Walnut Creek Wising Up to the Benefits of a Brand
WALNUT CREEK — It’s a downtown divided; north versus south, with Mt. Diablo Boulevard its “Mason-Dixon Line.”
The split between the updated mall and newer shops to the south and the hodgepodge of older businesses and ethnic restaurants to the north is clear, says branding expert Roger Brooks. A fractured downtown can’t thrive, much less bill itself a regional retail destination, he said.
“It’s ridiculous; you should be joined at the hip,” said Brooks of Walnut Creek’s downtown.
To make Walnut Creek’s downtown a brand name, the business association should ditch the slogan “Escape the Ordinary” and build its brand as a tony shopping mecca with choice eateries, a true culinary destination.