Coral Springs officials and staff believe spreading the good word about the city is a great way to attract new businesses and ensure economic development.

At a recent workshop, Christine Verdi-Sarwar, Director of Communications and Marketing, presented a status report on the city’s branding effort to the commission. The idea is to sell the city’s strong points, with an eye on attracting new businesses and maintaining a strong sense of community pride.

The city’s branding efforts are paying off, City Manager Mike Levinson said. “We’ve come a long way. This is not about balloons, t-shirts or coffee cups. This is about using the Baldrige award to validate our community of excellence approach. This is all about return on investment.”

Mayor Scott Brook was convinced that the city had the right strategy. “We want to have successful development of business so that we can diversify our tax base. We have to use Baldrige to promote our city as the location of first resort for both residents and businesses.”

Commissioner Ted Mena did not like the idea.

“It looks like we are blowing our horns a bit too much," Mena said. “The more we do that, the more people hate us. They think we are too elite. Why do we have to brand our city? Shouldn’t we be humble? Are we going a little overboard with how great we are?”

In the coming weeks, city staff, in partnership with the Economic Development Foundation, will develop prospectus materials as part of the branding efforts. Although the branding efforts will hinge on the Baldrige award, the city’s low crime rate, AAA credit rating, A-rated schools, the presence of Olympians in the community, and performance awards will also be used to create a buzz.