Growth, diversity, Silicon Heartland - What is Columbus' identity and does it need one?

We've all seen these stories before about Columbus' identity, or the lack thereof. This paper has certainly done them.

And again this spring, there was the what now seems to be an annual "Who knew Columbus had ... ?" travel piece, this time from Forbes magazine, with a line familiar to anyone who has read these stories over the years: "While I expected some interesting spots sprinkled throughout Ohio’s capital and the country’s 14th largest city, I wasn’t expecting a metropolis packed with, well, everything I adore about city life," the author wrote.

That's nice. You've seen that kind of description before about Columbus.

People here at times seem apologetic for growing up here, or staying here.

So, the long-standing question about Columbus' identity: Should it even have one?

“It’s time to rebrand Columbus," said Doug Buchanan, Columbus Metropolitan Club vice-president of programming. But he asked whether the crux of the question is, does it have an identity to rebrand?

Tell us: What do you believe Columbus' identity should be?

Diversity driving growth

The region is heading into a time of generational change. It's more than Ohio State graduates hailing from elsewhere to stick around Columbus, more than hustlers trying to peddle influence at the Statehouse, more than banks and insurance.

Yes, it's Intel, and all that's coming with it to transform the fields of Licking County into a tech wonderland and a lot of growing pains.

But it's also that Columbus and its suburbs are becoming more diverse than ever. Both Columbus and Franklin County grew mightily between 2010 and 2020, and that growth was propelled by people of color.

In fact, the white population of both Columbus and Franklin County dropped during that decade.

In Franklin County, the white population dipped 0.4%, from 805,618 to 802,685 from 2010 to 2020. During the same period, the Black population grew 21%, from 247,225 to 299,771. The Asian population grew by close to 65%, from 44,996 to 74,071. And the Latino population went up by almost 64%, from 55,718 to 91,182.

Columbus Metropolitan Club leaders have discussed making the area's identity a topic for one of its upcoming forums, Buchanan said. Growth and the city's changing of the guard are reasons to discuss this, he added.

"We talked about whether to invite Experience Columbus, but also have some younger, newer voices who are thinking in a different way than the rest of us," Buchanan said.

Niel Jurist is a member of the CMC board and on its planning committee. She was the one who proposed the topic after talking about it with others.

"What is Columbus known for?" said Jurist, who is senior director of communications and engagement for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.

"We have to inspire people to want to come here," she said.

Time to redefine central Ohio

Jurist said it's time to think about what this area represents, especially at a time of unprecedented growth and change.

"It's really a great time to redefine the central Ohio region," she said.

"We don’t need to be compared to other cities. If we want to attract top talent, we've got be known for something," said Jurist, who grew up on the city's North Side.

Like many from Columbus, Jurist sometimes felt apologetic for not leaving the city to explore what else might be out there for her. "It can’t be that way any more," she said.

Jennifer Walton is chief brand officer and co-founder of Sky Nile Consulting in Columbus.

"The struggle has been trying to find that singular identity," Walton said. The brand has been Ohio State, she said.

"What we’re missing is the forest through the trees. We're truly a melting pot of cultures. The growth is going to be from more diverse groups, different ethnic groups and nationalities," she said.

"That's where we should be leading," Walton said.

And so instead of a handful of people controlling the city's culture, there can be more people building communities of like-minded values, she said.

"I think you can have a singular identity of a melting pot where differences are celebrated and elevated," Walton said.

Ismail Mohamed is a state representative from Columbus' Northeast Side and a native of Somalia. He said that Columbus has changed markedly since he arrived in 2005, mentioning in particular the large Bhutanese Nepali population in the Northland area and a growing Congolese population. "It’s been more variety in the last 15-20 years," he said.

So that new population will play a role in identifying what Columbus is, he said. But he doesn't think that Columbus will build in a certain direction and won't be known for one specific thing.

"It's hard to put a label on it," he said. One aspect that does stand out to Mohamed? "Nice people," he said.

Columbus as a city of opportunity

Alyssa Sansavera is one of those newer residents. Like many here, she grew up in the Cleveland area.

She's now a member of the Columbus Young Professionals Club. She participates in the club's first "Crash Course Columbus" program where people who have been here for three years of less take a course in all-things Columbus. According to the club, close to 46% of it new members have lived here for fewer than three years.

