Archive
Subscribe
Weather
 |
|
 |
Chamber
continues
name-change discussion |
A name change is on a short list of possible marketing
strategies for the Newberg Chamber |
By Gunnar Olson, Newberg
Graphic reporter
E-mail Gunnar at golson@eaglenewspapers.com
|
The Newberg Chamber of Commerce is giving serious thought to a new name for
itself. The handle that tops the short list is the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Cindy Roberson, a member of the Chamber’s Marketing Committee, said
people hesitate at the idea when they first hear it, but come to like it the more they
learn.
“It’s very important that this isn’t perceived as something we
dreamed up at night,” Roberson said. “We’re basically putting
together a marketing plan for the area.”
Julie Lorenzen, the office manager at the Chamber, said the area that would
be identified as Chehalem Valley has not been determined, although some generalities have
been made.
The most visible way in which the Chamber would promote the area would be to
put up signs at the main roads leading in and out of the area, such as cities often have.
Although their exact locations have not yet been determined, there would be
signs saying “welcome,” with “farewell” on the back or possibly on a
second sign, at four locations on highways 99W, 219 and 240.
The idea for the name change was born at the Newberg Area Chamber of
Commerce’s annual planning meeting, where its board of directors develop strategy for
the upcoming year.
“It was the identity factor (that prompted the conversation),”
Lorenzen said.
Lorenzen said most of the Chamber members are for the renaming. Roberson
would agree.
Roberson said an analogy keeps coming up, specifically in conversations of
those who favor the idea:
“A rising tide floats all boats.” The idea being that if the entire
area is promoted, all parties will benefit.
A good example is the region’s blossoming wine industry, Roberson said.
There are some wineries in the greater Newberg area who stand to gain increased traffic if
tourists identified the area as more than the city of Newberg. The industry might also be
rewarded for the parallel that people would make between Chehalem Valley and Napa Valley,
the widely known wine country of California.
One of the biggest arguments for changing the name stems from the limits of
the Chamber’s current name. While the Chamber’s current jurisdiction includes
Dundee, St. Paul and Newberg, its name reflects only Newberg.
A rational for making the change sooner rather than later comes out of the
possibility of the Chamber moving. There are tentative plans to relocate the Chamber to
Central School, and if it is transplanted there it would more than likely need to change
its logo, which pictures the house in which the Chamber resides. If the Chamber were
replacing the letterheads and such anyway, there wouldn’t be any addition expense in
changing name change, as well.
There are reasons for leaving the name as is, too. They are brought to light
in the meeting notes for the Sept. 12 Chamber meeting between the marketing committee and
the executive committee, during which the merits of the name change were discussed. On the
executive Committee are Jim Hirte, Curt Walker, Mike Gougler and Ann Dolan. On the
marketing committee are Jeff Palmer, Roberson and Dennis Lewis. Points for implementing or
not implementing the name change were:
— Takes lots of money for a name change and marketing campaign to be
done right.
— Begin the marketing of the area and consider changing the name if it
is successful.
— If acted on too quickly the area may loose its identity and ability to
attract new businesses in the swap.
— Does the Newberg Area Chamber of Commerce have brand equity now?
— The Chamber could lose current members who might say they are in Newberg,
not Chehalem Valley.
— Would people be able to find the area with new name?
— Maybe go with Yamhill Valley for its name-recognition.
— How about, “Newberg Chamber of Commerce, home of Chehalem
Valley”?
— Chehalem Valley has an appealing definition: Valley of the flowers.
— The name Chehalem Valley is used frequently now.
— List the names of all of the cities within Chehalem Valley (which
itself has not been defined) on the signs.
— A name change would blur the competition between McMinnville and
Newberg.
— The marketing committee would like to have the no-vote members
contacted and educated on the issue.
— More research might be needed. |
|
From Oct. 8,
2003, Newberg Graphic
Click Here to Subscribe |
|
|
|
 |
|
