One thing we can agree on is that some branding just doesn't work:
Central City Toyota, 4800 Chestnut St. Huh?
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 9:05 AM
Subject: [UC] New voice in the anti-gentrification movement
The logical flaw underlying most of these "anti-marketing" posts is to assume
that if a name is used in some entity's marketing, therefore that name is
*only* marketing. It's like saying, because the Philadelphia Phillies use the
name "Philadelphia" in their marketing, therefore "Philadelphia" is a marketing
tool. Or, because "The Green Line" is used by a café, that means the name has
"become a brand". This is true but, in the context of our discussion, only in a
trivial and misleading way.
As earlier posters pointed out, *all* urban names begin as marketing. All
cities are built, then marketed and sold. Most name changes, which are also
built into city life, represent somebody's effort to repackage an area. So the
discovery of Marketing in urban real estate names is a duh! discovery that
really tells us nothing.
More importantly for political purposes is whether a name catches on with the
public. In order words ... did the marketing work? If it did, then it must have
met a popular need. If it didn't ... where are the Edselvilles of yesteryear?
As of 2006, "University City" is obviously being used by the public. There is
good evidence, in fact, that the information-seeking public (as opposed to the
sticker-printing public) prefers it to "West Philadelphia" as a community name.
The June 2006 Verizon White Pages lists 23 separate entities that use the
phrase "West Philadelphia" as part of their names. But only 6 of them are
within the generally accepted boundaries of University City (say, Spring Garden
to 42nd to Market to 52nd to the EPTA tracks to the Schuylkill).
The same edition lists 15 separate entities that use the phrase "University
City" as part of their names. Of these, 14 actually lie within our community.
Regardless of its origin, then, University City exists and is well known today.
There is no law against anybody's using it in their marketing.
-- Tony West
Wilma wrote:
>I believe the name University City was first bandied about in the early >70's
> and not the 60's. Also Powelton Village and Sansom Village (remember >
> that?).
> It helps to have grown up here.
>
> University City has become a brand now promoted by the UCD. This is true.
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