Sansavera said people from Oklahoma and New York City are part of the group. "You want to come here? Interesting," she said.

But after visiting Columbus, she decided she wanted to come here too. And she wants to put down roots.

"I had the impression that Columbus was a young up-and-coming city with opportunities for new graduates," said Sansavera, 24, a communications and events assistant who went to Bowling Green State University.

But she said she doesn't know if Columbus should have some singular identity.

"I find it a very welcoming place. I know a city can be very overwhelming," Sansavera said, even rude. But she never got that feeling here.

Kenny McDonald, president and CEO of the Columbus Partnership, the regional civic and business organization, said once people arrive here, they can have a real impact. "You can contribute, weigh in. That's not true everywhere," he said.

"The more diverse we get, the more it becomes more true," he said.

"It's not a tag line and a brand. It's really living up to that and communicating it. We do the hard work of inviting them to the table," he said.

Finding a brand that's flexible

Brandon Chesnutt is a partner in Identity, a marketing and public relations firm based in suburban Detroit. He said he is familiar with Columbus, having done work for Easton Town Center and Nationwide Realty Investors.

He's seen branding campaigns that work and stick with people. The "Pure Michigan" campaign for that state's tourist industry, for one. Grand Rapids, Michigan, has branded itself Beer City USA, highlighting its craft breweries.

"There was a movement in that city for that particular industry," Chesnutt said. It became a catalyst for growth. "It became an adopted name," he said.

"It's getting a way for the puzzle pieces to fit," he said.

He said that there could be a broader vision but with an ability to shape it to what he called "hyper-segmented viewpoints" among today's younger generations.

"There isn't a one size fits all that is correct. You want that single vision and ideal to be super moldable," he said.

Chesnutt mentioned the "Keep Austin Weird" slogan that booming Texas city adopted.

"What does that even say? But it has stood the test of time. It can be shifted in lots of different ways," Chesnutt said.

"The importance of branding a city is work that never stops," he said. Because it's about bringing in the next family or business to relocate, he said.

Aaron Renn is a writer and consultant based in Indianapolis who in 2017 wrote a piece titled "Columbus, Ohio Is Stuck In Branding Neutral," about whether Columbus really wants to have a strong identity, and that maybe it doesn't need one to succeed.

Having said that, Renn said during a recent interview with The Dispatch that Columbus is not unique in trying to forge an identity, mentioning there are similar discussions in many Midwestern cities, including Indianapolis and Louisville.

He said cities that don’t feel like they have a strong identity often neglect their strongest brand assets. He said Indianapolis has the Indianapolis 500, obviously. "But you never hear them talk about the Indy 500," he said, as a city identifier, he said.

Meanwhile, Columbus has Ohio State football. "It's an incredible legacy there," he said.

"Every city tries to convince you it’s as cool as every other city," Renn said. "You really can’t differentiate yourself.

"Everybody's got great restaurants," he said.

Gauging national perception

To that end, Experience Columbus is teaming up with the Columbus Partnership, city of Columbus, Franklin County and the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation on a national perception survey to see how those from outside the city view it so officials here can lay out strategies to compete for businesses and residents, said Brian Ross, Experience Columbus president and CEO.

"How do we work to extend that reach so we are not a hidden gem," Ross said.

Michael Wilkos, who has studied demographic and population changes for years in Columbus and central Ohio, said that successful cities are more than one thing.

"Identities do change over time. They're a reflection of people who live there and set that agenda," said Wilkos, senior vice-president of community impact at the United Way of Central Ohio.

"We’ve always suffered from a lack of identity, but that has not kept us from growing," he said.

As you think about many cities across the country of our size, many of them do not have a well-known identity, he said. Or they might be known for a singular thing, such as St. Louis and its Gateway Arch, but St. Louis as a city is not functionally different than Kansas City, Missouri, he said.

But some cities continue to hang on and embrace their identities even after what defined them is no longer relevant. Wilkos brought up his hometown of Youngstown, which remains active in maintaining its steel city image.

"Even though steel production is a remnant of the past, there is a proud belief that Youngstown contributed greatly to the building of America. It gives people pride even though that foundation has left, Wilkos said.

"Youngstown. You can’t break a city made of steel," he said.

mferench@dispatch.com

@MarkFerenchik

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