ABSTRACT
It is important to distinguish between vision and brand. Much has been written about brands in general; many "branding" consultants have attempted to give relatively unknown cities, downtowns, and business districts clever branding treatments-catchy slogans about whatever the business district is or wants to be. Brands seek to place in the prospective visitor's head a belief that "this is the place to go for (fill in the blank)." For example, some places want to be known as 24/7 downtowns-always alive, always ready to party. Others may choose to be known as family-friendly business districts-good libraries and bookstores, schools and day care facilities, moderate-priced restaurants. But the key distinction between a brand and a vision is that a brand describes the image you want people to have of your downtown right now, while a vision describes what the business district or downtown will look like at some point in the future, provided you are successful as a downtown manager and leader in achieving your goals.
