maine coast as a great place for a great job.

“You should hear what your people are saying,” the woman in the poster says.

The council’s board of directors voted unanimously to approve the marketing concept and to begin discussing a strategy for launching the program.

gchappell@bangordailynews.net

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