Branding Heritage: Cambridge Harbor
30 YEARS OF COMMUNITY PLANNING
Cambridge is a historic waterfront city located in Dorchester County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore with a population deeply rooted in can-do grit and perseverance. For over three decades, the community has poured its heart and soul into preserving its harbor located on the Choptank River. The city and its partners have faithfully protected this cultural and ecological site in the hope that it can become a world-class waterfront that reflects the Cambridge lifestyle and offers amenities for both residents and visitors.
Cambridge’s rich history runs as deep on land as it does on water; from enslaved peoples who sought paths of freedom along the Underground Railroad to the generations who have worked the bay. Its diverse community, its watermen and water-related commerce remain as important today as they were a century or more ago.
BCT Design Group was commissioned in 2021 by Cambridge Waterfront Development Inc. (CWDI) to create a new identity and marketing collateral that would communicate the vision for the waterfront and unite the community and stakeholders in the process. This article outlines our approach and the communication tools developed.
Through virtual surveys, in-person community workshops, the Community Advisory focus group, and regular meetings with CWDI, BCT was able to cultivate a brand that would resonate not only with residents and visitors but also future developers. To manage the branding process, we created these five guiding principles.
Multiple rounds of naming options and associated narratives culminated in over forty unique names based on the location and heritage of the site. BCT utilized the local audience to foster acceptance and create a sense of ownership in the community. Using our guiding principles and naming criteria, CWDI and the project team narrowed the options down to three names presented to the community for an open vote. The community, with almost a 2:1 ratio, selected Cambridge Harbor.
The identity system developed for Cambridge Harbor conveys the tagline “Lured by the Water, Kept by Our Heritage.” The water is what calls you to the site; however, it is this community’s collective heritage that keeps you coming back. The ‘Our’ also denotes that the project belongs to all community members as the waterfront is neutral, shared space.
At Cambridge Harbor, heritage is always thought of in three ways: ecological, maritimal, and equitable. This heritage of people and place is expressed in many forms throughout the system. The Nautical monogram marks and serif word mark speak to the city’s past, while the simplicity of the mark speaks to the contemporary future this development means for Cambridge.
The primary colors also express the range of hues the Choptank River showcases throughout the day, including calm grayish-blues and deep sunset golds. Various expressive type families support the idea of collective heritage, and they provide ample flexibility to articulate varied brand messaging.
The brand promise, “On and Off the Water, Heritage Lives Here,” is a commitment to the Cambridge community and visitors that no matter what you are doing on our site, or how you are engaging you will get a taste of the Cambridge lifestyle.
In line with this commitment, we created supportive illustrations that convey the Cambridge lifestyle one will discover ‘on or off the water.’ These illustrations highlight the natural landscape, the connection to the water, and a glimpse into the activities one can expect at the future development.
Cambridge required a unique approach to their innaugural website. As with many long-term development projects, the message the client and brand need to convey shifts over time. Phase one of the website focused on connecting developers with the plan to gain interest in the longer-term goals. Phase two is a community-focused site with the goal of connecting residents and tourists to the many attractions of the development, including restaurants, shopping, living, and a large waterfront public park and beach.
We thoroughly enjoyed creating a brand CWDI and the Cambridge community could be proud of, but what we are most proud of is the journey to get there. Along the way, we had opportunities to help market Cambridge’s economic redevelopment strategy and to also look towards the future for the community. During our research phases, we discovered there was a desire to keep Cambridge Harbor a place where all are welcome. Minority members of the community voiced concern about often feeling left outside of the development process. The inclusive process implemented by BCT and CWDI became an opportunity to create and market a place that is for all people.
Cambridge Harbor is primed to be the next top-tier Eastern shore destination and BCT’s Brand Studio is honored to have contributed to its expected success.
To learn more about Cambridge Harbor and see the brand in action visit Cambridge Harbor’s website.
