Community Branding Study

Cover - Apex Brand Navigator - Copy Opens in new windowA public contest held in 1975 yielded "The Peak of Good Living" as the Town of Apex’s slogan. The phrase was a nod to our quality of life, as well as the play on the town’s namesake for being the highest point along a 30-mile section of the Chatham Railroad. At the time, our population stood at around 2,200.

Nearly fifty years later in 2020, having grown to a town of 60,000 residents, Apex is still fondly and firmly known as The Peak of Good Living. As we thought about the next 50 years, the town felt it was important to understand how our residents, both long-time and new, identify with this statement, and how we can expand upon this sentiment for our businesses, visitors, and other stakeholders.

The town worked with ChandlerThinks, a nationally recognized place-branding consultant, to achieve the following outcomes:

  • Distinct Identity: Identify and promote what makes the Town of Apex distinct and appealing in a regionally‐competitive environment for investors, businesses, retailers, visitors, and residents.
  • Flexibility: The brand must be flexible and adaptable in order to meet the needs of a variety of town departments and municipal functions within the Town of Apex as well as groups and businesses within the overall brand. It must be flexible enough to grow and evolve with any changes in the market.
  • Economic Development Promotion: Promote a healthy economy, attract private investment, attract new businesses, and help retain key businesses. A defined message that will market the Town of Apex locally, regionally, statewide, and nationwide as a business-friendly community.
  • Community Endorsement: The town brand must be authentic and resonate with citizens, businesses, employees, and community groups within the Town of Apex and throughout the region in order to gain the broadest possible support.

Over a period of nine months, ChandlerThinks worked on the community branding study in four phases as outlined in the tabs below.

  1. Explore
  2. Evaluate
  3. Express
  4. Engage

In this phase, we measured the pulse of the community and strategic external audiences through research. This research is a building block from which brand truths emerge – the foundation for brand building.

We received input through:

  • One-on-one interviews with community stakeholders
  • Focus groups 
  • Facebook group dedicated to branding
  • Community survey (both online and paper copies distributed)
  • Attitude, Awareness and Perception surveys
  • A review of Apex’s digital footprint

View a summary of the feedback in the Apex Brand Navigator document.