Destination: Angels Camp

By Krissi Krob

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Posted: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 12:04 PM CDT

Jeremiah the Jumping Frog. Courtesy graphic

After months of work with a Seattle-based consulting firm, and with the input of a committee of Angels Camp residents and business owners, Angels Camp has discovered a possible “brand” that might help draw new businesses, visitors and money into the city. It's “mountain sports.”

“Mountains sports include a number of summer and winter activities, such as road and mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, boating, cross country and alpine skiing, snow shoeing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, etc.,” reads the Branding, Development and Marketing Action Plan prepared by Destination Development Inc. “The area surrounding Angels Camp is rich with these activities.”

The City Council budgeted $23,000 to develop a brand for the city, hiring Destination Development, headed by CEO Roger Brooks, to research possibilities for the city's new brand. A brand includes a primary lure, which is something that makes a town or city worth a special trip; diversionary activities, which visitors participate in when they are done spending time with the lure; and an icon, or photo opportunity that says what the town is all about.

A Branding Committee has been meeting for a few months to discuss possible brands. At its first meeting, the favored idea among committee members was creating a “base camp” brand for Angels Camp, as it is at the center of mountain sports destinations.

“That's good branding,” said Anne Forrest, committee chairman and president of the Angels Camp Business Association. “That means that this is the right direction, when you have the local people coming up with this as well as the consultant....I was delighted about that.”

The 119-page brand-marketing plan includes suggestions for creating a “destination retail” area downtown, developing a city brand logo (“Angels Camp: Redefining the Rush”), and many recommendations for implementing the brand.

One of those suggestions is to incorporate the existing frog theme of Angels Camp into a concept that would integrate the mountain sports theme.

“The frog is integral to Angels Camp, but has little meaning outside the community,” the plan reads. “Because the frog represents a core icon for the community, we did not want to abandon it.”

Destination Development suggests that the frog be given a name, and be depicted participating in the mountain sports the area has to offer. The firm's suggestion for a name was “Jeremiah the Jumping Frog,” and a rough drawing shows the mascot outfitted with a backpack and water bottle.

The city should provide easy access to all types of year-round mountain sports, offer more choices in mountain sports gear than any other city in the Sierra, create an attractive pedestrian setting, keep businesses open longer and on weekends, and create a “brand leadership team” that would work to making the brand happen.

The plan will be presented to the City Council at a meeting at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, in Utica Park. If the council approves the plan at a future meeting, Destination Development recommends that work begin immediately to implement it, but cautions that a branding process takes five to seven years to complete.

For the complete story, see Friday's print or e-editions.

Comment (2 comment(s))

Concerned Citizen wrote on Aug 28, 2008 8:21 AM:

" I think this is pretty pathetic that the city has allocated and spent this type of money on a pathetic mountain Frog.
What is wrong with the city? This is NOT what Angels Camp is all about. I hate it. "

Frog Too Cutesy wrote on Aug 29, 2008 2:18 PM:

" I'm all for keeping the iconic frog but would love to see something more refined, something that says class and distinction, not cartoon and silliness. Love the rebranding efforts, its about time! "

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