Times Square is an an example of a small, privately held cluster of shops which has bandied-together and created a marketing face. Yes, it’s run by the landlord, which probably charges out the marketing to the tenants. That’s fine. That’s a great system.
Like most shopping centre marketing, it leads with a female-female-female based narrative. And that name wouldn’t be the first marketing campaign which tried to send the reader into a New York State of Mind. I can’t find the link now but I saw a recent, local image of a chick at a table with the byline, ‘SoHo?’ to advertise a local centre.
Retail marketing, the selling of apartments and their lifestyle claims (‘New York Style Apartments’ – sheesh, really?) … this is testimony of the place-brand that is New York City. I don’t think we should do it though. The beautiful thing about place is that a sustainable economy and community is dependant upon us all digging deep and finding something local to love.
We’ll get there.
Above: A small arcade of Times Square Claremont with L’Amour Kids, corner of Stirling Highway and Avion Way, Claremont, Australia
